Golden Bamboo
(Phyllostachys aureocaulis)

Phyllostachys aureocaulis can grow to its ultimate height of 6m very quickly, which makes it perfect for creating a screening hedge̴Ì?- an ideal choice if you are looking for something tall but low maintenance hedge. The Bamboo features canes with green stripes and a lemony-yellow colour, which when placed in good sunlight, will turn an orange/pink shade. When placed in your garden, this plant will bring an exotic and modern looking aesthetic to your garden, especially with its long leaves that flutter in the wind- it is just generally much more interesting that your traditional hedge.

This species of Bamboo has all the same features as the Black and Green Bamboo, except the golden colouring that brings a bit of brightness to your garden. You will be better off placing your Golden Bamboo in a spacious area, so that it can spread out nicely. It can be left to grow freely on its own, which will create a lovely contemporary style in your garden, or you can trim it to a desired hedge shape/size.

The Golden Bamboo is not as invasive as other species of Bamboo, which is a great beneficial attribute of this plant. In terms of planting, dry soil will only slow down the growth rate, so we recommend placing in a moist soil and slightly below ground level (an inch or two), along with a dish around the canes to collect rainwater. They prefer to be put in a sunny or semi-shady site.

The plant can also take a year or two to fully settle down and begin to establish properly, so ensure you water it well and feed in alternated years during the late Spring (after first shoots have reached their full height of 6m).

• Growth height:̴Ì?Fast (40-60cm per year)
• Ideal height:2.5m+ Tall
• Soil Type: Normal, moist
• Exposure:̴Ì?Exposed, Inland
• Aspect: Semi-shade, Sun
• Evergreen foliage? Yes

Golden Bamboo is a very fast-growing species, meaning pruning will have to be done regularly to keep it under control. Any damaged/unwanted canes should be cut down to ground level in the Spring, as well as any new bamboo shoots so that they can establish to the maximum height properly. Trimming/pruning must be done in early June, and then again in late September- it is important you only prune at these times, otherwise you will end up removing healthy, new shoots that are trying to grow.

When should I plant Golden Bamboo hedging?

The best time to plant Bamboo is at the beginning of spring, when the weather just begins to warm up.

How far apart do you plant Golden Bamboo plants?

To get a dense screen, your Golden Bamboo plants will need to be planted around 100cm apart (for mature plants only). For less mature plants, stick to around 80-90cm apart. Bamboo does not a fair amount of space to spread out, so planting distance is something to consider.

How to plant Golden Bamboo:

Before planting, you must ensure that any heavily pot bound roots are spread out, but using a garden cultivator. Give the root ball a good soaking, too - preferably by soaking in a large tub of water for 20 minutes or spraying very well with a garden hose. This helps to moisten the root ball thoroughly.

Then, dig a hole that is 1.5-2 times as wide and deep as the plant's root ball. Work in some compost/manure into the dug-up soil, and then add around 1/3 of grit (but only if the soil is rather heavy). Be sure to leave a decent layer of compost at the bottom, and that the plant's root ball is slightly lower than the depth of the hole, so that backfilling soil can be placed on top of the original soil. Backfill with soil and press down lightly to secure the plant. Fertiliser is not recommended.̴Ì?

Lastly, ensure you water thoroughly to remove any air pockets, and add some mulch (including compost, hay, grass, manure, or leaf mould).