Hello,

I live in the Nerherlands amd growing 2 different types of bamboo in my garden here. 2 on the left are a black bamboo and the other on the right, i dont know what it is.. the plants were bought a few months ago amd i am trying to achieve a Zen look. But the bamboo looks all clumped together. Will these grow like large stalks? I am hoping for large wood style stalks but i am new at this. I attached my photos and what i wish for.

Any info would be good.

Thanks.

I am bot sure I understand your question, but as the bamboo grows taller it will have bare "trunks" with foliage higher up. If the clumps are too dense for you, you can cut some stalks off at the ground; they will not resprout. However, typically new sprouts will emerge periodically. You can also cut those off if unwanted.

I agree with porkpal. Give it some time and diligence, and you'll achieve your goal. I envy you. I want black bamboo but it won't do well in our climate.

Black Bamboo is a 'clumber' not a 'runner' so it will always grow closely packed together. The advertisements all say Black Bamboo stems will get 2 inches in diameter and 25 to 35 ft. tall. I have never seen a Black Bamboo that big outside of Japan. In the California Central Valley, the stems got 1 inch in diameter and about 10 feet tall. The entire plant was about 4 feet by 4 feet and that took 20 years from a 1 gallon pot.

In San Francisco at my father in law's house, it was pencil thickness and about 3 feet tall. Here in Reno, the stems are about 1/2 inch in diameter and the plant is about 6 feet tall.

If you want large stems that are spread apart, you will probably have to look for a 'running' bamboo. Maybe even a timber bamboo. Don't expect any bamboo to grow to its full potential in your area.

This is my Black Bamboo plant, its been in the ground for 3 years now and the base is about 2 feet across (the original plant was about 2/3's that size). As you can see, it is not un-clumping, just slowly getting wider. Emphasis on slowly.

Warm welcome from the Pacific NW, WishZen! I love the bamboo against the brick, nice contrast. And the blood grass is another strong vertical, bringing in some red tones. Very nice. I think you will achieve your look with a bit of patience. As others have said, judiciously snip to the ground extra stalks to get a more open look and give them some time to settle in and put on some height.