Bambusa ventricosa, Buddha's Belly Bamboo ?


I just purchased a Bambusa ventricosa, Buddh'a Belly, yesterday and wondered if anyone has any experience growing this bamboo?   I want to plant it beside the concrete platform for my 4000 gallon water holding tank as a screen for the irrigation pipes and filters at the rear of the tank.  I have a pergola on the east side of the tank and the bamboo would be planted between the tank and the pergola.  On the other two corners of the pergola I have planted Pandorea jasminoides to creep up and over.  We get some wind up at the pergola and I thought the sound of the rustling bamboo might be nice.  There are irrigation pipes both above and below ground up there and I wondered if this would be a problem with the bamboo roots.  My irrigation pipes are 2 inches in diameter.  Of course I will be irrigating the bamboo.  I have heard that if this bamboo is kept contained, it will develop the bellies much better - I was thinking of placing some thick plastic or metal down the sides of the planting hole to contain the roots.  I really don't want the bamboo to extend into the patio portion under the pergola - the area under the pergola is just big enough for four chairs and a couple of side tables with a a little open space.  The patio was purposefully left as gravel in case I ever have a problem with any of the pipes so I can excavate.  I thought about planting the bamboo in a container, but containers dry out so quickly and it is a 15 gallon size, so the container would have to be really big.  Plus with all the wind I am afraid the height of the bamboo (it's already about 6 feet tall), would make it top heavy and it would blow over.
 
Thanks in advance for any advice.
 
Linda Starr
Springville Lavender Gardens
 


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