It’s about that time for planting season and many of us single men with a yard have a hard time keeping things looking pleasant when friends come by or frankly just don’t have the time to prune, plant, and take care of a yard. Enter our new favorite plant friend.
Bamboo, in recent years, has become one of the most popular plants on today’s market. Bamboo can now be utilized for all different specifications all over the world—including urban areas and cities, as well as cold North-East temperatures, where Timber bamboo can reach heights of 40 feet. And The Manual had a chance to sit down with Edwin Woolley, owner of Little Acre Farm in Howell,New Jersey, and innovator in the current world of bamboo business.
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With over 20 acres of land and 80-100 types of bamboo, Woolley started his Bamboo business twenty-six years ago. Originally a family owned chicken farm back in the 70s, Edwin Woolley’s father, Thomas Woolley a former semi-pro football player and veteran of the United States Navy, decided to grow produce and green house bedding plants, where he supplied the New York City Green Markets in Manhattan. Edwin Woolley then started specializing in nursery plants (trees), and then after college he began specializing in bamboo. He holds a Bachelors of Science degree from Rutgers University in Environmental Planning and Design. Woolley holds tours at Little Acre Farm quite frequently for the Master Gardens Club, and Rutgers University.
Little Acre Farm is the largest in the Northeast and offers the biggest selection as far as size and variety–with greenhouses holding all container plants, “Established groves in our nursery show how bamboo performs in the Northeast.”And while many ‘know it all’s’ out there think they really know everything there is about bamboo, we here at The Manual assure you that they don’t. Most people assume that bamboo can only be stored out doors, and are concerned that bamboo grows and spreads too rapidly. But Woolley assures us that’s not the case, “The top sellers right now are your Clumping and Running.
”Running Bamboo- ” Spreads quickly, which is excellent for screening if contained properly. Many people have this notion that once you plant bamboo, no matter what you do, it will spread rapidly and cause havoc, However, that’s not the case,” said Woolley. “Bamboo needs to be contained and owners must provide maintenance.”
Clumping- ” Is similar to ornamental grass in terms of growth and that it stays in one spot, and is perfect for accenting.”
In a world that is constantly telling us to be “greener,” there’s no doubt in our mind the bamboo is the alternative route. Save a tree, buy a bamboo.
