Hardy Bamboo
 

We live in NC and this is the second time I have dug up Bamboo. First was a native one,it died because it was too hot in the summer to transplant it,I know that. This other type I got the other day growing in a parking lot had yellowish stems. I planted it in somewhat shade like it was growing,I have already noticed new growth that was present is burnt. We have had alot of rain the past two days,so water isn't a issue. Am I going to loose this one as well,or do bamboo shock pretty easy during transplant? Thanks

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

They certainly can go into shock when transplanted. I have had some just about loose all their leave and come back and other loose and die.

Did you allow any of the roots to dry before transplanting whatsoever?

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

No they got a down pour on them while waiting to be planted.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

When you want a start of bamboo treat in like a cutting. You only need one verticle stalk. Cut it off about two nodes above the ground. Do not expect any growth from it. The horizontal underground stem should be several inches up to a foot.

Try and get some dirt with it. Dig when the soil is moist. Do not let in dry out before or after planting!, for several weeks.

The first year it sleeps (growing some roots)
The second year it creeps. Small branched stalks, smaller than a pencil.
The third year it leaps.

Best done in the spring.

George

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

Hello,

I grow over 30 species of bamboo, and my advice for growing hardy bamboos is to go to the bambooweb forums, and hook up with a local bamboo collector who has a huge collection of bamboos that grow in your climate. If you are in zone 8b, then all temperate bamboos should thrive for you. Many people are more than willing to part with divisions from their groves.

Here's the link to the forum. bambooweb.info • Login

Transplanting bamboos are pretty easy once you learn about their growth habits, and if you are really enthusiastic about bamboos, then I would suggest finding out about all the different species that are available. Here's one of my blog posts on one of the ornamental species that I am working to make widely available.Steve's garden: Growing phyllostachys edulis moso bicolor over the past 15 months

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

What Steve said..

PLUS

Familiarize yourself with the difference between clumpers and runners. There are several temperate/subtropical bamboos and even a few tropical bamboos that may work for you. Do some research and be realistic about your climate.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

The newer growth on it died off but the rest of the older leaves are good looking. I think it will be fine as this week is 10* cooler then normal here and will go back to normal next week. So it got a lot of rain and cooler weather.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

normally if you got a lot of the roots and some good rhizomes,the top can completely die off and it will come back. We dig ours in the fall and pot it up and let it go dormant over winter in the greenhouse. If we miss a piece when we dig it with the skid loader, it comes right back in that place. Also I gave a guy a bag of just roots with no top growth that had been lying in the sun a couple of days and it grew. So it's pretty tough. If you have a lot of top growth on the pieces you dug, then cut it back to 2 feet tall like the other guy said because any time you move a perennial during the growing season it's a good time to cut back the tops to match the bottoms so that it doesn't dry out excessively and kill the roots. Doesn't matter if it's a daylily, hosta, or bamboo.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

About two weeks or so ago I planted some that was just a cut off cane with two nodes (no greennery anywhere) and roots/rhizome. it is already sending out growth from the two nodes. I think you will be fine.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

I am in zone 8b and I've been growing the Textilis types for almost 3 yrs. now and they are growing very good. I was looking for a clumper that would have good diameter 3" or better but settled on the smaller diameter stuff because of the hardiness for my climate. This year I added Hirose and a couple of others which are recomended for zone 9 or better so we'll see what happens. My Kanapaha looks very good. I add Miracle Grow Garden Soil as a top mulch when I put these new bamboo in the ground, they love it.
Bo

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

One other thing. They seem to love organic matter. One of our local commercial growers piles it on the base so much that his 5-6 year old clumps are about a foot taller in the center almost making the bamboo look as if they are growing out of an ant mound.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

I think chicken manure might be the best organic fertilizer. On top of using that, I try putting in all the scraps I can, including paper/ cardboard to attract more worms since worms create worm castings.

Miracle gro seems fine for potted plants, but the weakness I've found in it is that it doesn't really have a lasting effect, and you really can't feed a larger grove of bamboo unless you have tons of it. That's why I prefer organic materials which you can find in abundance.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

Here's a 16 month documentation with pictures on the growth of one of the bamboos that may do great in a zone 8b climate. It hasn't shown much after 2 seasons, but its underground growth far exceeds what can be seen in these pictures.

Steve's garden: Growing phyllostachys edulis moso bicolor over the past 15 months

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

Hi Steve,

All Phyllostachys are runners correct? I though they all were cold hardy. I have P nigra in a contained bed and it has been well behaved so far only sending one five foot runner. I'm expecting more of course. It does not seem to be a fast grower.

Re: Hardy Bamboo
 

They should all be runners, but depending on the climate and growing conditions, they don't always run. If you are in zone 9, then it should be warm enough for all phyllostachys bamboos to run with ease. It might just take a few years.