Eric

Hi Iorax,
Land of Cary's maple syrup & voortman cookies! (YUM!). Don't blame you, though. Even Oklahoma gets a little frigid for my taste. Which province? By the way, I've seen quite a few weather forecasts for southern summer, especially in South America. The weather sounds like heaven! Curious; how far apart do you space your trenches when curing the culms? Sure appreciate the info! Michael James, signing off for now.

Bob

Hey Michael, I'm absolutely interested in hearing more about your bamboos. I only just became interested in them especially the timber types which are only marginally hardy here in zone 6. (what I wouldn't give for 10 degrees or so !) I started the Moso's from seed this winter so there's not much to them. I'm under the impression that they are kind of slow growing for about 5 years and the magically send up their giant shoots. My initial plan is to grow them in pots for about 3 years and then set them out with winter protection and hope for the best. I'm new to this so would like to hear what you think.
Definitely post some pics of your plants when you get time. Maybe even start a new thread in the "other plants" section. I'm sure there's lots of us here who are interested.

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Eric

Hi again Bob,
I was more than a bit rushed, yesterday, so I thought I'd append my last message. The Rubromarginata & Robert Young bamboos are both hardy down to 5 or 10 below zero F.
While I'm not real crazy about the Rubro, the Robert Young has been pure Joy! The old-gold green-striped culms are fantastic & it's fairly drought-hardy. However, it does have an unfortunate tendency not to send out runners as frequently as other bamboos thus making it a more difficult bamboo to find in-stock. I planted it in spring 2004 and, despite minimal attention, it has thrived (a lot of my back yard resembles a forest). For color, the 'Mountain' bamboos are fabulous and can endure much lower temps. Conversely, they can suffer heat. If this is your 1st venture with bamboo, don't be upset if the culms drop yellowed leaves in the spring; they're simply replacing the worn-out & older leaves. Best of luck. Michael James, signing off for now.

lorax

I do miss maple syrup... I was originally from Northern Alberta, just a tad south of the town of Fort McMurray. When it wintered, it went to -60C. Here, if it goes to +10C everybody puts on sweaters and boots and whatnot, and I still wander around in shorts and sandals. I consider it to be cold near the peaks of the glaciers, but nowhere else, really. There are some places that are chilly, though, and others where I wouldn't want to be caught out without a jacket and shoes.

My curing trenches are 4' wide with 2' of space between each, and the fire trenches are 2' wide; both are poured cement (which discourages moisture and holds the heat well.) If I'm curing for scaffolding, I generally go about a week less in the hut than if I'm curing for finishing wood.

Oh, and it's Lorax, as in "I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees."

Tog Tan

Bob- Goodness! Growing buluh (bamboo) from sds! Ask any M'sian, and they are not aware buluh has sds. Ok, when you guys go into Other Plants Forum and talk buluh, I will show you all the ones here and how scary they get even in the city. Buluh from sds! This I gotta tell the guys here. Btw, Orang Puteh, I am not making fun of you(as if I need to), I am just so amazed by the trouble you guys go through to do something at your end.

Jim aka Michael - do start something in the Other Plants Forum and I promise I will jump in. Then Lorax will try to cave us in. It's gonna be fun.

Cheers!

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____
Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

Bob

Ok , allow me to officially derail Michael James up to now very cool intro.
Tog , I'm sure at your end you think we must be crazy doing some of these things. It's kind of like when a parent tells a kid no cookies or candy before dinner, you know what happens as soon as their backs are turned. How could someone from SEA NOT know about seeds?(I actually do get it) , I may have to throw down the gloves and challenge you to get a Colorado blue spruce going on that peninsula of yours!
MJ, definitely start something so we can talk some bamboo, it will be fun.

signed, buluh Bob

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Eric

Hi again Bob,
Impressions can be misleading. Moso (Phyllostachys Pubescens), under good conditions, will reach a height of 4-5 feet - with a 1/4-3/8 inch diameter culm - in just under 2 years. It's new shoots are highly edible & the uses, for it's culms, are virtually endless including medicine, fuel, & bridge construction. Native to China & Japan, it is only hardy down to 10 degrees F. but does fare well in South Carolina. It's rated for zone-10, requires full-sun or light shade, and the ideal growing temp is 72 degrees F. However, if you're as determined as me, you won't let that stop you!
Just the same, you might want to consider Phyllostachys Dulcis (Sweetshoot), Phyllostachys Vivax, or the sought-after Phyllostachys Vivax Aureocaulis, all of which are Timbers with a 4-5 inch culm. While Moso is a bit larger, Dulcis is hardy to 0 degrees and the other 2 are hardy to -5 degrees. Dulcis is a tad thinner-walled but has the best tasting shoots of any bamboo. It grows to 40 feet with a 4 inch culm. The -5 F Vivax species have a 5 inch culm, grow to 70 feet, and are rated zones 6-10. The second Vivax (Aureocaulis) - while a bit pricey at $85 - has a beautifull golden culm with occassional green-stripes and somewhat striped leaves. It's very popular in Europe.
I noticed that the lowest temp, in Morris Plains, was -16 degrees F in 1982 and the highest was 102 degrees F in 1953. Moso will be quite marginal while the others would have a great chance of making a stand. Must be nice! We've been as high as 112 degrees F with short winters that rarely even reach the single digits.
Available sources, for the aforementioned bamboos, are Tradewinds Bamboo in Gold Beach Oregon & Burt Associates Bamboo in Westford MA.
By the way, never let 'marginal' get you down. My bamboos were said to be quite 'marginal' in Oklahoma but have been thriving for 5 years now! The only winter-protection I ever provided was a north-wind barrier and I never even knocked the ice off of them after an ice-storm, even the 2007 disaster.
Good luck with the Moso! Keep in touch! I'd love to keep up with how that's faring up there. Michael James, signing off for now.

Eric

Hi Bob,
Impressions can be misleading. 'Cool' is a highly relative social term to which I do not subscribe. 'Derailed' implies a set course from which I have not swayed. Challenge? I am challenged by video & parlor games, not a simple exchange of information. Yes, it is true. Bamboo can seed. Some species require nearly a hundred years to do so. I know little of growing bamboo from seed. However, the information I obtained was from a reliable source. If anything I've offered is usefull, I consider I have done my part. Michael James, signing off for now.
Ps. The AKA is 'Michael James' (my pen-name as a writer). My big brother's name is Michael. My name is James - Jim, for short.

Eric

Hi Lorax,
Thanx for correcting me & thanx for the great info on curing bamboo! I'm unfamiliar with "I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees." Sounds beautifull. What literary work is that from?
-60 degrees C!? I can't even imagine life existing at those temps! I can see now why you wanted to migrate south! I have a special interest, myself. I'm severely opposed to lumberjacks & strip-miners invading South America (or most anywhere else, for that matter).
Curious. I intially joined this forum to find more information concerning the dwarf Gran Nain banana tree I recently recieved as a gift yet 2 messages have been posted - obviously directed at me - which seem somehow challenging & apparently have little to do with growing tropical plants. If I had the time or felt compelled, I might try and figure it out... no matter. I heard that the Gran Nain has a bad habit of dropping it's leaves. Have you tried growing one?
Thanx again for all your help. Michael James, signing off for now.

lorax

It is from the great literary work "The Lorax" by the esteemed Dr. Theodore Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) To give you a bit of backgroud, the Lorax is the protector of rare trees (Truffula trees), and wages a fight of reason against the Onceler, who wants to cut them all down. The term "Lorax" is now commonly applied to forest conservationists, of whom I am one. I currently speak for Mahogany and Tropical Cedar; in the South I spoke for Podocarps of the sections Capitulatis and Nemorales, and in the North for Mangroves.

The full quote is "I am the Lorax, I speak for the Trees. They have no voice of their own, you see."

Bananaman88

Welcome aboard, Michael!

lorax

Oh, on the Gran Nain thing; I've never had any trouble with leaf-drop, but then again I live in an intensely banana-friendly climate. Chiquita (whose cultivar the Gran Nain is) actively detrashes theirs about once a month, so I would expect that they don't drop too badly; certainly the Chiquita plantations always look spiffy. Dole looks much more ragged, but then again they're growing Cavendishes which tend to retain their dead leaves.

Eric

Hi Lorax,
Thanx for the info! I, too, am a conservationist. When I was a kid, I read Dr. Seuss' Cat In The Hat and another (I can't remember) but never ran across The Lorax. Theodore Seuss is, obviously, more intelligent than I had imagined! After much research, this afternoon, I did manage to obtain sufficient info for growing a Gran Nain. The proof, of course, is in the pudding but the info came from various sources & sites to include actual experiences. Mine's standing 14 inches right now (without lifting the leaves) and looking very healthy. I'll be keeping it indoors, for the next 1 1/2 months, and using a split potato method for checking on possible gnats. also, my Ruby Siam (In part-shade in the back yard) is beginning to redden! Thanx again! Michael James, signing off for now.

saltydad

Jim- My reading of the posts of Tog and Bob show no challenge to you. These two are challenging each other, as they are wont to do frequently with great verve and humor. So please, nothing negative is being directed at you. We're always overjoyed when new members join. You'll learn we are a lovable and boisterous bunch, as well as banana focused.

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and
http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/

Eric

Hi Lorax,
For starts : My apologies, Bob & Ton Tan. When it comes to the Net & Forum sites, I'm totally green around the gills; have a little trouble with slang, too. For now, off for some fun in the sun. Back in about 3 weeks. Will post tons of photos when I return. Michael James, signing off for now.

Bob

No apologies necessary and thanks again for the web sites for the bamboo. I now have them on my "favorites" list. Never take anything between me and Tog too seriously. We seem to share many of the same interests and are about the same age so often give each other "the business". Looking forward to your photos upon return. Enjoy wherever it is you're off to.

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Tog Tan

Bob, share many of the same interests and about the same age? You mean eccentricities.... and trying to be matured like me?

Welcome to the fun zone Jim! Look forward to more of your posts! Me being grown up in the land of hot sun seems to have thickened my skin to a hide. No apologies please, you are doing fine.

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____
Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

lorax

You should probably also be warned that I play the same game as Tog and Bob, so unless I'm including botanical names in the post you shouldn't take me at all seriously. I'm much younger than they are, but I'm just as warped vis a vis sense of humour. You don't have to apologize to any of us three.

Tog Tan

Beth, you forgot the other leg which is MIA in China now. Jim, wait till that critter gets back!

__________________



____
Tog Tan has sadly suddenly passed away 6/16/09. We will miss you Tog Tan.

saltydad

Boy, what am I, chopped liver?

__________________
Men In Nursing- "A Few Good Men"

"Gardening is the purest of human pleasures." - Francis Bacon





"If by a liberal, they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind; someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions; someone who cares about the welfare of the people, their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, their civil liberties; someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicion that grips us; that is what they meant by a liberal, I am proud to be a liberal."
John F. Kennedy, September, 1960


http://flickr.com/photos/saltydad/ and
http://community.webshots.com/user/saltydad
http://s751.photobucket.com/albums/xx151/saltydad/