Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Hi fellow bamboo enthusiasts :) ! I've started this thread to give fellow bamboo lovers a chance to show and discuss their handywork with growing and using bamboos of all types. Bamboo is sometimes very surprising. When I planted my Robert Young bamboo, in mid-May 2004, I was told it was an old-gold bamboo with occasional striping... but I never expected striping like this!





After about 5 1/2 years, it's up 21 feet and (hopefully) will make it to 40 feet in the next couple of years!
How about yours!? Would Luv to see pics & info on the bamboos other members are growing... Bamboo newbies included!!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

That is really beautiful. Does it stay striped like that? If you cut it to use - will it have a striped coloration? I would be a newbie as I just received two very large roots (about the size of a football each) in a GardenWeb trade. They are: phyllostachys 'nuda' and phyllostachys 'aureosulcata' (yellow groove). I don't even know what they will look like. Eric, should I plant them in the ground this time of year (it is in the upper 40's here right now) or put them in a pot inside out of the weather. Do they like a lot of water or no, or does it depend on the season? I will google to find out what I can, but I know you are the bamboo KING! :) Thanks!!!! ~JaNan

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Don't know yet if it will keep it's stripes after cutting. But I do know that the stripes last :) ! The culm in the bottom picture has had these same stripes for 2 years now! But this is the first year, since I started, that I've had any culms large enough to use for lumber. They'll have to be tagged cause they have to feed, from the ground, for 2-3 years before they're strong enough to use.
Nice choices in that trade, JaNan :) ! Nuda & Yellow groove are Super!
The Nuda shoots start out near-black, in spring, and switch to dark-bluish-green as they grow! Height is around 25-30 feet but in your zone, it could get to 34 feet! The culm sheaths are black/reddish-purple and get to 1-2" wide. It's USDA 5-10 and hardy to -10*F. Also, the culms have bright white rings at the nodes. Should be Awesome!
The Yellow Groove is even better! In zone 7 (or higher) it'll get to 40 feet tall with occassional zig-zag dark-green culms (of course with the vertical yellow grooves). That one's hardy to -10*F too (USDA 5-10). The culms will also be around 2" wide.
Both are great for setting up a privacy wall with :) !
If they were mine, I'd be a little nervous about planting outdoors, right now. I know Aureosulcata doesn't like being over-watered & late fall is usually very wet. Getting precise care info, for each species, is hard to do. But definitely give it a shot! Most bamboos like a rich soil with fair drainage. I used 40% compost, 40% garden dirt, & 20% sand. For fertilizer, since bamboo is a grass, any good lawn fertilizer will work great!
Be careful though. Both Nuda & Aureosulcata are runners so, when you do put them outside, you'll need a bamboo rhizome barrier to keep it from getting into everybody else's yards :ha: ! Sorry :o. The thought of bamboo taking over whole cities just gets me going, LOL!!
Better use large pots to keep them indoors over the winter. The runners can get Very long. And you're right! Watering is a seasonal thing. They'll need more water during the hot months & less when it's cold.
Hope that helps :) !!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Very cool shots. I have never been into bamboo, but that's simply because I have never seen it grown..until now. Fortunately or unfortunately for me my yard is filled and edged with large forest trees. Is there any bamboo that does not get too tall?

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

My yellow groove is now a 40X10 grove. Not too bad for an original 10 pots 5-6 years ago. it is a runner though, so eventually I'll have to trench around it with Dad's trencher,,,never hurts to have a Dad that's a neighbor and with heavy duty equipment...the rental fee is great. He came down today and moved a triaxle load of gravel for me.
Back to the bamboo, we're pretty limited what we can grow here in zone 5. Yellow groove has been the best. We get culms 17 feet and 3/4-7/8 inch with no babying whatsoever.
I don't know what it would do if we actually took care of it!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I got nuttin'
I do want to grow some bamboo out by the pool
I'm thinking of cutting a hole in the old cement patio around the pool & plant some
I think the cement would keep it from spreading
And in the winter the volume of water would keep the ground slightly warmer

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

There's at least as many small bamboos as large ones! The mountain types are usually cold-hardy & lots of types & colors to choose from (especially Fargesia varieties). Bamboo can be anywhere from a few feet tall to over 100 feet!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

With really good care, yellow groove can get to at least 25-30 feet in your zone! And Very bushy. It's great for making privacy screens!
Btw, for bamboos as large as yours, you'll definitely wanna trench down about 30-36 inches - or until ya hit clay, whichever comes first.

Scuba Dave
Bamboo runners have a bad habit of eroding, even cracking, cement underground. Ya might wanna add a high-density, 6 mil polyurethane lining to protect the cement.
Would depend on the type of bamboo, though!
Would Luv to see pics of bamboo around a pool! That'd be totally awesome, Yes :) !

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Why did you tell me this. I am already going to have a very busy spring time planting which in turn leads to a busy fall as well. Well at least with the bamboo I can just plant and watch! I blame you for any future bamboo purchases I make. =]

:waving:

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Welcome aboard, Fellow Bamboo Addict :ha: !!
It starts real, real slow. ya see that first tiny shoot coming up & get excited! Ya go to bed & wake up hoping you'll see another... and you do!! Ya come home that night and there's 12 of these cute little shoots!! Ya go to bed, all excited, can barely sleep, wake up and Bang!!
You're now the proud owner of 5,000, 80 foot tall, Bamboo trees threating to overtake the entire world :ha: :ha: :ha: :ha: :ha: :ha: !!
It's Totally Awesome Deluxe!! You're Gonna Luv It :) !!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I wish we could grow the 80 feet tall ones here. I'd have it for sure. Then I'd have new problems I suppose! I guess I'll stick with the yellow groove. Maybe someday I'll have time for care on it. For now it's on its own, but it's real bushy and thick and healthy looking anyway. It did make a hole in my rubber lined pond, so we dug it all out of there with the backhoe, we stripped it out a piece at a time until it was all gone. Took like an hour! I only have it in one place now, and it's fine there.

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Thanx for the info on the Phyllostachys nigra :) ! I'm wanting to try it in-ground in Oklahoma but think I'll wait till spring to try that. Never tried the Vivax or Vivax 'auriocallus' but they do sound sweet! The Robert Young does start out slow, at first, but speeds up after the first 3-4 years. Mine's growing like madcats, now, sending up tons of new culms!
Btw, would totally Luv to hear how your Moso does! I have a Moso-rated 300 foot bamboo barrier, in-ground, and would Luv to grow that here! If ya have any more info or any pics, sure hope you'll share!

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I would really like to plant some Bamboo at my new house in Kentucky but, are there less agressive runners that aren't as hard to control? I would really like to try Robery Young, but any will do.

Jake

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Robert Young does have the advantage of bein kind of slow, at first. But gets pretty aggressive about the 3rd year. You'll probably end up havin to put in an underground barrier for any runner type. Also, the cold-hardy bamboos I know about are all runners.
If anyone knows of a less aggressive runner bamboo OR a cold-hardy clumper, we could use some info :).

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I've been growing bamboo for over a year now and most of mine were them were planted this spring. Here are some pictures, please enjoy.

Moso planted June 2008, picture taken August 2009, you can clearly see how much taller this year's culms are


Fargesia rufa planted May 2009, picture taken July 2009- new shoots


Phyllostachys dulcis planted May 2009, Picture taken June 2009


Phyllostachys Atrovaginata planted December 2008, Picture taken December 2009


Phyllostachys Parvifolia planted May 2009, Picture taken November 2009

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I planted 4 yellow grove bamboo plants in May 2008. I bought from bamboo headquarters in San Deigo CA. Last winter the leaves turned blue and then brown so I cut the plants back the ground in March. By May each plant was 4 feet tall, by the end of the summer one was 6 feet tall and the other 7 feet tall. Each plant started sending out some runners in the summer. Here are a couple pictures.

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Woo HOO bamboo! Right now I have my Buddhas belly growing in a pot since I grew it from seed. I think this spring it will be big enough to plant in ground. Im also thinking of getting some Gold Goddess and plant it along the fence facing the street, Dont mind if its a runner. But I havent decided between that or Nigra. I've always loved the black bamboo.

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Great to see ya back :D ! I still have the info from when ya started the Buddhas belly seed project. Any chance of pics of the Buddhas belly? Would def Luv to see how that's done, so far!
I got some Nigra rhizomes, just this last summer, from Cherokee Greg! I've also seen lots of photos. Incredible stuff, for Sure! There were no shoots on the rhizomes but it took off really great! Here's how it looked 30 minutes ago:

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

Correction:

My bamboo is Golden (Fishpole) Bamboo not yellow grove bamboo. Maybe I should have planted yellow grove bamboo because its supposed to be more cold hardy. Its supposed to be down to 10 degrees tonight so I will see if the leaves on my bamboo stay green. I sprayed with Freeze pruf a couple weeks ago. Last year the leaves seemed to suffer damager below about 15 degrees. Coldest we have had so far this winter has been 21. Its 22 now and dropping with the strong cold front coming through. :ha:

Re: Bamboo Project Updates, All Growers
 

I think you might be under-estimating the cold tolerance of temperate running bamboo. My marginal species Phyllostachys edulis(moso) and Phyllostachys Vivax both made it through last winter and held some green without freeze pruf or any of those anti-dessicants.

I'm also in upstate NY in zone 6 where it is common for it to dip into the single digits several times throughout the year.