divide potted bamboo?
 

i was given a big pot of bamboo, i think its a 15 gallon pot they are no more than 8' tall, pretty dense in the pot, 40-50 shoots up to 1/2" in diameter. i want to divide it into a few clumps if i can without killing it. what do you guys think? it has to have been in this pot for many years.so dense it looks like it would almost be impossible to change out the soil for fresh soil.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

It's a good time of year to divide most bamboos before they shoot. If it's super dense/woody you might want to try a hand saw, sawzall, or chainsaw(if no rocks). Good luck with it.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

well... there are new shoots. i know the stuff is tuff, i dug 22 clumps last summer for free to put around my patio, i later found out it was probably the worst possible time to transplant it. but my mother inlaw gave this pot to me and id never hear the end if i kill it. it is so dense you can see the runners going around the edge of the pot.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

If the shoots are still small I'd go for it and they'll just abort to save energy. Do you know what genus/species it is?

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

i have no clue. to be honest she saw it on the curb in her development and asked the home owner what they were doing with it. they knew each other. told her it was there for some one to take. the borough workers were watching her, they put 2 and 2 together and offered to help, they put it in the truck, brought it home and unloaded it for her a few years ago. she is spending alot of time in florida and kne wi had my eye on it so she donated it to the cause. it looks exactly like some that i bought last year labeled as Phyllostachys bissetti, but i wouldnt know for sure. i though tit was taller when she first got it, liek 10-12' but i could be wrong.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

jamesdart (and many others) : Please edit/update your profile, so it shows where you are located. It makes it so much easier to reply. Thanx!

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

Here Ya go!Bamboo Rhizome Divisions

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

You might want to check if it s a runner or a Clumper before you plant it though.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

im 99% sure its a runner. its staying in a pot, i just want to split it up to give it more room in a few pots. i planted a bunch of running bamboo around my pation and put the barrier down.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

It's most likely a Phyllostachys variety. If you have a number of culms you can divide it like mentioned above. Just keep in mind it's a runner. It will go where it wants.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

well that turned out to be quite the job. i was trying to save the pot as it was huge. really i think it was closer to a 30 gallon pot. i couldnt get the clump out for anything then i saw what i thought was a layer of foam insulation and the runners were all over. after a lot of effort i got it out and realized it wa sa pot inside of a pot! the runners came out of the drain holes and were sandwiched between the 2 pots which fit perfectly together. there were at least 8 runners that went 2-3 times around the pot. i cut it into 3 and repotted.
if i plant pieces of the runners, will they take off?

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

Chances are, No.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

thats not neccesarily a bad thing... im going to throw some in a pot and forget about them.

Re: divide potted bamboo?
 

Yes, you'll have more than enough soon.