Newcomer to Bamboo

[Alan_L]

Temps below 20ºF alone won't hurt these plants -- it's the wind when it's colder that causes most problems. Covering with a white trashbag is probably fine but may not make a difference this winter (which is forecast to be more mild than usual). If it makes you feel better though but make sure that you cover well, and the bigger the area you tarp the better (small volumes change temperatures faster).

Although I've stopped covering my bamboos, I've thought about tarping over a couple of the medium-sized types so they don't topkill again. Here's what it looked like when I did it a few years back: http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2 ... .html#more

[wolfedg]

Temps below 20ºF alone won't hurt these plants -- it's the wind when it's colder that causes most problems. Covering with a white trashbag is probably fine but may not make a difference this winter (which is forecast to be more mild than usual). If it makes you feel better though but make sure that you cover well, and the bigger the area you tarp the better (small volumes change temperatures faster).

Although I've stopped covering my bamboos, I've thought about tarping over a couple of the medium-sized types so they don't topkill again. Here's what it looked like when I did it a few years back: http://www.itsnotworkitsgardening.com/2 ... .html#more

Thanks for the advice. I will just keep an eye on the temps and wind forcasted then. I have definatley considered leaving it be completely, but my only concern there would be setting the plant back in its development too much this early in its growth. After it becomes more established (about 2 winters) then I definately wont bother with too much minter protection.

I have also been reading your blog and quite enjoy it. I wonder if you might tell me how your timber bamboos are doing in height in the St. Louis area so I might have a better idea what to expect from varieties here. I think I am going to plant P. Atrovaginata next year as it would seem to have most of the attributes I want (Forest, tall somewhat wide culms with some space, and tasty shoots for harvest someday). I was also considering a few other types. One was P. Parvifolia but it sounds like it takes a lot longer to reach maturity. Another was Rubromarginata, but it sounds like it grows too densely. And of course Yellow Groove which again may be too dense and not quite reach the heights I want.

[Nicholas]

I was also considering a few other types. One was P. Parvifolia but it sounds like it takes a lot longer to reach maturity.

It is slow-ish to upsize and does tend to have culms come out at an angle when young.
I have both atrovaginata and parvifolia planted out and the atro has spread a lot more but its culms are already thinner than those of the parvifolia.

Parvifolia needs a bit more work to look nice since even on larger culms it has side branches almost down to the base. I remove them just after the culm sheaths have fallen off and they are still soft and can simply be twisted off.

If I were you I'd get both species. It is hard to tell now how parvifolia will look in a few years but seeing pictures of Jos' 10+ year specimen in the Netherlands I think it is well worth the wait.

[edit] In this link is a picture of Jos with his parvi http://www.bamboogarden.com/Phyllostach ... ifolia.htm

[wolfedg]

As winter is coming to a close I am now adding a second bamboo to my collection, Phyllostachys Atrovaginata.


I had to make another cow proof enclosure for this new addition, and I did my best to improve the site conditions over the fully exposed Vivax Aureocaulis, which seems to have made it through its first winter though with a loss of over 70% of its leaves as I have mentioned in the Winter 2015/16 thread.

Defoliated Vivax Aureocaulis

The site is on the south facing slope of the dam of our farm pond and should provide plenty of sunshine while limiting the exposure to winds. As a bonus I'm hoping it will eventually tap into the water in the pond so I don't have to water it after a few years.

[Nicholas]

Looks like a good spot. I'm sure in a few years you'll have a beautiful grove.

By the way have you thought of also trying out parvifolia? It does not spread as aggressively as the atrovaginata (at least at my location) but already it is throwing up thicker culms and I can see that there is a lot of potential a few years down the road.

[wolfedg]

Looks like a good spot. I'm sure in a few years you'll have a beautiful grove.

By the way have you thought of also trying out parvifolia? It does not spread as aggressively as the atrovaginata (at least at my location) but already it is throwing up thicker culms and I can see that there is a lot of potential a few years down the road.

I have definitely considered it and may get around to it in a few years if the bamboo I have do well. If i were to get another one at this point it would probably be Rubro for the height and vigor or Aureosulcata Aureocaulis as I like the look of the golden varieties and it is fairly hardy as well. The Parvifolia from what i understand is very similar to the Atrovaginata in most ways, but I have heard the Atrovaginata may be faster to fill in although it might not quite reach the same culm diameters. I also read another article that seemed to indicate that the Parvifolia also has somewhat annoying lower branches on the culms that require slightly more maintenance. It was a close choice but I ended up choosing the atro for now.

All that being said, if these do well, I will likely be getting more varieties down the line. At this point the candidate list of ones I want to get for now is as follows.
1. Phyllostachys Rubromarginata Probably the tallest potential in my area and very vigorous
2. Phyllostachys Aureosulcata Aureocaulis Beautiful and hardy
3. Phyllostachys Parvifolia Great potential in most respects.
4. Phyllostachys Aureosulcata Spectablis Beautiful and hardy
5. Phyllostachys Nigra (Henon) Another one with somewhat marginal hardiness but great potential.
6. Phyllostachys Aureosulcata Just the ordinary Yellow Groove, but still very hardy and reliable
7. Perhaps one of the Fargesias If it will survive a southern Missouri summer.
8. Sasa (undecided) Might be nice to try if i can contain it. I suspect mowing alone will not contain these as it is common practice to mow them down in the spring anyway.
9. Indocalamus Tesselatus BIG LEAVES
10 Phyllostachys Bissetii Very hardy but perhaps too aggressive??

One of my goals after I find the best variety for it, is to make a garden completely encircled by bamboo and filled with only evergreen plants. I think it would be awesome to have a green place to visit in January or February.

[needmore]

If you live where winter temps can be expected to dip below say +5F every winter, then I would strongly recommend obtaining the largest, potted specimens (implying that they are not less than 1 year post division, let them have grown new rhizome since being divided) that you can source & afford. When small plants get winter damage they become smaller plants and will take longer to size up. Large established divisions will rebound way better from damage and will size up faster. Not a big deal in milder climates, but in Indiana it mattered. Fargesia in particular seem to stay runts forever if they get cold whacked.

[mshaffer]

I like to use one of these under the tarp, takes the guess work out of it.

[Nicholas]

wolfedg,

another bamboo you might want to consider if you have the space and are not afraid of deep runner rhizomes (apparently up to 1m deep!) is bashania fargesii.

I only have a potted specimen because at the moment I do not have a spot where I am fully comfortable to let it roam.
It was an impulse buy after seeing a grove of it at a nursery.

Bashania fargesii is very cold hardy and can get quite large. The culms are also pretty sturdy.

[Tyke-A]

Henon is not like the other Nigras and does very well in our climate. Last winter when we had multiple nights of -13f temps and high winds neither my Henon nor Parvifolia had any culm death or leaf bud damage. These were not large plants. 3 gal. divisions with some mulch at the base. I really like it for our climate and have multiple plantings and have added Shimadake and Megurochiku hoping that they will perform like the Henon.
As for the clumpers, Rufa takes the heat and full sun. Wouldn't bother with the rest of them. Bashania Fargesii was mentioned. I have that as well but it is not in the ground yet so we'll have to wait and see on that one.

[Tyke-A]

I have several different Sasas and Indocalamus's. They are very aggressive here but that's why I bought them. I have a couple of large dams that I don't like to mow and the Thistles like those areas so I'm hoping to turn the Bamboos loose and let them do their thing. I'm thinking that the cows would take care of anything that grows beyond the slope of the dam.

[wolfedg]

Henon is not like the other Nigras and does very well in our climate. Last winter when we had multiple nights of -13f temps and high winds neither my Henon nor Parvifolia had any culm death or leaf bud damage. These were not large plants. 3 gal. divisions with some mulch at the base. I really like it for our climate and have multiple plantings and have added Shimadake and Megurochiku hoping that they will perform like the Henon.
As for the clumpers, Rufa takes the heat and full sun. Wouldn't bother with the rest of them. Bashania Fargesii was mentioned. I have that as well but it is not in the ground yet so we'll have to wait and see on that one.

How big is your Henon now and when was it planted?

[Tyke-A]

They are 2 yr old plants and the tallest of the 4 has culms 4 to 5 ft. They were typical mail order divisions when I got them. 1 culm cut to 3 ft and some small grassy growth at the base. I did put them in pots with some good Happy Frog soil and fertilized with 5-5-5 monthly. They were growing really well when I planted them later that summer. This was their second winter and as mild as it was I'm hoping to see them take off. I had some similar sized PH Aureosulcata Aureocaulis divisions that I planted at the same time. They were bought locally so I hoped they would be pretty hardy. They top killed during that first winter but came back with a vengeance when spring rolled around. I counted somewhere around 2 dozen shoots last spring on each plant.

[wolfedg]

Here they are now all leafed out ready for summer
Both plants are in the 5-6' range, but the Vivax 'Aureocaulis'(now believed to be Huengwenzu Inversa) has about a 0.5 inch culm at the base , whereas the Atrovaginata has only about a 0.25 inch culm at the base.

Phyllostachys Atrovaginata


Phyllostachys Vivax 'Huengwenzu Inversa'

[stevelau1911]

Now that you have a little bit of size on your boos, it may help to start loading on the chicken manure, or anything comparable so they can make lots of growth through the summer underground.

Based on how badly your plants got damaged last winter, it would be a good idea to bend them down to the ground this next winter then tarp them over so you can make them really fill out like crazy next year. Once they get big enough, the winters won't really be an issue anymore if you are in zone 6b.