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Bamboo trouble

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by southorange on March 10, 2006 11:20 PM
I planted what I believe to be spreading bamboo, which the label did not name, said it's growth could be up to 10 feet, and they were large (about 8' when I bought them). The label said to plant in a non-perforated pot to keep from spreading. I replanted into a pot about 3 times the size of the plants, and put about 1 foot underground, to keep them from blowing over. They appear to be dying. Do they require special care in the winter? I thought Bamboo was rugged, but they seem real fragile. I put topsoil with some fertilizer in the pots.
Some of the leaves had slight tanning when I bought them. Now they are almost all afflicted partly by this tan dead grass color.

Any tips are welcome.
by Longy on March 11, 2006 06:29 AM
Do you know the name of the bamboo? You may find it from a specialist bamboo website.
Personally, i'd recommend a clumping bamboo, then you can plant it in the ground. Most bamboos like plenty of water while they are growing and to be on the dry side of moist thru winter.
If it's in a non-perforated pot, does that mean there are no drainage holes? In this case it is probably too wet inside the pot. As the plant isn't growing, the water in the pot will not be getting transpired out thru the leaves and it won't have enough drainage either. So it may be drowning. Is this a possibility?
I'd suggest you look at replacing it with a clumping bamboo though. They are easily maintained, many are edible and they are non invasive. There is a huge variety to choose from. I have 3 types, 1 is 25 metres and 4metres in diameter, or will be at full size. Another is good for 6-8 metres and 2 metres wide and has yellow striping. It cascades and glistens in the sun after a heavy dew. The third stays under 2 metres and is perfect for pots.
Here's an Australian website to give you an idea of what's available.
http://www.bambooworld.com.au/frameset.htm

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The secret is the soil.
by sewsow on April 07, 2006 08:32 PM
i'm also having bamboo trouble, with my Phyllostachys nigra, it was getting frar too large for the area it was in as i could no longer hang out the washing without it attacking me so i decided to split it, this was around 2-3 weeks ago, in march when it says it should be divided and it was replanted immediatley but its not a happy bunny, almost straight away it began to look sad and brown and like it was dying, i hoped it was just shock and would recover but so far no sign of that, any ideas? should i just wait and see? or does it need help?
by Longy on April 08, 2006 04:57 AM
IS it in reasonable drainage? They don't like too much water when it's not in the growing season. Did it get enough water when you transplanted? Is the soil you planted into similar to what you took it out of? It may be transplant shock. If it's not overly wet, a drink of seaweed juice helps plants settle after transplanting.

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The secret is the soil.
by sewsow on April 09, 2006 09:04 PM
thanks, i can't see that it would be overly wet, its pretty well drained soil and i put it back in the same place i took it from, only divided..... shall try the seaweed juice, but might it be too late? how long shold it take to recover?
by Longy on April 10, 2006 03:19 AM
Make sure the water is getting to the root system. If the soil was not prepared well, it may be water repellant and while you may put lots of water on it, it can drain away without getting to the roots. MAybe dig down and have a look. If it appears to be dry, you'll need to really soak the area. It shouldn't be too late. You could cut back some of the growth too. This will minimise the moisture loss thru the leaves. The seaweed stuff will help regardless.

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The secret is the soil.

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