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Old 28-05-2004, 03:07 PM
Nina Shishkoff
 
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Default [IBC] Bamboo Bonsai

I also put a
smaller piece of root into a small, shallow tabletop planter (about 6"
x 9" diameter, and maybe 2" depth). Does anyone have any idea if this
will grow and remain small?



The reason bamboo is an accent plant and not a bonsai is that it is a monocot, not a dicot. It has no secondary growth (the stems are hard, but technically, are not wood) and therefore all growth is controlled by apical meristems. This means that if you
want the bamboo at a certain height, you remove the apical meristem, and presto, the bamboo will grow no higher. If you want the leafy laterals to be a certain length, you trim them, and presto, they will stay that length. New growth will come from the
rhizome, not the existing shoots. After a while, the new shoots coming up will be less vigorous, and eventually the bamboo will probably do what you want it to do.
---
Nina Shishkoff


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