To answer, I have to make a couple of assumptions. You're at the very
northern limits of growing bamboo. Since you're in the north, I'm assuming
that your bamboo is a running, not a clumping type. You can tell by looking
at it -- if all the culms are in a tight group it's a clumping bamboo. If
the culms come up in a wider area, with spaces between them, it's a running
bamboo. Bamboo is actually a type of grass which is propogated through
rhizomes that burrow underground and pop up with new growth.

(Clumping bamboo is a bear to move. I haven't done it, but at the Kanapaha
Botanical Garden, which is a bamboo research facility, they dig out around
the clump, then go in with a chain saw to try and break up the root ball
into manageable pieces. If you've got a clumping type, I'd forget about
moving it. Cut down some of the bamboo and make yourself a nice memento of
some sort.) Maybe someone else will have a better idea on how to move a
clump, such as by cutting off the culms then using a heavy equipment to lift
and divide the clump.

If you have a running bamboo, you're in luck, at least as far as getting
some to take home. Find yourself some individual culms and dig around them
to get to the rhizomes at its base. Cut the rhizomes (probably in two
places, before and after the culm that grows out of the ground, while trying
not to break off any of the smaller roots that grow off the rhizomes . I
cut back the culm, but leave some green showing to help reassure me that
it's still living. Take the rhizomes and plant it in a pot with potting
soil (I use a 3-gallon pot, to make sure I have room for the rhizome, which
may be somewhat inflexible), and set it aside somewhere where it will get
regular watering. I'd suggest you take at least ten of these sections. My
luck with getting new plants has been about 75% using this method.

This is a long-term project. You won't see any life for a year. Either the
first year or the second, you should see new growth in the pot in the late
springtime. (The first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third
year it leaps.)

I've also had pretty good luck digging up a culm and transplanting it
immediately into the new location. Most of these transplants have
succeeded. In your case you may be able to take the plant material, wrap
some damp newspapers around the roots to keep them moist, put them into a
plastic bag like a garbage bag, and take them immediately to the new
location.

I also occasionally see some big clumps of bamboo for sale that were
obviously dug up with heavy equipment, which is probably the easiest and
most successful method.

Probably some of the professionals on this newsgroup can provide better
advice. Also, check
http://www.americanbamboo.org/BooksO...talBamboo.html
for a lot of good information on bamboo. Pay special attention to the
information on barriers needed to keep the rhizomes under control.

Regards --

"xxaurastarxx" wrote in message
...

I recently inhereited a crop of bamboo. The only problem is they are at
my aunts house in massachuets. I need to transplant them to my home in
NY. I have absolutly no knowledge of bamboo. How do I go about
transplanting them w/o damaging them. My uncle planted them about 7
years ago I believe and they are fairly large. I don't know what
species they are or anything and I have no way of finding out. I'd like
to atleast get a few of them if not the whole crop. They were very
special to my uncle and they are the only thing I have left of him. Any
ideas would be greatly appricieated. Thank you very much.


--
xxaurastarxx