Go ahead as you've described. The only reason for leaving a length of culm
on the root mass is to remind you what it is and where it's planted. Keep
in mind that you probably won't see any new growth for a year or more. "The
first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, the third year it leaps --"

When the Kanapaha Botanical Garden (Gainesville) was having their yearly
bamboo sale, their products were all cut back just as you've described. We
bought a number of bamboo species from them and every one has done well. We
just had to wait for two years to see a good quantity of new bamboo.
Regards --


"ElectricLandlady" wrote in message
...

I found a grove of large culms and have permission of the owner to
take a few to grow. There is no way of course that I can transport a
20' culm with roots.

Assuming that I can dig out a few small clumps of the rhizomes, to
transplant, do you think it would be ok if I cut the culms very low to
1 or 2 feet? I know it is the rhizome root mass that carries the
energy of the plant for next season, but I wonder if it will die
without the culms/leaves until next spring?

-- David