Hi all.

Great forum for Bamboo lovers.
I have caught the bamboo bug in my small garden for five years now and am the proud owner of a 10m x 1m grove.
I am in Hertforshire UK and the native soil is heavy clay with back breaking flint.
The young culms, when I bought them, (dissapointing, sickly and 6ft ish) were planted one early spring in a 0.6m x 1.2m x 10m trench which was enriched with various materials (everything was added including the clay spoil from the trench - minus the car sized bits of flint)
So far the Phyllostachys Nigra is having a great time given my daily, 30 second a plant, watering and fortnightly feeding. It is now as tall as a house.

The area is not as sheltered as I would have liked but in all of this time it has not complained one little bit.

I feed with cheap nitrogen grass food (minus the weeding element) while the plant is growing from April to August and suppliment this with Fish blood and bone and a good bark mulch.

This is working very well and to make the most of the grove I remove weak completed growth and "leg up" the culms to show off the ebony black & some dark dark dark green rich canes (such a lovely colour - like an army camo green).

Anyway that is my introduction. If anyone wants to know more just let me know but dont expect a short response HAHA!

I have searched the net for some advice on this:
My questions a
Every year I watch the rhizomes put loads of energy into producing a varied and abundant set of different sized cigar shaped rhizomes. A wonder to watch. I can't help but wonder, as I sip my cider and water them generously, 1 - why should I let the plant expend alot of energy on producing the 20% of skinny culms that i will just cut back later in the year after they have completed their growth cycle.
2 - If I cut these shoots as soon as I am sure that they are going to be small, would that energy be diverted elsewhere?
Logic would suggest that the case but there is nothing like asking the experts for advice.
3 - Will I upset the grove by manually aborting its shoots at low level?
4 - Surely it will just fight back as if I am a hungry bamboo shoot eater and send up more rhizomes in defiant response?

I think all bamboo lovers will understand my dilema. Trust me I do want all of the culms to survive but I must mould and shape them to my will to keep the grove looking attractive. This requires me to trim back the weakilings.
5 - Shoud I cut them sooner or later?

What a pleasure to watch the "fatties" rise above the soils surface and soar skywards.

This year the best shoot I have has an angle of 70 degrees or so leaning into the garden (DOH!!)

I have numbered my five questions within my ramblings to make answering me a bit easier. Your feedback and questions would be greatfully received.

Geebea