Keeping Bamboo inside during winter before spring planting
 

Hi - I recently puchased several bamboo plants (Fargesia robusta &
Fargesia Rufa) and shall be receiving them in the mailing any day now.
I orginally planned on planting them immediately but now I am concerned
it is too late in the season. I live in Maryland where we probably get
the first frost in mid-Nov to late November.

I guess my first question is, do you all think it is too late to plant
it and would be better off waiting until the spring...

Next question, if I do opt to plant them next season and keep them
inside, what special conditions do I need. I was thinking of keeping
them in my basement where I have a work area. The temp would probably
be slightly lower than the rest of the house, so in the mid to upper
60s. And as far as lighting, I currently have standard fluorescent
bulbing (the tubular ones). If I place this light source directly over
the plants, will they be ok? Or do I need more or better lighting?

By the way, these are small plants, probably about 15 inches in height
(could keeping them inside during the winter help them to grow?)...

Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Last year I bought exactly the same: F. robusta and F. 'Rufa'. And what
happened? Last winter it was at least -25 C in Zagreb area (Croatia), so
they both froze.... above snow level. As all my bamboos did. But they all
recovered in the spring, although new shoots were significantly smaller than
the year before.

About those Fargesias - just plant them as soon as they arrive. It is not
too late, some say it's the best time of the year for planting bamboos.
Chances that something would go wrong are much higher if you put them in a
basement. And like Travis wrote, be sure to put them in the shade, they
don't like full sun.

Tihomir

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi - I recently puchased several bamboo plants (Fargesia robusta &
Fargesia Rufa) and shall be receiving them in the mailing any day now.
I orginally planned on planting them immediately but now I am concerned
it is too late in the season. I live in Maryland where we probably get
the first frost in mid-Nov to late November.

I guess my first question is, do you all think it is too late to plant
it and would be better off waiting until the spring...

Next question, if I do opt to plant them next season and keep them
inside, what special conditions do I need. I was thinking of keeping
them in my basement where I have a work area. The temp would probably
be slightly lower than the rest of the house, so in the mid to upper
60s. And as far as lighting, I currently have standard fluorescent
bulbing (the tubular ones). If I place this light source directly over
the plants, will they be ok? Or do I need more or better lighting?

By the way, these are small plants, probably about 15 inches in height
(could keeping them inside during the winter help them to grow?)...

Any recommendations or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks!

Yes, I realize they need shade and they will get plenty of shade.

I have decided to plant them as soon as I receive them. Hopefully that
will give them enough time to establish their roots before the winter.

I do have another question. I have been reading various sites on
planting bamboo and there are some conflicting advice. Some sites say
you should not fertilize immediately while other sites say you should.
So should I fertilize if I am going to plant the bamboo in the fall?

Tihomir,

How did your plants grow this past year? Approx how much in size did
they grow and how small were they when you bought them. I'm curious
what I should expect from mine. Did one type of bamboo grow better or
faster than the other? Just curious...

Chris

If anyone doesn't mind, can they give an overview of how to plant it
(i.e. - how deep, type of fertilizer to put in the hole, mulch on top,
etc). I've read many sites on their recommendations, but I'd like to
hear from you all as well.

Thanks,
Chris