Bamboo rehabilitation
I just moved into a new flat and have volunteered to take over the garden.
There is a small stand of bamboo that is overgrown with english ivy and hasn't been cared for in years. I am in the process of removing the ivy but there are old stems and decayed parts about two feet high all around the fresh growth. If I just remove as much of the decayed growth as possible will I do any damage to the plant? Thanks very much. John in Jerusalem |
Bamboo rehabilitation
Shalom Atlas wrote: CUT there are old stems and decayed parts about two feet high all around the fresh growth. If I just remove as much of the decayed growth as possible will I do any damage to the plant? Removing the dead parts will not harm a thing, though I am sure some of them will be difficult to get at around the live growth. Further, unless the plant is in really bad health you can safely remove quite a few shorter culms (stems) and lower branches if you think it will make the plant more beautiful. Bamboo is a grass... A very large grass, but a grass nonetheless. If you don't go way overboard, this sort of trimming is no more harmful than mowing your lawn. I am told the Japanese have a saying that goes something like this: "In a bamboo grove, you should be able to walk with an open umbrella between the culms." I am sure this applies more to large Madake or Moso forests when taken literally, but smaller groves can often benefit from removal of some culms so that you get a good and elegant view of the others. Final note: If you chop up whatever you take out, and put it back in as mulch, the plant will regain important nutrients from it over time. Cheers! |
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