New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

Hi, we have just been given some bamboo, the picture below shows them in the garden.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...rum/bamboo.jpg

q1) Can anyone tell from the picture what type they are?

q2) Are they too close to the fence?

q3) Will they grow quickly to above/fence height

Thanks

New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

"newgardeners" wrote in
message
Hi, we have just been given some bamboo, the picture below
shows
them in the garden.

[image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...um/bamboo.jpg]

q1) Can anyone tell from the picture what type they are?

q2) Are they too close to the fence?

q3) Will they grow quickly to above/fence height

Thanks

Bamboo are extremely difficult to identify and with out an
identification there is no telling how high or wide it might
grow.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

newgardeners wrote:
Hi, we have just been given some bamboo, the picture below shows them in
the garden.

[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...um/bamboo.jpg]

q1) Can anyone tell from the picture what type they are?

q2) Are they too close to the fence?

q3) Will they grow quickly to above/fence height

First question for you... Are both plants of the same variety? If you
don't know for sure look at them real closely to check this first.

We will need a few more close-up pics... One of the whole plant but up
close, and a couple real close-ups of the branches, leaves, etc.
Characteristics that help identify bamboo a

- Size and shape of leaves
- Color of culms and leaves
- Number of branches at each node

Also, it helps to see the new culms as they shoot... Some bamboos look
identical except for their new shoots. It is likely that there is a new
shoot or two on these plants at this time of year, so shoot a photo of
that too if you can.

Without this additional info, any answers will be unreliable at best.

New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

"HumanJHawkins" wrote in message
ups.com
newgardeners wrote:
Hi, we have just been given some bamboo, the picture below
shows
them in the garden.

[image:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...um/bamboo.jpg]

q1) Can anyone tell from the picture what type they are?

q2) Are they too close to the fence?

q3) Will they grow quickly to above/fence height

First question for you... Are both plants of the same variety?
If
you don't know for sure look at them real closely to check this
first.

We will need a few more close-up pics... One of the whole plant
but
up close, and a couple real close-ups of the branches, leaves,
etc.
Characteristics that help identify bamboo a

- Size and shape of leaves
- Color of culms and leaves
- Number of branches at each node

Also, it helps to see the new culms as they shoot... Some
bamboos
look identical except for their new shoots. It is likely that
there
is a new shoot or two on these plants at this time of year, so
shoot a photo of that too if you can.

Without this additional info, any answers will be unreliable at
best.

.........and sometimes the only way to tell is by the flowers.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

Travis is trying to give you more than you need.

I can tell from your URL and your garden that you are in England. Almost certainly your donor didn't buy them from "really-obscure-bamboos-R-us", (otherwise they would tell you precisely what you have) and almost certainly didn't buy a bamboo that would die in an English garden. There are only about 10 genuses of bamboo commonly sold in Britain, indeed unless you go to a specialist there are barely 10 species commonly sold. So even if we don't get the precise species and variety, we will probably identify it well enough for your needs. But we do need a close-up of the culms to do that. In fact even without a close-up, I would punt a guess that at least one of your bamboos is Pseudosasa japonica, the most commonly grown bamboo in Britain.

I can tell you one thing straightaway, you almost certainly have running bamboo. Bamboos come into two basic kinds - clumpers and runners. There are only two genuses of true clumping bamboos commonly grown in Britain, Fargesia and Thamnocalamus, (and "commonly" is stretching it for the second named) and even from a distance it seems unlikely that yours are one of those. So you have runners. Admittedly most runners only run fairly slowly in England (so most English sellers describe all the bamboo that they sell as "clumping" even when it isn't). But nonetheless before long your bamboo will probably be under the fence, maybe not this year, but perhaps next year or the following, whether you put it hard against the fence or at the front of the bed. So unless nextdoor's garden is solid concrete, you should consider whether your neighbour will mind having bamboo growing in their garden. If not, you should think about installing a proper underground barrier to prevent it spreading that way, and that will be easiest to do now. You might also want to enclose it fully with a barrier, so it isn't popping up where the slate scree is.

Thanks everyone for all the advice!

Will get some macro shots sorted very soon.

Re the barriers and next door/slate etc. Can I not keep on top with regular pruning?

New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

If the rainforest was made of bamboo, I'm sure we would have still lots
of it left. Pruning won't help, but just make it worse. Under the
ground, the rhizomes are exploring the soild in every direction. With
its dense rootystem, clinging firmly into the soil, you'll stand no
chance to rip it out, year after year. You would be left digging out
trenches around 30 centimeters deep. And once under the fence or
terraces, you can imagine the difficulty you will have to remove the
roots.

So, use a proper rhizome barrier, and spend your digging efforts only
once. And I do recommend to visit a specialize nursery with many
varieties of bamboo, it may suprise you what diversity there is, and
perhaps we have a fan added.
Regards,
Pieter

newgardeners wrote:
echinosum Wrote:
Travis is trying to give you more than you need.

I can tell from your URL and your garden that you are in England.
Almost certainly your donor didn't buy them from
"really-obscure-bamboos-R-us", (otherwise they would tell you precisely
what you have) and almost certainly didn't buy a bamboo that would die
in an English garden. There are only about 10 genuses of bamboo
commonly sold in Britain, indeed unless you go to a specialist there
are barely 10 species commonly sold. So even if we don't get the
precise species and variety, we will probably identify it well enough
for your needs. But we do need a close-up of the culms to do that. In
fact even without a close-up, I would punt a guess that at least one of
your bamboos is Pseudosasa japonica, the most commonly grown bamboo in
Britain.

I can tell you one thing straightaway, you almost certainly have
running bamboo. Bamboos come into two basic kinds - clumpers and
runners. There are only two genuses of true clumping bamboos commonly
grown in Britain, Fargesia and Thamnocalamus, (and "commonly" is
stretching it for the second named) and even from a distance it seems
unlikely that yours are one of those. So you have runners. Admittedly
most runners only run fairly slowly in England (so most English sellers
describe all the bamboo that they sell as "clumping" even when it
isn't). But nonetheless before long your bamboo will probably be under
the fence, maybe not this year, but perhaps next year or the following,
whether you put it hard against the fence or at the front of the bed.
So unless nextdoor's garden is solid concrete, you should consider
whether your neighbour will mind having bamboo growing in their garden.
If not, you should think about installing a proper underground barrier
to prevent it spreading that way, and that will be easiest to do now.
You might also want to enclose it fully with a barrier, so it isn't
popping up where the slate scree is.

Thanks everyone for all the advice!

Will get some macro shots sorted very soon.

Re the barriers and next door/slate etc. Can I not keep on top with
regular pruning?


--
newgardeners

Best pictures I could get I'm afraid:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...um/bamboo1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...um/bamboo2.jpg

One appears to be a deeper green in colour.

Thanks

New to bamboo, lots of q's
 

newgardeners wrote:
Best pictures I could get I'm afraid:

[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...m/bamboo1.jpg]

[image: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v7...m/bamboo2.jpg]

One appears to be a deeper green in colour.

I am guessing they are both Pseudosasa japonica... They are probably
the "mother" (i.e. normal) variety... Definitely not the 'Akebono'
subspecies which is similar but has varigated leaves.

These are a running type that will go under your fence at some point.
Luckly, they are relatively slow to spread and easier than many to
contain. HOWEVER, they will invade nearby areas eventually. And with
nothing to prevent them, it can be as little as a few years.

Do a Google search for Pseudosasa japonica for more info, and/or look
he
http://www.bamboogarden.com/Pseudosasa%20japonica.html

Cheers!

I planted a Pseudosasa japonica "Akebonosuji" last year, just a 3 litre size, then dug it up 6 months later because I didn't like where I had put it. It had already sent out a rhizome 2 feet from where I originally planted it.

I have put rhizome barrier next to all my bamboos that are by the boundary, even the true clumpers, because there is nothing worse than getting into an argument with your neighbour. Also the rhizome barrier means that I am feeding and watering my bamboo, not their leylandii, which they kindly keep in check.

There is a mature clump of P. japonica behind a 6 foot fence at a house I cycle past most days. It is taller than the fence, but not much. It probably extends 4-6 feet away from the fence. Many culms are now coming up through the tarmac footpath on the road side of the fence.