topping
 

hello there!

when is the best time to top bamboo??

i have a phylostachys nigra nenonis which has just shot up some massive culms in the space of 2weeks!! absolutely stunning, 1 inch thick and around 2 meters high! the only problem is i cant have them taller than this.. should i clip the tips now to stop upward growth, or leave it to grow fully and mature before topping??

will i damage the canes if i top now?

thank you for your time folks!

Strange choice of plant if you can't have it taller than 2m. Most of us are delighted when our bamboo does this, it is what we planted it for. And it is not really going to look right, in my view, shortened that much. Perhaps you'd be better off moving it to somewhere it is allowed to grow, and instead put there a reliable 2m high bamboo like Fargesia rufa.

I think you are at risk of the culm aborting if you top it while it is still shooting. I'd give it time to expand fully, and then top it.