should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
.... I have been bitten by the "bamboo bug" and want to have several
groves of large bamboo around the place.. The clumping varieties seem unlikely as the winters sometimes get down into the mid-teens but the price of the more desirable runners and even their ability to survive our hot summers makes them questionable also.. With that in mind does anybody have anything good to say about Phyllostachys aurea??? I have heard so many horror stories that I wonder if I am making a mistake to even consider it at all.. What exactly is it about it that turns it into such a pest.. What defines an "aggressive" bamboo. Might it be those very qualities that would make it attractive to a beginner... such as "establishes easily,inexpensive, thrives, etc." What makes me consider it is that I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain it... and that it obviously does well in this area (North Florida.) There are several areas where it is growing wild and where I could easily dig up all I wanted to transplant to here... In my ignorance I think that I could just plant it somewhere on these thirty acres and keep it under control by mowing around it.. |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
david fraleigh wrote:
... I have been bitten by the "bamboo bug" and want to have several groves of large bamboo around the place.. The clumping varieties seem unlikely as the winters sometimes get down into the mid-teens but the price of the more desirable runners and even their ability to survive our hot summers makes them questionable also.. With that in mind does anybody have anything good to say about Phyllostachys aurea??? I have heard so many horror stories that I wonder if I am making a mistake to even consider it at all.. What exactly is it about it that turns it into such a pest.. What defines an "aggressive" bamboo. Might it be those very qualities that would make it attractive to a beginner... such as "establishes easily,inexpensive, thrives, etc." What makes me consider it is that I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain it... and that it obviously does well in this area (North Florida.) There are several areas where it is growing wild and where I could easily dig up all I wanted to transplant to here... In my ignorance I think that I could just plant it somewhere on these thirty acres and keep it under control by mowing around it.. David, Figure that if you transplant some Phyllostachys aurea from a wild grove near you, then eventually you will end up with a grove that looks similar to the one you got your piece from. If you like the size, looks, and spread of the wild grove, then go for it. P. aurea can be a fairly rampant runner in warm soil though it tends to be less rampant if the soil is cooler, so that is another thing to consider before transplanting. Your location may have warmer or cooler soil than the wild grove. Regards, Bob |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
easily,inexpensive, thrives, etc." What makes me consider it is that
I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain it... and that it obviously does well in this area (North Florida.) There are several areas where it is growing wild and where I could easily dig up all I wanted to transplant to here... In my ignorance I think that I could just plant it somewhere on these thirty acres and keep it under control by mowing around it.. David, Depending on where you are in North Florida, you should not just automatically dismiss the "clumpers". Any of the Bambusa Multiplexes do well in North Florida. (If you happen to be near Jax,. I'll be glad to give you a start of Alphone Karr.) Also, Bambusa Tuldoides, Textilis, Ventricosa, and Malingensis are quite cold resistent. I've found that even if these varieties should freeze all the way to the ground (which is very unlikely) that they will come back the next spring. I've had Oldhamii freeze to the ground repeatedly and each year it still puts up larger and larger culms. Just some food for thought. I know what you mean about having caught the bamboo bug. Doug |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
|
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
david fraleigh wrote:
.... I have been bitten by the "bamboo bug" and want to have several groves of large bamboo around the place.. The clumping varieties seem unlikely as the winters sometimes get down into the mid-teens but the price of the more desirable runners and even their ability to survive our hot summers makes them questionable also.. With that in mind does anybody have anything good to say about Phyllostachys aurea??? I have heard so many horror stories that I wonder if I am making a mistake to even consider it at all.. What exactly is it about it that turns it into such a pest.. What defines an "aggressive" bamboo. Might it be those very qualities that would make it attractive to a beginner... such as "establishes easily,inexpensive, thrives, etc." What makes me consider it is that I don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to obtain it... and that it obviously does well in this area (North Florida.) There are several areas where it is growing wild and where I could easily dig up all I wanted to transplant to here... In my ignorance I think that I could just plant it somewhere on these thirty acres and keep it under control by mowing around it.. It grows on rhizomes and they can travel for quite a difference before a new bamboo shoot pops up! It is a clumping variety though and as long as it's kept well watered you shouldn't have any trouble,........it puts the rhizomes out to find water!! Jason |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
Jason Pope wrote in message ...
It grows on rhizomes and they can travel for quite a difference before a new bamboo shoot pops up! It is a clumping variety though and as long as it's kept well watered you shouldn't have any trouble,........it puts the rhizomes out to find water!! WHAT??? It is a vigorous runner that can be controlled by limiting water, but the more you water it the more it will run. The rhizomes run to help spread the plant not look for water. There are varieties of Phyllostachys that can run a distance without putting up a culm, but Phyllostachys Aurea puts out fairly dense growth. Clumping bamboo will spread only a few inches a year. Chris Chino,CA |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
Chris wrote:
Jason Pope wrote in message ... It grows on rhizomes and they can travel for quite a difference before a new bamboo shoot pops up! It is a clumping variety though and as long as it's kept well watered you shouldn't have any trouble,........it puts the rhizomes out to find water!! WHAT??? It is a vigorous runner that can be controlled by limiting water, but the more you water it the more it will run. Most plants with rhizomes have rapid growth of the rhizome to find water if there's little around! It's a plants basic biological response to having no water,............ if you water it it'll put up new culms but in my experience it won't go far! The rhizomes run to help spread the plant not look for water. The reason it spreads is to facilitate water and nutrient uptake,........ you think plants spread just to look nice? There are varieties of Phyllostachys that can run a distance without putting up a culm, but Phyllostachys Aurea puts out fairly dense growth. If you water it well,....... that's not the same thing as a plant running for a distance before putting up a culm. Clumping bamboo will spread only a few inches a year. Depending on how you feed and water it! Jason |
should I avoid Phyllostachys aurea completely
Jason Pope wrote in message ...
Most plants with rhizomes have rapid growth of the rhizome to find water if there's little around! It's a plants basic biological response to having no water,............ if you water it it'll put up new culms but in my experience it won't go far! Except of course the fact that running bamboo's will not run if the water supply is limited. The more water, the more they propagate. If they have no water, most running bamboos will "act" like a clumping bamboo by not spreading. It is a basic function of any living thing to propagate based on resources, more resources more propagation, no resources = no propagation and ultimately death. The reason it spreads is to facilitate water and nutrient uptake,........ you think plants spread just to look nice? No, they run because that is how they propagate. If they happen to run into a water and nutrient rich environment, they will thrive and continue to run. Clumping bamboo will spread only a few inches a year. Depending on how you feed and water it! No, that is what a clumping bamboo does. It grows in a CLUMP. The advice you are giving is dangerous. If someone plants a running bamboo somewhere thinking that if they supply plenty of water and fertilizer, it will not run is going to be sorely disappointed. Do you have ANY experience with bamboo? Chris |
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