Tender dwarf bamboo
 

I'm trying to find the name of (and hence how to care for) a minature bamboo purchased last spring by my wife at a nearby garden centre. The label only says its a bamboo and the cultural advice in the form of diagrams suggests full sun to part shade, moderate water and a temperature of 20C. The watering aspect is somewhat contradicted by a diagram saying the pot should stand in a saucer filled with a minimum of 1cm and maximum of 3cm of water.

The plant flourished throughout the summer in this waterlogged state, the foliage being about 20cm high and a few flowers were produced.

However, throughout autumn the foliage has yellowed and is now apparently dead as are the culms. Is it a deciduous species, or annual, or simply been killed by my not adjusting the culture for autumn and winter?

Tender dwarf bamboo
 

Most bamboos don't like standing in water at all.

Large bamboos seldom produce flowers, but I don't know about dwarf varieties.

Jim McLaren wrote:

I'm trying to find the name of (and hence how to care for) a minature
bamboo purchased last spring by my wife at a nearby garden centre.
The label only says its a bamboo and the cultural advice in the form of
diagrams suggests full sun to part shade, moderate water and a
temperature of 20C. The watering aspect is somewhat contradicted by a
diagram saying the pot should stand in a saucer filled with a minimum
of 1cm and maximum of 3cm of water.

The plant flourished throughout the summer in this waterlogged state,
the foliage being about 20cm high and a few flowers were produced.

However, throughout autumn the foliage has yellowed and is now
apparently dead as are the culms. Is it a deciduous species, or
annual, or simply been killed by my not adjusting the culture for
autumn and winter?
--
Jim McLaren
------------------------------------------------------------------------
posted via www.GardenBanter.co.uk

Tender dwarf bamboo
 

Yes. I stopped standing it in a saucer of water when it started to die back and I've been keeping it moist since then. I don't feel it would be right to let it completely dry out, but I may be wrong. The culms didn't have the usual woody feel to them, but were more grass-like and annual, so the die back may well be natural.

Many thanks for your reply.

Tender dwarf bamboo
 

Try Dracaena sanderiana