Hello all,

I planted some bamboos several weeks ago which all seem fairly happy.
I'm hoping someone with experience can tell me how they might grow over
the next few years, i.e. in terms of size and culm count, 'cos I don't
really know what to expect.

I have P. nigra (isn't nice how nature allows you to deftly avoid having
to try to spell things which is 6' tall, 1' across, in a moist and
moderately sunny spot.

Also a little 1' Sasa palmata in a nice big tub on the patio (again,
moderately sunny).


Thanks as ever,
smeckler.

"Smeckler" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I planted some bamboos several weeks ago which all seem fairly happy.
I'm hoping someone with experience can tell me how they might grow over
the next few years, i.e. in terms of size and culm count, 'cos I don't
really know what to expect.

I have P. nigra (isn't nice how nature allows you to deftly avoid having
to try to spell things which is 6' tall, 1' across, in a moist and
moderately sunny spot.


Once it settles in it will send up new growths in a clump around the exg
canes. Is not invasive.

Best to follow the Japanese practice and cut out all but a few canes to
a)promote fatter canes b)create an attractive grouping rather than mass of
intermingled canes.

I tend to keep 3 or 5 of each years growth and cut out all others as they
grow and remove last years canes when this years mature into leaf. (works
for me with P.Nigra and P.Aurea)



Also a little 1' Sasa palmata in a nice big tub on the patio (again,
moderately sunny).

Don't know that one.

pk

I am glad that you put the Sasa Palmata in a tub rather than in the ground
because I have heard that it can be a bit of a rampant thug (although it is
still very pretty).

Paul's advice about trimming out the old culms on your P. Nigra is sound
advice.

If you have never witnessed a bamboo sending up its first new culms then I
will not spoil it for you because the first time it happened to me I was
gobsmacked. Just wait and be patient and something amazing will happen.

Hopefully, you have put your Nigra in a sheltered place because they can
look a wee bit tatty after the winter, but they do green up again reasonably
quickly after the warmer weather sets in.

A very good website for more information about bamboos is www.stambamboo.com

HTH

Adam
"Smeckler" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I planted some bamboos several weeks ago which all seem fairly happy.
I'm hoping someone with experience can tell me how they might grow over
the next few years, i.e. in terms of size and culm count, 'cos I don't
really know what to expect.

I have P. nigra (isn't nice how nature allows you to deftly avoid having
to try to spell things which is 6' tall, 1' across, in a moist and
moderately sunny spot.

Also a little 1' Sasa palmata in a nice big tub on the patio (again,
moderately sunny).


Thanks as ever,
smeckler.

On Fri, 11 Apr 2003 10:49:42 +0000 (UTC), "Paul Kelly"
wrote:


"Smeckler" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I planted some bamboos several weeks ago which all seem fairly happy.
I'm hoping someone with experience can tell me how they might grow over
the next few years, i.e. in terms of size and culm count, 'cos I don't
really know what to expect.

I have P. nigra (isn't nice how nature allows you to deftly avoid having
to try to spell things which is 6' tall, 1' across, in a moist and
moderately sunny spot.


Once it settles in it will send up new growths in a clump around the exg
canes. Is not invasive.

Best to follow the Japanese practice and cut out all but a few canes to
a)promote fatter canes b)create an attractive grouping rather than mass of
intermingled canes.

I have Phyllostachys nigra in a corner by the front gate (full
sun). It emerges from a clump of about two feet square and it now
stands at 15 feet wafting gracefully in the slightest breeze. It is
certainly not a mass of intermingled canes and only sends out one or
two marauding ground level shoots a year which are easily nipped. The
habit may be due to plentiful sun and shade may have made it more
unruly.

I have another bamboo but have mislaid it's origin and name. It too
is very well behaved though luxuriant with it's burgeoning leafy
cascade. I can see that. I dimly remember it as being described thus
when it was procured (being fully aware of the naughty habits of some
bamboos). It has not reached its full size though,

I can imagine some bamboos needing a bit of the Jap strong arm
treatment - but not P. nigra or indeed my other one where, in the
lower reaches, the canes are now hidden by the leafy cascade.

Hussein
Grow a little garden

spam block - for real addy, reverse letters of second level domain.

Thanks to all for the info.

I'm already pretty impressed with the S. palmata. It's been in its tub
for about a month and the new 1-2" culms that were just emerging when I
planted it are now 4". I really wasn't expected it to do much before
summer!

The P. nigra is against a shed. Half of the plant is nicely sheltered
and is a lovely dark green with the distinctive black canes, the other
half sticks out and catches some of the breeze and has gone rather
yellow

"Adam Davis" wrote in message
...
I am glad that you put the Sasa Palmata in a tub rather than in the
ground
because I have heard that it can be a bit of a rampant thug (although
it is
still very pretty).

Paul's advice about trimming out the old culms on your P. Nigra is
sound
advice.

If you have never witnessed a bamboo sending up its first new culms
then I
will not spoil it for you because the first time it happened to me I
was
gobsmacked. Just wait and be patient and something amazing will
happen.

Hopefully, you have put your Nigra in a sheltered place because they
can
look a wee bit tatty after the winter, but they do green up again
reasonably
quickly after the warmer weather sets in.

A very good website for more information about bamboos is
www.stambamboo.com

HTH

Adam
"Smeckler" wrote in message
...
Hello all,

I planted some bamboos several weeks ago which all seem fairly
happy.
I'm hoping someone with experience can tell me how they might grow
over
the next few years, i.e. in terms of size and culm count, 'cos I
don't
really know what to expect.

I have P. nigra (isn't nice how nature allows you to deftly avoid
having
to try to spell things which is 6' tall, 1' across, in a moist
and
moderately sunny spot.

Also a little 1' Sasa palmata in a nice big tub on the patio (again,
moderately sunny).


Thanks as ever,
smeckler.

In article , Paul Kelly
writes


Best to follow the Japanese practice and cut out all but a few canes to
a)promote fatter canes b)create an attractive grouping rather than mass of
intermingled canes.

So is there no chance I'll get one inch thick canes on my nigra without
this selective thinning? I only planted mine last year and was hoping to
get some good growth this year. There are already one or two new shoots
growing but I just couldn't bring myself to hack any of them off!
--
Paul Flackett

Remove _bra to reply by e-mail.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2003 23:55:39 +0100, Victor Meldrew
wrote:

Best to follow the Japanese practice and cut out all but a few canes to
a)promote fatter canes b)create an attractive grouping rather than mass of
intermingled canes.

So is there no chance I'll get one inch thick canes on my nigra without
this selective thinning? I only planted mine last year and was hoping to
get some good growth this year. There are already one or two new shoots
growing but I just couldn't bring myself to hack any of them off!

Good!

I'm a little puzzled why you want 1" thick canes. Mine was procured
three years ago as a smallish plant with about 3-4' canes (length!).

The first year it pottered along. The second year it startled
everyone by sending out three canes to about 9 - 10'.

This year there are maybe ten or twelve canes reaching 12' (I
exaggerated before when I said 15'). They are slender though - only
about 0.5" in their upper reaches (maybe 1" in the lower) but it makes
it very graceful in the breezes. The ebony black is perfectly obvious
and distinctive. If you insist on rigid 1" canes I suppose you had
better tinker as others have suggested. I took a picture of it today.
Perhaps I may have time to stickit on the WWW in the next coupla days.

Interestingly I have just had a special wood floor laid in the
bathroom - solid and constructed out of compressed bamboo. The grain,
if you can call it that, is very distinctively bamboo. I just had a
thought - how great it would have been if it had been compressed P.
nigra. A black bamboo floor! WOW.

Huss

Grow a little garden

spam block - for real addy, reverse letters of second level domain.

Hussein M. wrote in message . ..


This year there are maybe ten or twelve canes reaching 12' (I
exaggerated before when I said 15'). They are slender though - only
about 0.5" in their upper reaches (maybe 1" in the lower) but it makes
it very graceful in the breezes. The ebony black is perfectly obvious
and distinctive. If you insist on rigid 1" canes I suppose you had
better tinker as others have suggested. I took a picture of it today.
Perhaps I may have time to stickit on the WWW in the next coupla days.

Interestingly I have just had a special wood floor laid in the
bathroom - solid and constructed out of compressed bamboo. The grain,
if you can call it that, is very distinctively bamboo. I just had a
thought - how great it would have been if it had been compressed P.
nigra. A black bamboo floor! WOW.

Huss

I'm waiting for my nigra to take off - I ordered it last year when
Crocus were doing a two for one special. Although I've been happy
with most of their plants, one of the nigras was the most pathetic
weedy stemmed specimin you could imagine. It's built up a lot since
then, so I'm hoping it will go into overdrive this year!

I also bought a Sasa palmate, which is a short growing bamboo listed
as "vigorous". No sign of that vigour last year, but I noticed
yesterday loads of new shoots appearing from the ground anything up to
2 feet from the original plant - looks like I'm in for some trouble
from this one!

As for the bathroom, I discovered bamboo flooring while searching
online and used it in my bathroom too. It looks great, doesn't go
soggy or mouldy like carpet, and is nice and warm, unlike tiles. For
a while, it was great to have such a unique floor. Then the local
Homebase started selling it! :-(

Bob