I'm growing a bamboo plant in a water storage tank and would prefer it to
bush out a lot more. At the moment it has one main tall shoot and a couple
of tiny ones.

Would it help it to bush out if I just trimmed six inches or so off this
tall shoot?

I know that this often works with plants, but around september of last year
I did trim the top off another bamboo in a big pot that was growing too tall
and after that the particular shoot in question just seemed to lose heart
and the leaves just stopped filling out.

So what I did in this case seemed not to be a good idea. So I'm wondering if
the trimming is likely to cause this to happen again or in this case the
bamboo was too near the end of the growing period?

"john bently" wrote in message
...
I'm growing a bamboo plant in a water storage tank and would prefer it to
bush out a lot more. At the moment it has one main tall shoot and a couple
of tiny ones.

Would it help it to bush out if I just trimmed six inches or so off this
tall shoot?

I know that this often works with plants, but around september of last
year I did trim the top off another bamboo in a big pot that was growing
too tall and after that the particular shoot in question just seemed to
lose heart and the leaves just stopped filling out.

So what I did in this case seemed not to be a good idea. So I'm wondering
if the trimming is likely to cause this to happen again or in this case
the bamboo was too near the end of the growing period?
Bamboo is a grass and grows from the roots, not the tip. it will spread,
don't worry about that.

Steve

In article ,
says...

"john bently" wrote in message
...
I'm growing a bamboo plant in a water storage tank and would prefer it to
bush out a lot more. At the moment it has one main tall shoot and a couple
of tiny ones.

Would it help it to bush out if I just trimmed six inches or so off this
tall shoot?

I know that this often works with plants, but around september of last
year I did trim the top off another bamboo in a big pot that was growing
too tall and after that the particular shoot in question just seemed to
lose heart and the leaves just stopped filling out.

So what I did in this case seemed not to be a good idea. So I'm wondering
if the trimming is likely to cause this to happen again or in this case
the bamboo was too near the end of the growing period?
Bamboo is a grass and grows from the roots, not the tip. it will spread,
don't worry about that.

Steve


Ditto the above and point out that if you take the top off a shoot it
will look silly for years, leave well alone and in a few years you will
be posting to ask how to curb it :~)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...

"john bently" wrote in message
...
I'm growing a bamboo plant in a water storage tank and would prefer it
to
bush out a lot more. At the moment it has one main tall shoot and a
couple
of tiny ones.

Would it help it to bush out if I just trimmed six inches or so off
this
tall shoot?

I know that this often works with plants, but around september of last
year I did trim the top off another bamboo in a big pot that was
growing
too tall and after that the particular shoot in question just seemed to
lose heart and the leaves just stopped filling out.

So what I did in this case seemed not to be a good idea. So I'm
wondering
if the trimming is likely to cause this to happen again or in this case
the bamboo was too near the end of the growing period?
Bamboo is a grass and grows from the roots, not the tip. it will spread,
don't worry about that.

Steve


Ditto the above and point out that if you take the top off a shoot it
will look silly for years, leave well alone and in a few years you will
be posting to ask how to curb it :~)
--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of national collections of Clematis viticella cultivars and
Lapageria rosea

I've had the trouble of it spreading before, that is why i only now grow it
in boxes or large pots.

shazzbat writes

"john bently" wrote in message
...
I'm growing a bamboo plant in a water storage tank and would prefer
it to bush out a lot more. At the moment it has one main tall shoot
and a couple of tiny ones.

Would it help it to bush out if I just trimmed six inches or so off
this tall shoot?

I know that this often works with plants, but around september of
last year I did trim the top off another bamboo in a big pot that was
growing too tall and after that the particular shoot in question just
seemed to lose heart and the leaves just stopped filling out.

So what I did in this case seemed not to be a good idea. So I'm
wondering if the trimming is likely to cause this to happen again or
this case the bamboo was too near the end of the growing period?
Bamboo is a grass and grows from the roots, not the tip. it will
spread, don't worry about that.

ie it will spread on its own in due course, but trimming the tops will
have no effect at all on its spreading. Nothing you can do will
encourage it to branch, but it will put up new shoots.
--
Kay