Xref: kermit uk.rec.gardening:142151

Have just bought a Phylostachys Nigra with the aim of creating a screen
between parts of the garden. It is in a shallow pot about 10" diameter and
clearly had some big canes before it was cut back.
Question is - can I divide it now, before planting or should I wait until it
has grown a bit first?

Thanks
Mike

On Mon, 12 May 2003 20:56:57 +0100, "Mike Hunter"
wrote:

can I divide it now, before planting or should I wait until it
has grown a bit first?

I understand that you can split clumps of bamboo as long as you leave
at least one full length cane on each piece.


Pam in Bristol

I tried this with a similarly sized P.nigra at this time last year. I took
it out of the pot and cut it into two with a serrated breadknife. I potted
the odd pieces that came loose too and I now have 5 strong specimens. Do
water the plant well a few days before you split it and keep the daughter
plants sheltered from winds. The ideal place is in a cool greenhouse. Just
make sure that the roots have already filled the pot before you split them.
If they haven't, wait until next year. Try for some root, rhizome and shoot
on each part of the loose pieces.


"Mike Hunter" wrote in message
...
Have just bought a Phylostachys Nigra with the aim of creating a screen
between parts of the garden. It is in a shallow pot about 10" diameter and
clearly had some big canes before it was cut back.
Question is - can I divide it now, before planting or should I wait until
it
has grown a bit first?

Thanks
Mike

Thanks to you both - I will water well and split it at the weekend.

Mike

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...
I tried this with a similarly sized P.nigra at this time last year. I took
it out of the pot and cut it into two with a serrated breadknife. I
potted
the odd pieces that came loose too and I now have 5 strong specimens. Do
water the plant well a few days before you split it and keep the daughter
plants sheltered from winds. The ideal place is in a cool greenhouse.
Just
make sure that the roots have already filled the pot before you split
them.
If they haven't, wait until next year. Try for some root, rhizome and
shoot
on each part of the loose pieces.


"Mike Hunter" wrote in message
...
Have just bought a Phylostachys Nigra with the aim of creating a screen
between parts of the garden. It is in a shallow pot about 10" diameter
and
clearly had some big canes before it was cut back.
Question is - can I divide it now, before planting or should I wait
until
it
has grown a bit first?

Thanks
Mike

"Mike Hunter" wrote in message
...
Thanks to you both - I will water well and split it at the weekend.

Mike

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...
I tried this with a similarly sized P.nigra at this time last year.
I took
it out of the pot and cut it into two with a serrated breadknife. I
potted
the odd pieces that came loose too and I now have 5 strong
specimens. Do
water the plant well a few days before you split it and keep the
daughter
plants sheltered from winds. The ideal place is in a cool
greenhouse.
Just
make sure that the roots have already filled the pot before you
split
them.
If they haven't, wait until next year. Try for some root, rhizome
and
shoot
on each part of the loose pieces.


"Mike Hunter" wrote in message
...
Have just bought a Phylostachys Nigra with the aim of creating a
screen
between parts of the garden. It is in a shallow pot about 10"
diameter
and
clearly had some big canes before it was cut back.
Question is - can I divide it now, before planting or should I
wait
until
it
has grown a bit first?

Thanks
Mike



I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3 node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

On Tue, 13 May 2003 15:05:19 +0100, "Annabel"
wrote:

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3 node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

So Bob Flowerdew is not always right!!! Well done Annabel.

Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
news
On Tue, 13 May 2003 15:05:19 +0100, "Annabel"
wrote:

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3
node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

So Bob Flowerdew is not always right!!! Well done Annabel.

Pam in Bristol

What did Bob Flowerdew say

Bel

On Mon, 12 May 2003 22:22:10 +0100, "Justin Thyme"
wrote:

I tried this with a similarly sized P.nigra at this time last year. I took
it out of the pot and cut it into two with a serrated breadknife. I potted
the odd pieces that came loose too and I now have 5 strong specimens. Do
water the plant well a few days before you split it and keep the daughter
plants sheltered from winds. The ideal place is in a cool greenhouse. Just
make sure that the roots have already filled the pot before you split them.
If they haven't, wait until next year. Try for some root, rhizome and shoot
on each part of the loose pieces.

I have just done this with part of our p. nigra that I have separated
from the main clump and dug out (not an easy job in itself). However,
I am not hopeful of success as I think I let the roots dry out too
much. After I had done it I looked it up on a US bamboo site and they
warned that you must NEVER let the roots dry out when dividing bamboo.

If they do all take, I would have about ten new plants, which I would
be tempted to grow on in pots, having seen what their parent had been
up to underground! (The same US bamboo site (I think - don't recall
where, but I would have found it with Google - suggested digging deep
trenches all round bamboos and filling them with concrete to restrict
the spread.)
--
Stuart Baldwin
news\at/boxatrix\dot/co\dot/uk

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3 node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any special tips or do you have
a link to a website that gives more detail? I just started collecting
bamboos about 18 months ago and certainly would be interested eventually in
trading a few to increase the variety in the collection. Do you just trade
with close friends or is there some kind of network?

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3
node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to
produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any special tips or do
you have
a link to a website that gives more detail? I just started collecting
bamboos about 18 months ago and certainly would be interested
eventually in
trading a few to increase the variety in the collection. Do you just
trade
with close friends or is there some kind of network?



I should have said 3 node "rhizome" cuttings. Taking rhizome cuttings is
a standard procedure but you must *not* let them dry out. There are web
sites on this, I will look for some and then get back to you again.

See the link for trading seeds and plants. I havn't updated my info
recently. To look at the site generally I suggest starting on the
European pages. You will notice my sig different there (spouse)


--
Art
Swap seeds and plants and visit many specialist garden forums at
Garden Web http://www.gardenweb.com
My Garden Web exchange page
http://www.gardenweb.com/members/exch/art1952
European Pages http://www.uk.gardenweb.com/

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3
node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to
produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any special tips or do
you have
a link to a website that gives more detail? I just started collecting
bamboos about 18 months ago and certainly would be interested
eventually in
trading a few to increase the variety in the collection. Do you just
trade
with close friends or is there some kind of network?



I have been to my favourites and unbelievably all of the links I had are
now dead, I have also done searches but did not come up with anything
much good.. The general recommendation for rhizome cuttings however is
that they are 8" to 12" long laid horizontally, mine were about 4"
planted vertically.

I hope this is of some help.

Annabel

On Tue, 13 May 2003 21:04:09 +0100, "Annabel"
wrote:

What did Bob Flowerdew say

He said you must always leave one complete stem when you divide
bamboo!


Pam in Bristol

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3
node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to
produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any special tips or do
you have
a link to a website that gives more detail? I just started collecting
bamboos about 18 months ago and certainly would be interested
eventually in
trading a few to increase the variety in the collection. Do you just
trade
with close friends or is there some kind of network?



I have been to my favourites and unbelievably all of the links I had are
now dead, I have also done searches but did not come up with anything
much good.. The general recommendation for rhizome cuttings however is
that they are 8" to 12" long laid horizontally, mine were about 4"
planted vertically.

I hope this is of some help.

Annabel



HTH:
http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...ng_grasses.asp

The message
from contains these words:

I have just done this with part of our p. nigra that I have separated
from the main clump and dug out (not an easy job in itself). However,
I am not hopeful of success as I think I let the roots dry out too
much. After I had done it I looked it up on a US bamboo site and they
warned that you must NEVER let the roots dry out when dividing bamboo.

If they do all take, I would have about ten new plants, which I would
be tempted to grow on in pots, having seen what their parent had been
up to underground! (The same US bamboo site (I think - don't recall
where, but I would have found it with Google - suggested digging deep
trenches all round bamboos and filling them with concrete to restrict
the spread.)

Is p. nigra a thug then ? I'm about to plant one :-) Anyother tips
appreciated.

Janet

"Annabel" wrote in message
...

"Justin Thyme" wrote in message
...

I have one that I split but I also used the severed rhizomes as 3
node
root cuttings, I had 15 grow out of 16 but they are slower to
produce
full sized plants. I did this so that I could trade them through the
post.

Bel

That sounds really interesting. Do you have any special tips or do
you have
a link to a website that gives more detail? I just started collecting
bamboos about 18 months ago and certainly would be interested
eventually in
trading a few to increase the variety in the collection. Do you just
trade
with close friends or is there some kind of network?



I have been to my favourites and unbelievably all of the links I had are
now dead, I have also done searches but did not come up with anything
much good.. The general recommendation for rhizome cuttings however is
that they are 8" to 12" long laid horizontally, mine were about 4"
planted vertically.

I hope this is of some help.

Annabel



Many thanks

Did you use any hormone or particular compost?

I haven't got rhizomes of sufficient length just yet but no doubt will soon!

What time of year did you take that batch of cuttings?