Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

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berklady
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Joined: Sat Jan 27, 2007 7:37 pm
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Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by berklady »

Hey there, I'm interested in getting some clumpers for my new property in N.Cali mountains Coming from zone 9, i don't know much about clumpers that do well in a colder (and hotter) environment. In Berkeley (zone 9) I love my bambusas- textilis, tuldoides, oldhamii, and dolichomerithalla, along with my H.hookerianus, but i don't think any of them would look too pretty in 15-20' winters? I love tall big bamboo (of course)- so anyone in zone 8, what are your favorite clumpers that do great up there? Thanks for your ideas!- Berklady
kstanwick
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Location: Stillwater NJ z6a Sussex county. 20 minutes from the Del. Water Gap.
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RE: Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by kstanwick »

Hi berklady, I have little exp. with clumpers or living in z8 but you might want to send out a pm to fredgpops. I think he has quite a few diff. varieties of boo...not sure on the clumpers either...knowledgable guy though. always seems to have something available for trade....I think he might be a z8. I'm sure others will chime in to help you out...
Kurt Stanwick
Stillwater NJ z6a

Kurt's Garden
Mike McG
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Location: Near Brenham TXUSDA Z8b

RE: Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by Mike McG »

Berklady,
I am in 8b but if you are in 8a and have minimum temperatures around 15 F then B. textilis and the various B multiplex should be OK. I would expect B. tuldoides and B. t. ventricosa will be borderline; mine does OK down to 18 F. B oldhamii will probably will have problems, it is borderline for me. I would expect most of the other Bambusas will also have problems in 8a. I would move some divisions of the clumpers you have and see how they do. You never know you might be in a warmer micro-clime.

Mike near Brenham TX
berklady
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RE: Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by berklady »

Thanks for the info. on bambusas in zone 8! What a pleasant surprise- my favorite of all my bamboos is the textilis, so if it can withstand cold, I'll be a-diggin' here in a little bit!
Do any of you grow borindas or himalayacalamus in zone 8a? Seems like they'd take the cold, but its also HOT- about 90 and higher with humidity in the teens... can they handle such heat?
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Mike McG
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Location: Near Brenham TXUSDA Z8b

RE: Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by Mike McG »

Berklady,

The general consensus is that the mountain species do not do well in TX and I have not yet tried any. I do know others who have tried and failed or in one case have a Fargesia that is barely surviving in the shade. The high summer temperatures here, that the Bambusas love, are a major problem for the other bamboos you mention.

I have read that the high night time temperatures here are particularly troublesome. It is not unusual for the temperature here, just before sun rise, to be 80 degrees, held there by the wet bulb temperature, so even misting would not help. Your success in growing some of the more hardy mountain species (in the shade) may depend on how cool your summer nights will be.

By the way, what temperature range does your H.hookerianus grow in? What a great looking bamboo. I saw the one growing at Kew last February. The blue color almost seemed to glow. They are growing it under glass, in the Temperate House, as I recall.

Mike near Brenham TX
berklady
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RE: Zone 8a clumper suggestions?

Post by berklady »

Up north, where I'd like to plant more clumpers- in zone 8a, I'd say the night time temps do dip pretty low, to in the 50s or so, sometimes cooler, sometimes hotter- does anyone know if i could grow borindas in this situation?
My H.hookerianus is growing on the north facing side of my house in the SF Bay Area (zone 9)- it gets no direct sun on the culms, but the upper branches do get a pinch of sun in the late afternoon. The temps here range from 40's to 60's in the winter (but today & yesterday it was in the 70's!) to 70s with some 80's in the summer. We had a cold snap in Jan. for about 5 days, down to about 25 in the night, and there was no damage to the hookerianus at all. I love it. The culms are an incredible almost turquoise color when the sheaths fall off. It sends off new shoots throughout the entire year- still shooting now!
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