Buying more acreage for Boo

[mountainbamboonut]

My bamboo obsession has taken ahold of me after only three years as a grower. The wife and I have decided that our 2.3 AC (+ or -) plot will not be enough to meet my bamboo needs. The wifey and I will be looking for 20+ AC (still in the Sierra Foothills of CA) and I will be going nuts with the boo there. The goal is to find enough level acreage to make some nice groves and have ditch/irrigation water on the property to feed them nicely. House is going on the market in a month, we are doing it! (Driven partially by my Boo longings) Perhaps I need a psychologist. I will be potting a ton of bamboo before I leave here and until we find the right property our yard in the rental we will be holding over in will be chalked full of potted boos. Let the journey begin!

[Cooper12]

My bamboo obsession has taken ahold of me after only three years as a grower. The wife and I have decided that our 2.3 AC (+ or -) plot will not be enough to meet my bamboo needs. The wifey and I will be looking for 20+ AC (still in the Sierra Foothills of CA) and I will be going nuts with the boo there. The goal is to find enough level acreage to make some nice groves and have ditch/irrigation water on the property to feed them nicely. House is going on the market in a month, we are doing it! (Driven partially by my Boo longings) Perhaps I need a psychologist. I will be potting a ton of bamboo before I leave here and until we find the right property our yard in the rental we will be holding over in will be chalked full of potted boos. Let the journey begin!

Nice what area ? Still up by Grass Valley? I wish we could do the same I'd like about 100 acres

[mountainbamboonut]

Hey there Cooper, we are actually going to head out your way to EDC. We have a lot of friends and family out there. 100AC would be nice! ha. Once we close on a place I will send you some pictures of the land I will get to work with. Too bad having to start over with the bamboo but my wife and I are young so have some time on our side in terms of getting the groves established before we are dead Plus it will likely be a bit warmer than where we are in Nevada County so maybe some stronger growing conditions anyway. Hope your bamboo homestead is going great! Merry Christmas!

[Cooper12]

Hey there Cooper, we are actually going to head out your way to EDC. We have a lot of friends and family out there. 100AC would be nice! ha. Once we close on a place I will send you some pictures of the land I will get to work with. Too bad having to start over with the bamboo but my wife and I are young so have some time on our side in terms of getting the groves established before we are dead Plus it will likely be a bit warmer than where we are in Nevada County so maybe some stronger growing conditions anyway. Hope your bamboo homestead is going great! Merry Christmas!

Great more bamboo locals the merrier . Start taking divisions before your place sells though

[Mackel in DFW]

Congratulations, Mountain Man

[mountainbamboonut]

Hey Mackel how are ya sir! Excited to start anew on more land! I now hear cars zoom by from my nice groves, kills the zen factor! ha. Would you reccomend taking divisions right after the new 2016 culms have shot and branched out or prior to that? Thanks Cooper look forward to seeing your boo some day!

[Cooper12]

Hey Mackel how are ya sir! Excited to start anew on more land! I now hear cars zoom by from my nice groves, kills the zen factor! ha. Would you reccomend taking divisions right after the new 2016 culms have shot and branched out or prior to that? Thanks Cooper look forward to seeing your boo some day!

Since our ground usually isn't frozen much I like to divide in the winter now thru march before anything shoots . If you sell your place quick new owners may not want you digging that's why I mentioned you should get dividing . I usually top 30% of my taller divisions as they seem less likely to burn which they can even in winter here though they releaf quickly in spring if they do generally

[mountainbamboonut]

Hey Jason, true about prior to sale although depending on the buyers bamboo might be a detractor. Digging now will tear up too many rhizomes I am afraid. I think I'd rather let them shoot and dig after. But you are right this would e an easy time to dig with soft dirt.

[needmore]

I would strongly urge you to dig before shooting season, back when I was operating the nursery that was my optimum time usually in late Feb/early March. Once shooting initiates I leave them alone until August. They are at their weakest after shooting so recovery from being divided then is tougher, the new shoots will suffer greatly and I think that subsequent growth of the divisions is weaker. Plus digging before shooting season when you break some rhizomes and you'll have bare rhizomes ready to make new plants. And if that's not enough the newly divided plants will shoot on last year's energy so your potted plants will likely produce a few shoot larger than existing culms and make the divisions look nicer.

[johnw]

Brad

You could actually dig in the ground in late February in Indiana? Here in a good year we might be able to dig in late March and as a rule mid April or later. I doubt anything is happening underground here with bamboos until mid to late May and with Phyllos June when the soil starts to warm up a bit.....

john

[mountainbamboonut]

Thanks Brad and Jason! I will do what you both advised. You all have way more boo experience than me so I will take your advice! I am going to have massive amounts of potted boos after this. I'll need a massive flatbed to get these to my new place. Ha. Thanks again.

[needmore]

Brad

You could actually dig in the ground in late February in Indiana? Here in a good year we might be able to dig in late March and as a rule mid April or later. I doubt anything is happening underground here with bamboos until mid to late May and with Phyllos June when the soil starts to warm up a bit.....

john

John, I never understood how it was possible but my ground never froze more than a couple inches deep so if I wait until a warm day I could dig even in January.

[mountainbamboonut]

Did some digging and dividing today. On average got about 3 15 gallon divisions from a few stands I dug. Got some spectabilis, black, golden vivax and regular vivid potted. Hate digging these fellas out of the ground, they were so happy with lots of soil amendments from our chickens and goats etc. I must stay focused the fact that I will have a larger area to grow! Ha. Just doesn't feel right transplanting boos that look so darn good. I'll keep ya posted! Thanks for all of the expertise.

[needmore]

I have a spare Shanghai 3 that I would trade for a golden Vivax if you are interested. Not sure when you might be in El Dorado county!

[mountainbamboonut]

Brad that sounds great! I don't have any S3 and love collecting as many types as I can. I am in EDC for all holidays and more frequently than that visiting people. This spring or summer we can line something up if that works for you. The wife and I are slammed finishing a few odds and ends at the house as we prepare to sell. I'll send you a picture of some of my potted boos from my first little bit of digging I did. They are going to size up fast in their pots because until we find the right place in EDC we will be staying at my place in Sacramento which has full sun and lots of agua. Will be able to get you a nice golden vivax division!