Pruning bamboo

Other things that involve bamboo

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Tarzanus
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Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:05 am
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Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Pruning bamboo

Post by Tarzanus »

Do you trim and prune your bamboos?

How you do it?

I cut all the branches lower than my height on Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Spectabilis'. Intend to do the same with Moso, but it was set back so there's nothing to prune this year. :)
I regularly thin out smaller culms from all bamboos, especially Fargesia Rufa.

I mostly leave Pseudosasa japonica and Phyllostachys aurea grow on their own and I'm now trying to learn how Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Shiroshima' acts when you trim it. I like what I see. I have removed most of the last year's growth and cut down all the new shoots at 60 or 70 cm in the spring. Now it looks like nicely maintained hedge. What I dislike abbout Shiroshima is that it has very long shoots, but they fall almost to the ground as they grow. It looks rather bad as a stand-alone bamboo, unless it grows into thick densely packed clump. Then it also drops to the ground on the edges and if you grow something around it, it can get squashed before the end of the year. I will leave taller shoots next season and see if I can make the hedge-like bamboo taller and achieve a nicely shaped round bamboo clump. I'm sure that's what I'll get, based on what I've seen this year.

Do you trim your bamboos? Which ones and how do you do it? Shiroshima made me think about it and post this topic. :)
Alan_L
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Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:13 pm
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Location: St. Louis area

Re: Pruning bamboo

Post by Alan_L »

The only ones that get a regular pruning for me -- for looks, not maintenance -- are the Shibateas. Both Shibatea kumasaca and S. chinensis get pruned by hand with hedge clippers. I not only do this to remove the ratty leaves after winter damage, but to make the culms shorter so it stays more upright. For me these both want to lean outward and I don't want them to. :)
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