Rhizome propagation ???

[BooKing]

What's the consenus on depth of soil for placing rhizomes in pots? There is one book author saying to place the rhizome right on top and another placing 6inches underneath the potting soil. I obtained a rather very rare rhizome and want to give it the best possibility. I have a heating mat I'll be placing the container on. Any advice would be appreciated...

[boonatick]

I'd think two times the thickness or something close to it

[Iowaboo]

Rhizomes near the top would have shoots that come up faster.

But to show how I jam rhizomes in pots, I have a picture of my phyllostachys angusta(in foreground). I do this more out of small pot necessity rather than for visual appeal or the right formation.



By the way, is this rhizome in which you speak of, rare in the united states or the world!

[BooKing]

Let me just say that it is very rare anywhere

[Eastlandia]

Going along the lines of divisions; rhizome division ( without any other culms attached to it) seems to have the fastest results when you place one part of the Rhizome just below the serface of the pot's soil. Like any plant, the water and nutrients are flowing upward and then growth is maximized at the most Ready-to-shoot-at-the-top-bud. If this shoot fails, flip the entire Rhizome around to focus the remaining energy (if any) on a second dormant bud. -Eastlandia

[serenityinbamboo]

I had received Rubro rhizome cuttings a few weeks back from David. I had never started from rhizome and didn't know that there was a special way to plant. I just placed it halfway in the pot, with black cow, potting soil and dirt mixture and as of the time I came home this evening I had 85 shoots! So I guess that I was lucky. I had also used Schultz growth starter and superthrive vitamins. Maybe that made a difference?

Good luck!

[David]

I start my rhizomes outside, so I put them about 1/2 way down in the pot, keep them moist but not wet, and use a tree nursery potting mix which is a little heavier than regular potting soil. If the temp goes below freezing I throw black plastic over them, and maybe a small heater if it's really cold. I didn't know there was a proper way to start them, I just did what seemed reasonable. Superthrive vit. are great, I've been wondering if they might help with cold hardiness. They seem to work for everything else.

[Bamboomoon]

Lance: I was astonished to see that you leave a lot of the rhizome above ground level. Real ugly, but who cares if it works better? One can always reposition the rhzome later, I guess.

I have a Vivax rhizome I put about 6 inches down in a pot of soil in December. Didn't know what to do, so I put the pot under cover and did not set it out until a few days ago. It has been raining ever since, and I am wondering whether it will spring to life, or is it a done deal? I don't know (and haven't read any knowledgeable ramblings), about how long rhizomes can remain dormant, and come back to life without any above ground leaves to encourage photosynthisis. Your method of leaving part of the rhizome above ground, makes a lot of sense to me, though I would never (ever) have thought of it.

[Iowaboo]

Since this is my first year starting plants from bare rhizomes, I had not a clue how it was going to go. I actually figured some of the pots would not have culms come up, but bamboo is an incredible grass. I did not intend to leave parts of rhizome mass above ground, but the pots I had laying around were not big enough to fit the rhizome completely submerged under soil. Not sure if there is a tried true way of potting up rhizomes, but I'm sure almost any method will work, especially seeing how easy it is to get above ground growth.
My screen of yellowgroove from rick, trying to block the outside view? (leafy needmore viridis is in the right corner doing its part also).

[serenityinbamboo]

Here is just one picture of the rhizome that I had received from David. Thank you again David
It has been about three weeks.

These will oneday screen one side of our 5 acres. Hopefully the moso, oldhamii, textilis, p nigra, and alphonse will take care of the rest. Of coarse who knows what other kinds of boos one may pick up along the way!!

[Joseph Clemens]

I have a Vivax rhizome I put about 6 inches down in a pot of soil in December. Didn't know what to do, so I put the pot under cover and did not set it out until a few days ago. It has been raining ever since, and I am wondering whether it will spring to life, or is it a done deal? I don't know (and haven't read any knowledgeable ramblings), about how long rhizomes can remain dormant, and come back to life without any above ground leaves to encourage photosynthisis. Your method of leaving part of the rhizome above ground, makes a lot of sense to me, though I would never (ever) have thought of it.

Late last Fall I had Phyllostachys vivax rhizome pieces, left over from digging culm divisions. I potted them up anyway. Most of them died before this Spring, but about 1/3 of them have just now begun to shoot and grow. Shows how important timing can be, and that it isn't necessarily everything.

[David]

Welcome to Bambooweb Joseph,
I'm interested to know if you kept the rhizomes indoors during the winter, or do you not have freezing winter weather? I had a similar situation last fall while digging vivax, and potted up the resulting rhizomes, however none of the 6 survived the winter. I have had excellent success this spring with Feb dug rhizomes with about a 90% success rate.

[Joseph Clemens]

Welcome to Bambooweb Joseph,
I'm interested to know if you kept the rhizomes indoors during the winter, or do you not have freezing winter weather? I had a similar situation last fall while digging vivax, and potted up the resulting rhizomes, however none of the 6 survived the winter. I have had excellent success this spring with Feb dug rhizomes with about a 90% success rate.

Thank you David,
Occasionally we have a mild frost during the winter. I keep all bamboo outdoors, most that are being propagated are kept in pots in an area enclosed by a wooden fence (so far, rabbits haven't breached it), where I placed a layer of roofing material on the ground, a horizontal curtain of shade cloth, and micro sprinklers on timers, then I only need to check periodically that the watering system is still working and to see how they are growing.

I am on a rural acre, which I am gradually turning into a bamboo plantation. Most of my runners are in raised beds which I have dug out of the terrain, aside from helping to restrain the bamboo, they also provide access for my wife in her wheelchair (Paraplegic due to multiple sclerosis). I cut the P. vivax rhizomes into approximately 1 foot sections and cram them into #1 pots (often called one gallon nursery cans) usually by forming them into an arch with the top sticking up and out in the pot. Last Fall I had almost twenty of these, only about 8 survived to form shoots this Spring.

[Bamboomoon]

David/Joseph, My vivax rhizome (that I put in soil in October, has come to life, and is just peeking up a shoot now. I left it in soil (but did not water it) on the porch, out of the rain. We did have freezing weather for weeks here in Washington state, but since it was insulated by dark, dry soil, it survived. Once the sun was out and I put it out where it could catch the rain, began watering it, and it (miraculously) came to life. This would be my "M.O." in the future with rhizomes, I guess.

[David]

Boomoon,
Good idea I'll have to try that next fall. I planted 6 or 7 of the same source rhizomes as the ones I potted ,in the ground, and 4 sent up shoots this spring.