Over-wintering bamboo/ other plants

[stevelau1911]

I think there will still be some insulation even though the top is open, especially because the entire clump of culms is being squeezed together. I think the big thing is that the shrink wrap will stop the wind while holding in moisture beneath the plastic. This is my first time using shrink wrap on a column tarp so I really don't know if it will be effective in over-wintering something like moso which is not nearly as hardy.

Those bags of leaves all over the place don't seem to attract rodents maybe because the cat population is too high around here for them to become a problem.

[canadianplant]

Eh Steve

I dont see that being "insulation", rather something to block wind (im not saying that isnt useful). I top killed bamboo by only having a tarp as the only insulation. In my experience, the only way to truly insulate, is by mulching the ground a foot, and wrapping the plant in some form of fleece, and then the shrink wrap. Even a layer of bubble wrap is a good idea, if you are going to insulate, then just one or 2 layers of shrink wrap.

If you are up here, you need the close contact insulation (leaves), a layer to block the wind (tarp or plastic), and since I bend mine down, snow. If I had tall bamboo, that I protected like you, I would wrap them in an old blanket, bubble wrap, fleece or some other light, but warm material. I guess the same would apply to your marginals?

Also, ive never noticed rodents in my bags of leaves in winter. I have seen them crawling around in the mulch in summer though....

[jd.]

I think there will still be some insulation even though the top is open, especially because the entire clump of culms is being squeezed together. I think the big thing is that the shrink wrap will stop the wind while holding in moisture beneath the plastic.

I concur with canadianplant, the primary benefit appears to be as a windbreak. In the sun, gently rising warm air will tend to draw in fresh air from the open base. In the wind, higher air velocity at the top than on the ground will create a pressure difference that will also tend to draw in air from the open base. Despite these effects, the density of the leaves within will slow any air flow and likely yield a net benefit in a marginal situation.

Here, parvifolia bamboo has benefited from the windbreak it provided itself during a relatively mild winter and from deep snow in a more typical winter.
However, I can't say I've ever tried covering it with plastic stretch wrap.

[stevelau1911]

Since I felt like it, and I had a lot of tarping material laying around, I decided to go ahead and tarp the rest of my bamboos. Even though it may not really be necessary to tarp all the bamboos in my climate, I think it is important to show that there are many ways to prevent winter damage in order to maximize the shooting season in the following year.

Many of them have foliage left outside the tarp simply to gauge their hardiness.

atrovaginata


dulcis


propinqua beijing


decora


nigra


aureosulcata spectabilis


makinoi


kwangsiensis

[canadianplant]

Steve, I hope you get a decent amount of snow this winter. The tarping plus the snow should get them past almost anything you can get down there!

[stevelau1911]

Since I worked hard in setting these tarps up, I'm actually hoping for it to get brutally cold this winter now so I can see how much of a difference these tarps really make. This would all be pointless if we get a warm winter where it never drops below 10F.

I made sure I left out some foliage on dulcis, atrovaginata, parvifolia, makinoi, and beijing so I will see if there will be a huge difference if it happens to drop to lets say -12F. I believe the ground tarps would be fine at that temperature, but the column tarps may only add a few degrees of protection. I also don't care if I reduce their sunlight at this time of the year because highs in the 40s with only 8 hours of available daylight, most days being cloudy do not equate to a lot of photosynthesis.


For the ground tarps, I don't think snow is really necessary to protect them since they hold in the warmth of the soil, but there will usually be snow on the ground whenever we have extremely cold temps.

[Tarzanus]

We've received around 20cm of snow and after that more than a week of -12C to -3C (night/day) temperatures. It warmed up considerably now and in just a couple of days the snow melted, exposing all the covered bamboos. Almost no sign of frost damage! Not even on Borinda fungosa seedling, that stayed outside! There is some damage however, I've found out that under a snow pile I've made, mice started to chew bamboo branches, leaves, rhizomes buds... That one bamboo is a bit damaged, but not nearly too much to recover. I'll have to make sure that vermin goes somewhere else.

[tncry]

Finally was able to cover most of the bamboos for winter. Used tarps to protect from wind and spruce bows to act as a potential skeleton to help with crushing snow loads. The plants always look fantastic at this time of year when most other vegetation is flattened.

30cm forecasted for early next week. I would love a nice layer of insulation for the winter.




TC in PEI

[canadianplant]

Good job TC.... how did the battle of the mites go?

[tncry]

There are no new signs of mites but I didn't expect any signs because of the cold temperatures and their life cycle. I cut off all the culms on five plants and I'll spray any new shoots multiple times in the spring and summer. There was an aureocaulis with moderate mite damage. I removed all culms with any signs of damage but kept the others. I'll monitor the plant in the spring and spray.

I really need to get the problem under control because there are dozens of other bamboo in the area.

Best of luck with your plants this winter.

TC in PEI

[johnw]

tc - Which are the two fargesias in the last photo? They look really good.

Hope you get that mite problem under control. Will be in touch shortly.

john - -1c here and a sprinkle of snow on the rooves and ground.

[tncry]

Johnw - those are young Ph atrovaginata plants in the last picture. They have been in ground for one winter so far. They overwintered well last year but barely upsized. They will hopefully shoot up a little taller next year. They are completely wind protected in a pocket of mature spruce. With the heavy snowfall in the forecast, I hope they get a layer of insulation to last the whole winter.

When I went to the island last Saturday, there was no snow to speak of. In Moncton we have already had two snowfall events and a third big one on the way. It was about 7 degrees on Saturday and no wind. It was perfect weather for covering the bamboo. When we crossed the bridge, it was like travelling back in time to November conditions.

I suppose Halifax has no snow?
TC in PEI

[canadianplant]

My phyllo took a few years to get going. If ive guessed right, the culms should double in height this year, to about 8 feet. When It was planted, it put out a dozen culms, smaller then the existing ones, the next year it didnt shoot at all (I almost killed it with bad protection), and the summer that just passed, it put out a few culms, that dwarfed the previous years.

I guess it takes a year or 2 for the runners to spread some roots, and get enough mass to really start to push some culms. Maybe tossing some composted manure and compost a foot or 2 around the bamboo?

[johnw]

Christmas eve morning we had a tiny dusting of snow here in Hfx, almost immeasurable but about 20% of lawns had some snow. We rarely get snow here when we need it and a good depth of frozen ground is not unusual. Down on the southern tip when it gets cold it snows so things like glads and gingers come through the winters without protection as the ground doesn't freeze. Too bad it's too cool for Phyllos there!

Those atros are surprisingly congested at the base, I would have bet the house they were Fargesias!

[jd.]

Maybe tossing some composted manure and compost a foot or 2 around the bamboo?

You may be quite impressed with the difference fertile soil makes in a marginal climate.

Down on the southern tip when it gets cold it snows so things like glads and gingers come through the winters without protection as the ground doesn't freeze. Too bad it's too cool for Phyllos there!

The summers there are too cool?