2008 Boo Shooting Diary

[Cactus Joe]

Happy New Year, everybody! May 2008 see bountiful shoots.

I know, I know, it's far too early to talk shoots, but can everybody report their first shoots, the variety (and location) as soon as it happens. That way, I will get a sense of which boo is doing what where.

[john voss]

found a new 3 foot high by half inch diameter shoot of phyll. aurea 'koi' last week. it survived the recent 25 deg.f cold to my surprise, and is still going. (even bambusa multiplex got a little ragged looking in exposed locations.) everybody else is quite sensibly still hunkering down. some late multiplex 'silver' shoots froze and fell off. some potted 2nd year moso seedlings are shooting...and untouched so far.

[boonut]

First shoot of 2008 is Bambusa Membranacea. It is about 3/4" in diameter. It is in a 38 gallon pot outside. The shoot looks good and taking off as if it were much warmer.

[fredgpops]

The tips of 2 new violascens culms showed a couple of days ago. Scotts Valley, CA. Rgds

[needmore]

I need to give myself a psychological boost here, the ground has finally frozen in the past few days, we've had multiple nights of temps between 0F & +6F, two more coming this week BUT, I'll need to put down my first fertilizer in about 5-6 weeks to have it broken down for shooting season.

Bashania fargesii, F. dracocephala 'Rufa', Sasa oshidensis and a couple of others should begin shooting in 8-10 weeks. In 12-14 weeks I expect to have 60-80 species shooting and it will be mushroom season. In the meantime I'm waiting for the thaw next week to have some trenching done, too frozen this week...I'll go from ground too hard to trench to Moso shoots in probably 9-10 weeks.

[foxd]

I have a couple of P. heteroclada seedlings putting up shoots, but they are inside.

I'm looking forward to spring!

[Markj]

Chimonobambusa quadrangularis and forms are in full swing at the mo

[fredgpops]

N. Cal - C. quadrangularis, C.m. variegata, C. las vigas. Rgds

[foxd]

The outside bamboos are not doing much of anything other than accumulating crispied leaves. Except for the Sasaella masamuneana 'Albostriata' which looks surprisingly good.

However, several of the inside bamboos are putting up shoots! Phyllostachys heteroclada, Phyllostachys edulis and Pleioblastus chino 'Murakamianus' have all put up recent shoots.

[foxd]

The Brachystachyum densiflorum inside has put up some shoots! Okay, that is four species of bamboo inside that have recently put up shoots.

[foxd]

Make that five species inside that have recently put up shoots. I just found a "Buddha Belly" shoot.

That leaves the Arundinaria gigantea 'Paperweight', Phyllostachys atrovaginata and the Phyllostachys aurea as the only inside ones that haven't put up shoots yet.

For some reason aphids prefer Phyllostachys aurea.

[marcat]

Potted Oldhammi (outside) and potted Clone-x (mist house) are shooting nothing from the inground Boo's.
MarCat

[boonut]

First growth seen today on Bambusa Lako in the ground. This bamboo has been in the ground since 2003. No freezes since 2004 freeze. This is the earliest I have seen growth on Bambusa Lako. Shoots from last year are beginning to grow. They went dormant for a while... now taking off again.

[mr.mike]

Besides the fact that your picture is upside down (ha ha) I've noticed that most of my freeze damaged bamboo are putting out new growth too. I was wondering if they would all survive or not. Now I know. Giddy up!

mr.mike

[mantis]

In ground boo shooting: B. multi. 'Golden Goddess'

Greenhouse boo shooting: B. multi. 'Golden Goddess', D. strictus, Guadua amplexifolia.

I think that is all for now.