Airy clumps

[Lucille]

Is there an harm in cutting out culms or even new sprouts if one does not want a dense clump? I have some new Alphonse, and do not want dense impenetrable clumps.

[dudley]

no harm.

[kudzu9]

It shouldn't be a problem. However, another alternative is to just leave the culms in place and simply prune off all the lower branches to a certain height. That way you have an airy appearance at the bottom, and leafiness at the top. I do this with a lot of my bamboo and it looks great.

[Lucille]

It shouldn't be a problem. However, another alternative is to just leave the culms in place and simply prune off all the lower branches to a certain height. That way you have an airy appearance at the bottom, and leafiness at the top. I do this with a lot of my bamboo and it looks great.

I like that idea, thanks!

[Mike McG]

Lucille

I have trouble thinking of a clump of Bambusa Multiplex 'Alphonse Karr' being pruned such that it would be considered as being airy. You would have trouble sticking your arm through the base of most of the ungroomed clumps that I have seen, including my own.

A number of years ago I did see a fairly open, groomed clump in front of someone's house where I was visiting to dig a couple of running bamboo. The owner said it was 'Alphonse Karr' but I only saw it from inside the van and did not take a closer look. At the time I thought perhaps the bamboo provider had made a mistake. As I recall, I later mentioned it to Kinder Chambers he indicated he had also seen an 'Alphonse Karr’ that had been pruned to have a more open habit, so it may be possible. I think I would have started with a larger, more upright bamboo such as B. textilis or tuldoides if I were trying to get a more open grove effect from a clumping bamboo.

I think the effect you are trying to reproduce on a smaller scale is that of a grove of large running bamboo? This will be quite a challenge using a clumper. If you pull it off I am sure a lot of people here will be interested in the pictures and I wish you the best of luck.

With respect to pruning, I think this may be most easily accomplished with culling (damaging while soft) the smaller new shoots as early as possible before the plant has put a lot of resources into growing them, and leaving a just few of the largest new shoots to grow to size. The older culms are more difficult to cut cleanly at or below ground level, but you should periodically remove the these older (normally smaller) culms if you want to keep it more open.

Mike near Brenham TX

[mantis]

A "grove" of Bambusa tuldoides:

[Lucille]

A "grove" of Bambusa tuldoides:

That is the look I want, how did you do it? If you want to cull a shoot, how exactly does that happen?
My son is all of a sudden into eating healthy, perhaps I can let him trim the shoots and then he can fix them and eat them.

[Lucille]

I think the effect you are trying to reproduce on a smaller scale is that of a grove of large running bamboo? This will be quite a challenge using a clumper. If you pull it off I am sure a lot of people here will be interested in the pictures and I wish you the best of luck.

It may not work. But, it may be a bit of an experiment anyway, I've tried to read as much as I could of the old threads here to learn about bamboo. One thread was talking about Alphonse flowering. If that is happening, I'm not sure how much time these plants have. In any case, I thought a few clumps/groves would look nice but I'm already considering adding a few mor bamboo.

Today is planting day. I've been looking forward to it all week

[dudley]

this AK is grown in shade, sandy soil, minimal water.
it has not been pruned or thinned.

[Lucille]

That is a nice airy clump. But my bamboo are going into the Texas sun in deep, rich, light garden soil that previously grew roses; on the moist Gulf Coast. It may grow different?

[marcat]

What part of Texas? Makes a big difference. Outlaws on the coast I am on the coast but our growing conditions are radicly different.
Dudley that A Karr looks like "the exception to the rule".
MarCat

[marcat]

As to flowering A. Karr in the recent past some did but there are many clones of A. Karr in the US and most do not seem to be flowering. Also Roy Rogers did an experment and caused artificial flowering with A.Karr and you might have ran into some of those posts out of contex.
Go ahead with your pruning/culling plans and do not worry about flowering if it happens it happens but it is doughtfull.
MarCat

[mantis]

That is the look I want, how did you do it? If you want to cull a shoot, how exactly does that happen?
My son is all of a sudden into eating healthy, perhaps I can let him trim the shoots and then he can fix them and eat them.

Sorry, but it is not my grove, so I'm not exactly sure how the owner accomplished this. I'm guessing he just planted quite a few starts, and then just thinned it out to make a nice even spacing.

[marcat]

Mantis I agree at least two starts (more likely more) and heavy pruning on the lower branches. Lots of work but the effect is nice.
MarCat
Lucille still curiouse as to what part of Texas. You might try a Textilis gracilis they tend to be airy.

[Bamboo Outlaw]

I have a clump of Punting Pole that is open. Selective pruning as it grows does it.