Fargesia robusta winter damage

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dependable
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by dependable »

Here are some more shots of divisions.

Edit note, more pictures on last post of previous page.
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If I were planting & planning to divide in future, I would clear area of rocks.  Kind of hard on saw and axe.
If I were planting & planning to divide in future, I would clear area of rocks. Kind of hard on saw and axe.
Closeup of live rhizome, looks like it would sprout pretty well next year.
Closeup of live rhizome, looks like it would sprout pretty well next year.
Small piece of rhizome.  This plant was one tangled, contiguous clump.
Small piece of rhizome. This plant was one tangled, contiguous clump.
stevelau1911
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by stevelau1911 »

You may want to tarp your new robusta divisions very well this time around, or put them all in a greenhouse because they have very little time left in the growing season. I intend to separate one of my f robustas next year for divisions.

I'm surprised at how badly your robusta got hit, but it should be much easier to protect now at such a small size.
dependable
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by dependable »

Well, they will not get much protection, I'll tip on side and or tarp over plants in pots so they don't become ice locked, seedlings winter indoors, and that is about it.

I applaud the efforts of those pushing the limits of temperature hardiness in their plant collections. I am more interested in what will thrive, or at least survive, without undue intervention.
stevelau1911
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by stevelau1911 »

Robusta cannot get too big to tarp or protect very well so it's not a major concern for me. The only reason I'm growing that one is because I like the look of the contrasting white sheaths on dark culms.

There are plenty of bamboos in the phyllostachys genus that can thrive without protection in zone 6 so sometimes I prefer to try out some of the zone 7 or 8 stuff, maybe zone 9 stuff when there are simple ways to overwinter them.
Alan_L
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by Alan_L »

Always get jealous of motorized equipment. :wink:
stevelau1911
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by stevelau1911 »

I already have the fargesia robustas well mulched with leaves. I wished I could find someone with fargesia scabrida to trade with even though that's a very common species too. I happen to have a lot of shaded space where only fargesias will thrive.

Once it gets a bit closer to winter, I may add a nice layer of decomposing leaf mulch, then put on some tarps to make sure that they are good to go for the winter which is supposed to be colder than average again, but nowhere close to the prolonged extremes that came with the polar vortex last winter.

I expect them to put on some huge size increases at this stage in development next year.

Image

Image

Image
marymmcc
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by marymmcc »

Thanks for the reminder. I have spread leaf mulch and dried bamboo leaves all around the plants. I too am hoping for a positive outcome next spring.
tncry
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by tncry »

Mary, if I were you I'd dig them out and source Fargesia nitida or murielae in their place. That robusta will take forever to come back even with decent winters. Another harsh winter like last and it may die to the ground. I'm afraid you'll be watching a sad scene for a while.
I've spotted the two plants above as well as rufa at Home Depots in the GTA in the past. All three would be better options.
TC in PEI (zone 5b or maybe 6a [in denial])
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by stevelau1911 »

I don't think the winter will be anywhere close to what we had last winter. As long as the ground doesn't freeze very deep, bamboos will still manage to carry water up into the branches and leaves, and adding decomposing leaf mulch should be enough to make the difference.

I would suggest just protecting the robusta very well, perhaps with roof insulation if that is necessary, and just in case, have some heat cables and a weather station sensor there if it could get super cold. Water containers work great too. They did freeze solid for me last winter, but none of the bamboos in there took any damage anyways so water under a tarp works pretty good too.

Here's what they are saying at NOA, and accuweather.

Image

Image


This kind of weather going into the winter usually means that there should be a lot of precipitation, but not necessarily that much cold air. If the great lakes can stay unfrozen through all of January, there shouldn't be any sub-zero temperatures this winter.

Even the mustard greens haven't been killed off yet, well into December.
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dependable
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by dependable »

Figured I'd follow up on this topic;

Here is current picture of one of the divisions shown in post #15 (last post of first page in thread) from Oct 2014.

A few shoots made it though the winter, and it put up a fair amount of low growth.

But I would have to conclude this plant's recovery from top kill will be slow, probably not much better than starting with a new 2or 3 gallon plant.

It may have been better if I had not dug it up and divided it, but it did not look good enough to be close to the house.

Even if it was not divided, I'm pretty sure it would no longer be one plant, just a clump of clones around the dead parent.
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johnw
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by johnw »

dp - Shocking that your robusta was so heavily damaged and yet your vivax did not fare too badly. In southern NS Campbell had some leaf damage, worse on the top meter and about 15cm of the top growth - at the 3-4m mark & up - froze back. The low was circa 5-8F but the cold stuck around which is unusual down there. You were getting many more culms on yours than mine, I suspect mine runs a bit looking for better soil. Picture from late May.


john
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Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' Argyle-20150526-05273.jpg
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by dependable »

That F robusta was 'green screen', But a 'standard' robusta I have did not do much better. The damage was from winter before last. They would have done better last winter due to snow cover, no doubt.

If F robusta is good to 0*F, and P vivax is good to -5, that difference would make all the difference here n the last couple of winters.
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by johnw »

Bamboo Garden says 'Green Screen' is the same as the more tender 'Pingwu'.

http://www.bamboogarden.com/Fargesia%20 ... Screen.htm

Is your regular robusta 'Campbell'?

Lots of rain here after a very dry stretch.

john - +16c
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by dependable »

The other robusta was from NE bamboo around 2003. Just listed as robusta. That one was half killed the winter before last. I should cut out the dead culms, but it is in the old 'play area', which is kind of neglected these days.

A friend has one about a mile away that I got at the same time, it has never been damaged, and is an impressive plant. I'll try to remember to take a picture of it someday.

We had a couple of drenchers, but it is drying out again, over 85 F today, for one of the first times this summer, humid, nasty, bad air quality coming from the NE corridor megalopolis.
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Re: Fargesia robusta winter damage

Post by johnw »

Only about 18c here today but extremely humid and tonight very dense fog. Guess we far enough east to miss the pollution. Everything is sopping wet except the soil it seems. Was planting Ilex opacas today in a cemetary and despite the tremendous rains the soil showed no signs of being wet down 4-5 inches, can't win.

Your friend's robusta must be Campbell. You'll have to get a chunk and a pic.
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
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