WINTER 2015/2016

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Cooper12
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WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

I know its not winter yet but having had some snow twice in the last week already. Id thought id post a few pictures .
We are in the lower Sierra Nevada Mountains of California at about 3400 ft so we get snow a number of times during the winter but our absolute lows are not that bad .
Classified as a zone 8B though I think more 8A . Last week we had 2" of wet snow and today hail then about 3/4" of snow on top of it. Here are a few pics of

Bambusa m. Alphonse Karr
Borinda ( Yushania ) boliana
Phyllostachys vivax Basinigra ( I'm happy this one or my huangwenzhu ) did not break
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Yushania boliana
Yushania boliana
Bambusa m. Alphonse Karr
Bambusa m. Alphonse Karr
Phyllostachys v. basinigra
Phyllostachys v. basinigra
photo 4.JPG (49.46 KiB) Viewed 10062 times
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
Tarzanus
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Tarzanus »

First frosts here in Central Europe a couple of weeks ago did turn most of the plants look like it's winter, but the majority of winter hardy plants are still unaffected. Borinda fungosa did loose a couple of newly emerged branches (stupid thing shoots in mid June, but started branching in October). Most of it is (was at the time, now it's dropping them..) still covered with sheaths that managed to protect the branches. It is going to loose half of leaves in the following week or two, yellowing just started.
We have temperatures above 20°C now, but will be hit by cold wave this Saturday. TEmps will dip below freezing and we could expect some snow if it cools enough before the end of rain that is expected for the weekend.

I hope that fresh morning temperatures woke up its defence systems so it doesn't get hurt too much. :?
ShmuBamboo
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by ShmuBamboo »

No frost here yet this season. No snow either. Lowest I have had this wet season last night was 38 F. Now its up to 55 F. again. They predicted a warmer than average fall/winter here this year, with less than average precipitation. So far it has been warmer than average (warmest October on record) and a lot wetter than average. El Nino for you. At least it is raining/snowing in California!

I am still selling bamboos here. Usually sales die out mid-October. Banner year for boo sales this year, the economy is going strong in Oregon.
Happy trails...
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needmore
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by needmore »

Last night it came to my attention that my weather station had been set to dew point and not temp :roll:

The min/max has 30.9F for a low so now I'm not sure that I ever went into the 20's yet. :albino:
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Cooper12
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

needmore wrote:Last night it came to my attention that my weather station had been set to dew point and not temp :roll:

The min/max has 30.9F for a low so now I'm not sure that I ever went into the 20's yet. :albino:
well it least you got it worked out before winter.
I got my Phyllo's today
June Barbara " pretty interesting color "
nigra Mejiro
Vivax Huangwenzhu Inversa

all arrived in 2 gallons looking pretty good. Though it was very dark out
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
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needmore
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by needmore »

I'd like to get the straight form of Nidularia, a mature grove of it is quite interesting.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Cooper12
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

needmore wrote:I'd like to get the straight form of Nidularia, a mature grove of it is quite interesting.

There is absolutely no photos of June Barbara online that I can find . Though smaller and less vigorous I hope it has the same investing Culms
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

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Potato country
Cooper12
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

earlier today had about 2" of snow. Temps about 30 now. may get in the mid 20's tonight possibly lower with clear sky and snow cover
I just put the Borinda f. White Cloud in the shed for tonight.
Its hard to find much info on their cold hardiness.

The species itself seems hardy enough. Ive read anywhere from 10-25 on the fungosa . Im sure mine has seen less than 25 on a number of occasions.
Though we generally get some teens on a few occasions during winter. Since I have had fungosa we have not been that cold.
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Borinda fungosa
Borinda fungosa
Borinda f. White Cloud
Borinda f. White Cloud
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
Alan_L
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Alan_L »

needmore wrote:Last night it came to my attention that my weather station had been set to dew point and not temp
So funny! :)

I can relate, as I even had trouble finding my simple thermometer after the summer (it was hidden behind a large pot on the deck). Using wunderground's personal weather station listings for my area, it amazes me how inaccurate many of these are. Placement is key from what I understand, and from some of the readings it seems like some people mount them on the sunny side of their house or something.
ShmuBamboo
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by ShmuBamboo »

I know from experience that Borindas do not do well in the cold. You seem to be getting one of those one in 10 year cold late falls in Hangtown. Usually December and January are the only months to worry about there though. We went from warm to cold in a hurry here. I had lows to 29 F. starting last week and then last night it dipped to 23 F. It snowed an inch here last week but melted. The days have all been above freezing so far, and that has helped. Tonight there is an ice storm heading my way, with snow, sleet, and then freezing rain expected. They expect the CR Gorge to get an half inch of ice. The ice sheets may or may not form here by morning as I am south of the Gorge. We shall see.

So far no damage to the boos. Though I have sold off most of my cold fussy species, like Moso, Castillon, Medake, and Candy Stripe. I also have sold down my vivax collection as it has thin culms that beak under heavy wet snow load and high winds, both of which I get here. The Borindas all died a few years ago in a cold spell to about 15 F. My Chimano. marbled and square stem boos have recovered from the Polar Vortex cold (7 F.), but I keep them by the house where it is warmer in pots sunk in the ground and mounded over with leaves. My last holdovers of marginal bamboos for this climate.
Happy trails...
Tarzanus
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Tarzanus »

Image

Like half an inch of wet snow flattens Borinda fungosa (or whatever they decide it is). New shoots don't have many branches (some of them did not even start branching out yet - extremely late this season) so they remained erect. It would be completely flattened if I'd left it in it's natural form. I have the clump tied together on 3 heights to keep it growing upwards, not multidirectionally. :mrgreen:

Interesting bamboo. Started shooting just before the first frosts kicked in. All shoots are seemingly dormant now without visible growth, they are alive (got down to perhaps -4°C for a short duration - no sub freezing daily highs) and I started raking bamboo leaves around them, for protection. If I can keep them alive through the winter, perhaps I can expect greater upsize in it's (usually) first shooting in June, when these pre-winter shoots get to their final height (my assumption). Perhaps shooting is late, because it's recovering whole spring after autumn shooting which doesn't stand a chance of success around here.


Nicely warm weather again here. Temperatures around 5C in the morning and around 10C highs. A lot of sun and wind. Soil is wet, almost too wet.
stevelau1911
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by stevelau1911 »

Tarzanus, your Borinda Fungosa is getting huge. I think it may be getting hardier with more and more root mass. You could perhaps tie the new culms together with some roofing insulation if they appear vulnerable in order to save them to leaf out next spring.

I really can't protect most of my groves anymore but I really doubt we will get anything near what we have had in the past 2 winters for a while. I think they now have enough mass on them for a serious upsize once the winter is mild enough not to defoliate them. If it never reaches 0f then the parvifolia may reach 30ft next year.
Cooper12
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

Tartans that is one nice Fungosa. Shumu we can get snow here anytime between November and end of April.
My last average frost date is mid May . We had snow May 31st a few years ago though the most snow seems to usually come in March.

now keep in mind Placerville is 1800-2000 ft elevation on average. Im at 3400 ft so snow wise its hard to compare. as that can be a huge difference.
Though still though absolute cold isn't usually a issue . December 8th 2009 we had a low of 6 and high in the mid 20's and that was the coldest I remember .
I'm on a ridge so cold air drains. in the town of Pleasant Valley right below us it got to 1 degree.
Generally our coldest days in winter are not lower than 14 to 15. the one thing that makes the USDA 8b or 9A zone goofy for Hangtown though is first and last USDA lists are a joke for us
I think it lists late February for 9A ( Placerville ) Mid March for me ( 8 )
average first for both is Early to mid November last Late April ( Placerville ) Early to mid May at my place

every year people loose tomato's planting to early or not protecting going by a incorrect chart.
Local sunset Garden zones are much more accurate
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
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Potato country
Tarzanus
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Tarzanus »

stevelau1911 wrote:Tarzanus, your Borinda Fungosa is getting huge. I think it may be getting hardier with more and more root mass. You could perhaps tie the new culms together with some roofing insulation if they appear vulnerable in order to save them to leaf out next spring.

I really can't protect most of my groves anymore but I really doubt we will get anything near what we have had in the past 2 winters for a while. I think they now have enough mass on them for a serious upsize once the winter is mild enough not to defoliate them. If it never reaches 0f then the parvifolia may reach 30ft next year.

It is growing fast. It's lazy in the spring, this year especially, but when it gets a bit more autumn like in second half of summer, it gets crazy. This spring was cold and it refused to start shooting at first, then it was kind of dry and hot and the shoots refused to grow again. The culms you see are at least 1.5 meter lower than they would have been if some of the internodes wouldn't end up shorter than others - way shorter. I think it might be the lack of water in the summer heat (36°C) which was kind of extreme for this species, but it managed it like a pro.

I won't use roofing insulation, it's kind of messy and I'll rather use some cloth/PVC combo. It worked perfectly last year with a lot of help from snow I piled on top of it. I think it can manage freezing quite well if it remains moist and doesn't get any light and air movement. Soil also remained unfrozen.

I'll keep you informed about this winter, so far we are lucky. After a decent freezing, we now have slightly above freezing temperatures that are preparing bamboos for the cold. The worst was the first freezing weather which arrived right after summer like (even above 30°C!) temperatures. Some of the shoots got considerably damaged on top.
Cooper12
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Re: WINTER 2015/2016

Post by Cooper12 »

Another quick shot of am snow maybe a half inch but temps are only 36 degrees
Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
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