Beginner general bamboo questions

[alfred]

Hello,

I am quite a beginner in bamboo growing (I only have a small clump which cares itself) so I would like to ask you a few beginner questions I couldn't find an answer for:

1. When propagating bamboo, is it best to select a small rhizome or a large one? Will the larger rhizome grow and yield more plants faster?

2. I've read that bamboo is best propagated before it begins to "wake up", before spring, so between February and March, so that rhizome starch content is maximum. Does this apply for Phyllostachys pubescens too?

3. I've read that there are other bamboo propagation methods, like culm cuttings and using branches. Is there any publication or website I could look for an explanation of these methods? (I currently have "Bamboo: The Plant and its Uses" book).

4. Do any propagation method work reasonably good in late spring/summer?

5. Are "whole plant" propagation methods (like picking whole root+stem of dwarf bamboo) superior to just digging rhizomes without culm?

6. Is there a graduation in propagation methods, from the least optimal to the best? Example: rhizome < branch cutting < rhizome + a few culm nodes < rhizome + whole plant ?

Thank you

Alfred

[Glen]

1. When propagating bamboo, is it best to select a small rhizome or a large one? Will the larger rhizome grow and yield more plants faster?

A longer rhizome has more buds and roots, so it increases your chance of success. A thicker rhizome should contain more starch, and therefore be more vigorous when sprouting.

2. I've read that bamboo is best propagated before it begins to "wake up", before spring, so between February and March, so that rhizome starch content is maximum. Does this apply for Phyllostachys pubescens too?

Yes.

3. I've read that there are other bamboo propagation methods, like culm cuttings and using branches.

Cuttings like this work for clumping tropicals like Bambusa, but not for running bamboos. People try it, but I have seen no evidence that it works on running bamboos. Even if it works in an odd case, it certainly is not an efficient way of propagating them.

Is there any publication or website I could look for an explanation of these methods? (I currently have "Bamboo: The Plant and its Uses" book).

The fastest way to a large plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8P9d5NQbfE

4. Do any propagation method work reasonably good in late spring/summer?

Division, as shown above, works well once the new culms have hardened and produced leaves.

5. Are "whole plant" propagation methods (like picking whole root+stem of dwarf bamboo) superior to just digging rhizomes without culm?

Yes, in that they are more likely to produce a larger viable plant. Rhizomes are useful for producing a larger number of smaller plants.

6. Is there a graduation in propagation methods, from the least optimal to the best? Example: rhizome < branch cutting < rhizome + a few culm nodes < rhizome + whole plant ?

For running bamboos: branch cutting (will not work) < rhizome < rhizome + a few culm nodes (should have viable leaves and branches on these nodes) < rhizome + whole plant

If your goal is to produce large plants quickly, start with the largest divisions possible. Rhizomes are mainly used to make a larger number of small plants, or to propagate small or rare plants.

[needmore]

I checked out that video link, personally I would have obtained a larger diameter rootball, that one was probably fine but I like more rhizome than that. I also think a King of Spades shovel is easier than those slammers but my size may be a factor there, I have destroyed knees but still prefer the shovel. I used a slammer one day and the noise was unpleasant and it seemed to take longer, was more physical so I switched back to the shovel. In a tangled interior of a grove the slammer might be advantageous but I only dig the edges of groves as a rule. Your mileage may vary.

[alfred]

Thank you very much for your replies.

A few things I may be misunderstanding:

A - is a division different from digging out a rhizome in that the division has the whole culm attached to the rhizome?

B - as transplanting the whole culm + roots/rhizome is the best method, how inferior is to transplant a rootball with culm trimmed to a foot of length? (large and tall culm so can't fit in the car and unfortunately it has no leaves or branches so close to the roots).

C - could division, choosing a large 2-3 years old culm (trimmed to a foot of length) + its rootball work in summer, even if it has no leaves or branches at less than 10 feet of height (so no leaves and branches would be included in the transplant)? Or would that trimmed culm be of negligible help and thus better to just cut it at the base and take the rootball only?

D - is a larger division (of a couple rhizomes) superior in producing large plants compared to a single but larger rhizome/rootball?

Thank you

[Glen]

I checked out that video link, personally I would have obtained a larger diameter rootball, that one was probably fine but I like more rhizome than that.

I agree that a larger rootball is always better, until it becomes too large to handle safely. I guess the best thing for me is to find culms that are small enough that a relatively "large enough" rootball can be moved without permanently injuring me.

I also think a King of Spades shovel is easier than those slammers but my size may be a factor there, I have destroyed knees but still prefer the shovel. I used a slammer one day and the noise was unpleasant and it seemed to take longer, was more physical so I switched back to the shovel. In a tangled interior of a grove the slammer might be advantageous but I only dig the edges of groves as a rule. Your mileage may vary.

I just use a regular pointed shovel, sharpened very well, and I have an axe for backup. I have transplanted some pretty large bamboos like that, although I have not dug large numbers of divisions at one time. I think the slammers are particularly useful on clumping bamboos, as I have had to use a saw to remove even fairly small divisions from these.

This is the way to make divisions (especially around 2:30): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx-NgrvcZcA

[Glen]

A - is a division different from digging out a rhizome in that the division has the whole culm attached to the rhizome?

Yes, that is what I mean by "division". Rhizome propagation typically involves removing an individual rhizome from the soil. A division normally includes an intact rootball, including soil. Perhaps the correct term is "field division".

If you were doing "container propagation", you would remove much of the soil, whether you were making rhizome cuttings or "whole plant" divisions.

B - as transplanting the whole culm + roots/rhizome is the best method, how inferior is to transplant a rootball with culm trimmed to a foot of length? (large and tall culm so can't fit in the car and unfortunately it has no leaves or branches so close to the roots).

Transplanting without branches and foliage during summer is probably quite a bit worse than getting a division with foliage. If the remaining culm has dormant buds on the remaining nodes, they may be able to generate small branches later. If you are only able to transport divisions with budless culm "stumps", I am not certain that this will be better than no culm at all. I have not tried it. If you must remove all branches and buds, I would encourage you to dig before shooting, if possible. However, an intact rootball, containing rhizomes, will be better than a rhizome cutting that has been torn from the soil and had its roots damaged.

C - could division, choosing a large 2-3 years old culm (trimmed to a foot of length) + its rootball work in summer, even if it has no leaves or branches at less than 10 feet of height (so no leaves and branches would be included in the transplant)?

See above about possible dormant buds. I would be worried that the low carbohydrate reserves at this time may produce a division that is slow to develop, if it has no foliage. I think this type of division would best be made before shooting, when carbohydrate reserve are high. My preference for a summer division would be to look for small culms within the grove. They can be bent to fit in your car, while retaining significant foliage. A medium to large rootball with a couple small culms is a great division, with a high success rate. It is tempting to get a large culm, but you lose much of the advantage by "topping" it.

Or would that trimmed culm be of negligible help and thus better to just cut it at the base and take the rootball only?

A small amount of culm can still photosynthesize some, so it will not hurt to leave it intact.

D - is a larger division (of a couple rhizomes) superior in producing large plants compared to a single but larger rhizome/rootball?

I am not certain that I understand your question, but more INTERCONNECTED rhizome should produce a more vigorous plant.

[alfred]

A - is a division different from digging out a rhizome in that the division has the whole culm attached to the rhizome?

Yes, that is what I mean by "division". Rhizome propagation typically involves removing an individual rhizome from the soil. A division normally includes an intact rootball, including soil. Perhaps the correct term is "field division".

If you were doing "container propagation", you would remove much of the soil, whether you were making rhizome cuttings or "whole plant" divisions.

B - as transplanting the whole culm + roots/rhizome is the best method, how inferior is to transplant a rootball with culm trimmed to a foot of length? (large and tall culm so can't fit in the car and unfortunately it has no leaves or branches so close to the roots).

Transplanting without branches and foliage during summer is probably quite a bit worse than getting a division with foliage. If the remaining culm has dormant buds on the remaining nodes, they may be able to generate small branches later. If you are only able to transport divisions with budless culm "stumps", I am not certain that this will be better than no culm at all. I have not tried it. If you must remove all branches and buds, I would encourage you to dig before shooting, if possible. However, an intact rootball, containing rhizomes, will be better than a rhizome cutting that has been torn from the soil and had its roots damaged.

C - could division, choosing a large 2-3 years old culm (trimmed to a foot of length) + its rootball work in summer, even if it has no leaves or branches at less than 10 feet of height (so no leaves and branches would be included in the transplant)?

See above about possible dormant buds. I would be worried that the low carbohydrate reserves at this time may produce a division that is slow to develop, if it has no foliage. I think this type of division would best be made before shooting, when carbohydrate reserve are high. My preference for a summer division would be to look for small culms within the grove. They can be bent to fit in your car, while retaining significant foliage. A medium to large rootball with a couple small culms is a great division, with a high success rate. It is tempting to get a large culm, but you lose much of the advantage by "topping" it.

Or would that trimmed culm be of negligible help and thus better to just cut it at the base and take the rootball only?

A small amount of culm can still photosynthesize some, so it will not hurt to leave it intact.

D - is a larger division (of a couple rhizomes) superior in producing large plants compared to a single but larger rhizome/rootball?

I am not certain that I understand your question, but more INTERCONNECTED rhizome should produce a more vigorous plant.

Thanks again. I still have some doubts about my understanding of division VS rhizome, please forgive me since I'm probably confused by rhizome and rootball.
Sure culms can be bent but I wanted to load a bit of them, hence the idea of shortening them to 1 feet each. Again if my success chances are shifted so low by season I'll take it easy and do most of the digging during January/February.

I tried drawing an example to order the propagation methods from worst to best, at least in my current understanding.

Green color indicates whole culm + rhizome, yellow stands for a couple of whole connected rhizomes, orange is a rhizome plus part of the culm, red is rhizome only.

I take that a winter/dormant time propagation is better than any summer propagation, even to the point that winter "red circle" (rhizome only) is superior to summer time "yellow" (multiple interconnected rhizomes) or even "green" (whole cane + rootball) propagation?

Is the division you're talking about kind of like green circle (whole cane + rootball) or like orange circle (rootball + culm base)?

Thank you

[Tarzanus]

I would not make things more complicated than necessary. Taking a division with existing culm(s) and an established rootbal is way faster than rhizome division in the spring. Rhizome division is achieved by cutting off a piece of rhizome without culms and with at least three or four viable buds, larger divisions have better success.
When taking division with one or even more culms, cut them somewhere around third or fourth set of branches, depending on how large the culm is and how much root mass you managed to save. Less leaves will make it easier for the plant to retain water and will enable it to further photosynthesise and restart sooner.

[alfred]

I would not make things more complicated than necessary. Taking a division with existing culm(s) and an established rootbal is way faster than rhizome division in the spring. Rhizome division is achieved by cutting off a piece of rhizome without culms and with at least three or four viable buds, larger divisions have better success.
When taking division with one or even more culms, cut them somewhere around third or fourth set of branches, depending on how large the culm is and how much root mass you managed to save. Less leaves will make it easier for the plant to retain water and will enable it to further photosynthesise and restart sooner.

It's not that I want to complicate things, I just still had those doubts shown in picture. Also with culms being over 40 feet long and quite a lot in number, I can't take whole culms but maybe a foot worth of a dozen of them.

[Tarzanus]

I've meant in general, it's best to keep things as simple as possible.
Large culms need to be trimmed to lower transpiration shock when they loose a whole lot of roots. You can keep bottom branches that jump-start the division when planted on its new location. How much to trim is your own choice, the more you cut, the lesser the shock would be, but it will also lose some vigor when the bamboo starts growing again.
When taking such divisions, you need to keep divisions protected from sun and dry air. More leaves usually means it will have to struggle a bit longer for the bamboo to recover.

My experience... rootbal + culm divisions take off faster than bare rhizome divisions.

[Glen]

Thanks again. I still have some doubts about my understanding of division VS rhizome, please forgive me since I'm probably confused by rhizome and rootball.

I think you are confused about bamboo rhizome architecture. Your diagram shows a sympodial architecture, but I believe you are talking about digging running bamboos, which have a monopodial architecture. See this diagram, and look at "C":http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... ormat=750w

I do not have them in front of me, but these books were helpful to me when I got started:
http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Gardens-Te ... 0881925071
http://www.amazon.com/Temperate-Bamboos ... 71FPCKA0EQ

Sure culms can be bent but I wanted to load a bit of them, hence the idea of shortening them to 1 feet each.

I do not understand the meaning of this sentence, but I recommend trying to find culms that are small enough that, when bent in a way what fits in your car, will include branches with leaves. This may not be possible in your situation, but most groves that I have seen have a few small shoots that are great for propagation.

Again if my success chances are shifted so low by season I'll take it easy and do most of the digging during January/February.

I think this is what you should do, if you must completely top the culms for transport.

I take that a winter/dormant time propagation is better than any summer propagation

That may be generally true, but it will depend on many factors, including the length of your growing season. Where are you located? If you have an extremely long growing season, early summer divisions offer a lot of growing time before winter, and there is some advantage in that. Transplanting during the winter is generally easier because there is not as much risk of drying of the propagule.

[alfred]

Thanks again. I still have some doubts about my understanding of division VS rhizome, please forgive me since I'm probably confused by rhizome and rootball.

I think you are confused about bamboo rhizome architecture. Your diagram shows a sympodial architecture, but I believe you are talking about digging running bamboos, which have a monopodial architecture. See this diagram, and look at "C":http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5 ... ormat=750w

I do not have them in front of me, but these books were helpful to me when I got started:
http://www.amazon.com/Bamboo-Gardens-Te ... 0881925071
http://www.amazon.com/Temperate-Bamboos ... 71FPCKA0EQ

Sure culms can be bent but I wanted to load a bit of them, hence the idea of shortening them to 1 feet each.

I do not understand the meaning of this sentence, but I recommend trying to find culms that are small enough that, when bent in a way what fits in your car, will include branches with leaves. This may not be possible in your situation, but most groves that I have seen have a few small shoots that are great for propagation.

Again if my success chances are shifted so low by season I'll take it easy and do most of the digging during January/February.

I think this is what you should do, if you must completely top the culms for transport.

I take that a winter/dormant time propagation is better than any summer propagation

That may be generally true, but it will depend on many factors, including the length of your growing season. Where are you located? If you have an extremely long growing season, early summer divisions offer a lot of growing time before winter, and there is some advantage in that. Transplanting during the winter is generally easier because there is not as much risk of drying of the propagule.

Thanks again for your suggestions. I'm in hardiness zone 9b. With

Sure culms can be bent but I wanted to load a bit of them, hence the idea of shortening them to 1 feet each.

I wanted to say that a few culms, if they're not so long, can be bent and thus fitted inside a car, however I wanted to transport 20+ of them and to do so I'd have to trim them to 1 foot of length.

[needmore]

Try to leave at least 2 lower branches when you trim, it can be enough to make a big difference.

[alfred]

Try to leave at least 2 lower branches when you trim, it can be enough to make a big difference.

I'll try that next winter. Maybe in the meantime I'd buy time (and start doing plant relocations) by plucking a few handful stems of dwarf Sasa bamboo and pot them up? They'd be easy to take with whole culms, though digging between them is a mess due to their compactness. Could I try to pluck a few by pulling stems and the roots that'd come with them?
Or would they have to be potted in winter too?

Thank you

[needmore]

Try to leave at least 2 lower branches when you trim, it can be enough to make a big difference.

I'll try that next winter. Maybe in the meantime I'd buy time (and start doing plant relocations) by plucking a few handful stems of dwarf Sasa bamboo and pot them up? They'd be easy to take with whole culms, though digging between them is a mess due to their compactness. Could I try to pluck a few by pulling stems and the roots that'd come with them?
Or would they have to be potted in winter too?

Thank you

Don't try to take small pieces of Sasa, they revolt. For them you should try to cut something around a square foot of sod in the midst of them and pot thank hunk. Now is fine for them.