Sparrows eating new leaves?

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cannamaniac
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Sparrows eating new leaves?

Post by cannamaniac »

Does anybody have experience of this? I recently noticed that the tallest of this years culms on one of my nigras wasn't leafing out.On closer inspection it looks like the new leaf shoots have been removed.
My guess is sparrows are doing it.(I could be wrong,but we do have lots around here)
I realise there is not much I can do about this,except wait and hope these new culms will resprout.Is it reasonable to expect new leaves to grow from the sad bare culms sooner than later?
dependable
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Re: Sparrows eating new leaves?

Post by dependable »

I guess it is possible, but I have not noticed birds eating bamboo leaves in any quantity. What is common with nigra is wind damage to upper culms.

If they got 'fried' last winter they probably will not bud out in that part of the culm again. If something did eat them, and the culms ae otherwise healthy, they probably will send out more leaves.
Alan_L
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Re: Sparrows eating new leaves?

Post by Alan_L »

I have seen finches (goldfinches if I remember correctly) doing this before on my bamboos. I'm not sure if they were eating them, pulling off the leaf sheaths, or what, but it certainly didn't defoliate them.

I know that some of my plants, especially the ones in the planter boxes, seem to take a long time to leaf out. I attribute this to not enough water -- is that going on too maybe?
cannamaniac
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Re: Sparrows eating new leaves?

Post by cannamaniac »

dependable wrote:I guess it is possible, but I have not noticed birds eating bamboo leaves in any quantity. What is common with nigra is wind damage to upper culms.

If they got 'fried' last winter they probably will not bud out in that part of the culm again. If something did eat them, and the culms ae otherwise healthy, they probably will send out more leaves.
I suppose it could be wind.We had a windy day or two a week or two ago and the culms in question were just about to branch out.However I also saw a sparrow tugging at some new leaves as well about the same time.Fingers crossed for new growth because these bare tops look a bit naff.
cannamaniac
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Re: Sparrows eating new leaves?

Post by cannamaniac »

Alan_L wrote:I have seen finches (goldfinches if I remember correctly) doing this before on my bamboos. I'm not sure if they were eating them, pulling off the leaf sheaths, or what, but it certainly didn't defoliate them.

I know that some of my plants, especially the ones in the planter boxes, seem to take a long time to leaf out. I attribute this to not enough water -- is that going on too maybe?
I'm hoping for some new foliage pronto,because I don't want to have to look at leafless culm tops for too long.I may have to cut the bare tops off if no new leaves appear .But I'll give it a few months.
I hope I'm not tempting fate here but my other species seem untouched but then they aren't as tall as the nigra either.
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