When bamboo are planted in pots with correct soil, plenty of fertilizer, and plenty of water, they grow extremely quickly. Without a lot of maintenance, pots are not suitable for long-term cultivation, because bamboo will become rootbound in almost any container after one season of growth. However, this is perfect for container propagation. Divide each plant into single culm propagules in late winter, placing each culm into a pot of its own, and each pot will contain a nice rootbound plant by the following winter.LA Bamboo wrote:Hi Glen, excellent information. I have a few hundred feet of fence line that I want to visually block out (then maybe plant a backdrop for my pond one day), so I figured I'd get faster and larger culms in the ground. I'm guessing it will take me 8-10 years to really get a good barrier because I don't want to drop a few thousand on plants. 4 more oldhamii did just find their way into my yard. I'm going to buy 4 more to keep in pots and divide in case my culm propagation attempts fail.
I do not recommend placing the single culms directly in the ground. Let their roots recover in a pot for a few months, and then they can be planted in the ground. I recommend this because you never know what the weather will do over the following months. Extreme floods can stress single culms planted in the ground without good root systems, but they will not hurt potted plants or well rooted plants in the ground, even if they were recently planted from pots. Also, remember that tall single culms will need to be staked in place for a few months, so they do not blow over. It is easy to build a support structure with a couple tall posts and a horizontal pipe between them at around 7 feet. You can place a row of potted plants along this line, and tie the culms to the horizontal pipe until the plants are stabilized. In my experience, it is much easier to stabilize a row of containerized plants this way than it is to stake a large number fresh divisions planted immediately in the ground. I have not found established containerized plants to require staking once they are placed in the ground. I suppose a hurricane of tornado could change my opinion on this point.
If you make your divisions carefully, you may be surprised how quickly you can produce enough plants for a hedge. Starting with four overgrown three gallon Bambusa multiplex plants in early 2014, I had enough plants for around 400 feet of hedge by October, planted at a 10 foot spacing. I think I actually planted around 300 feet of this hedge, and kept the rest in pots.
Yes, but you may want to use three gallon pots, as they will be a little easier to keep moist. If you do it, please post your results. I have never tried it, and I would like to know what percentage to the nodes will actually make plants. Even if they do nothing this year, keep them moist as long as the culm is alive. I would not be surprised if they did not produce new growth until next year. In the cases I have seen, the new roots did not arise from the current culm, but rather the bases of the new branches that the node produces. The new branches simply become new culms if their bases are covered with moist soil when they are forming.LA Bamboo wrote:Some of my oldhamii have a couple of culms that are healthy but laying horizontally. I have them tied to stronger culms so I don't mow over them, but am considering laying them down and pinning them into 1g pots with potting soil. Does this seem like a viable way to get a few more plants for next year?