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More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 9:50 pm
by UPBooMatt
Well I have put two more of my plants in ground, in planters, but in ground. I saw them for sale for real cheap, and one thing led to another. They are 15g at the level I filled them too, and after cutting out the bottoms I found out they are almost twice as thick as my actual barrier...lol I don't expect them to be the be all end all of containment, but I think they should hold them in check for a couple years at least. At that point I can dig the whole thing up if need be and split/replant/replace. My idea is by then I should have an idea if they can be made to work in my climate.

First one is my H.t. Shiroshima, this was a one gallon, 3 culm, plant (badly mite infested) purchased late last fall that spent winter indoors after trimming 75% of the foliage off and potting up to a 2.5g pot. It shot 8 culms this summer so far all about 16" tall and a ton of great leaves.

Second is my non-varigated Ps. japonica 'variegata'...lol. This was a 1 gallon 16 culm plant (very healthy, misidentified, different vendor) from July of last year. It got up potted to a 3g pot when I got it and spent winter indoors as well. It shot 12 new culms this spring, and in June I split it into a 3 culm 1/2 gal division put into a 2g pot, and the remaining 2.5g into a 4g pot. I hadn't intended to put this in ground or I'd have waited longer to split it, but the amount of rhizome growth in just a month in that 4g pot was amazing to see.

I should also mention my 16 yo daughter helped me dig the holes, she's a better sport about the boo than the wife...lol

Pics coming shortly.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:16 pm
by UPBooMatt
First pics are before and during dividing the japonica. That is 11 months of rhizome growth in a 3g pot. 6 months of which was indoors off to the side of artifical lighting. I was very happy when I slipped/wrenched it out

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:20 pm
by UPBooMatt
Next three show the pot it was in since June 21, so 1 month and 1 day, and the hole. Not bad rhizome growth I think. One managed to find the 1/8" hole in my plant tag...I couldn't pull it out before unpotting, but I got it off before replanting with no damage.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:36 pm
by UPBooMatt
More showing the rhizome after extraction from label. Only slightly dented...lol. Then the planters before and after cutting out the bottoms and burying.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:40 pm
by UPBooMatt
japonica in place and mulched.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:46 pm
by UPBooMatt
Hibanobambusa, the same.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2018 11:50 pm
by UPBooMatt
Down yard/west to east, and up yard, east to west. You can see all 7 species I have in ground in these shots.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:59 am
by needmore
Looks good, be sure not freeze a chunk of ice in those pots this winter. Are you planning on protecting them this winter?

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:02 am
by UPBooMatt
Thank you. I realize it's a less than ideal set up, but we work with the space we have right? I kind of look at it as if they survive/thrive to the point where they escape and require wrangling then that's a happier problem to deal with then if they just die...lol

As for winter protection, yes, this year at least. I plan on posting a 3x3x3 fence around each of these (pots are 22") and burying them completely in leaves (once it's below about 30f, but hopefully before the ground freezes) and then piling snow on and around. Last winter this same strategy kept the soil in my then potted bissetii from dropping below 31* at the surface, so I'm sure it didn't freeze.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:30 pm
by needmore
Both of them are zone 7 bamboo so you'll need to protect them every year or just enjoy them in a shrubby profile as they come back each summer. If space is tight then these marginal guys are tough to justify, I would encourage you to be sure to get Phy aureosulcata 'Spectabilis' if not already have. It deserves the space even if it top kills.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:51 pm
by UPBooMatt
Yeah the Shiroshima and japonica I'm aware are more sensitive than some of my others. I'm hoping with protection they will at least keep a nice root mass to regenerate from once/if they get too tall to protect. I'm fine with either of them being a 3-5 foot tall bush/shrub if that's what I get. They seem to be agressive rooters/runners from what I've read so I'm hoping that helps. If not something else can take the place. I've been eyeing Sasa kurilensis 'simofuri'....

Spectabilis is in the middle in my "large" grove...between the rubro and bissetii... :mrgreen:

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:15 pm
by UPBooMatt
Since I will probably keep this thread updated with my boos' life stories, I wanted to add some pictures of my Phyllos before, and current.

First, bissetii upon arrival, after up pot, 7/15/17; after spending the winter buried in leaves and snow 4/26/18 (the leaves were 90%+ fine, I fried them with too much sun when I uncovered it... :banghead: :banghead:); and today.

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:49 pm
by UPBooMatt
Spectabilis on arrival 4/26/18; culm detail; and today

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:53 pm
by UPBooMatt
Rubromarginata on arrival 4/26/18; culm detail; and today. You can hardly find the original culm... :lol:

Re: More zone 5 bamboo madness

Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:04 pm
by UPBooMatt
Rubro shoot shots, let there be no doubt it is "red margin bamboo"...