New to Bamboo

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ThatDudeDave
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Location: Washington

New to Bamboo

Post by ThatDudeDave »

Hey everyone,

I'm new to bamboo and was hoping this forum could help me with some of the basics, specifically cloning and propagation.

A little background about me: I'm an organic living soil grower here in Washington state who specializes in cannabis for the recreational market... but since the industry has taken a significant nose dive I have sold the farm and am looking into purchasing land in the zone 8b region of the United States and try my hand at another crop.

To combat the perpetual gloom that is Washington state this time of year, I have a 19w full spectrum vegetative LED and a soil mix that is composed of:
30% Pumice
30% Sphagnum Peat moss
15% potting sand
24% Coco coir
1%< amendments such as glacial rock dust, crustacean shell flower, Mykos, and a 3,1,2 mix from Down to Earth Organics.

So my first round of experimentation is as follows.
I've taken 10 cuttings from a clump of Fargesia robusta near my house making a 45 degree cut below the 3rd node and set them to soak in 1/2cup H20 (7.2 pH) with 1tsp of Aloe Vera (sourced from the plant) for 3 hours.
After soaking I stuck each cutting into the soil approximately 1inch, compacted the soil (lightly) around each cutting, and thoroughly watered the medium.

Observations:
After 4 hours significant lengthwise leaf curl started appearing (research suggest this is indicative of drought like conditions), medium was slightly dry so I watered with H20 with a pH of 7.2 and spritzed the leaves as well.

After 8 hours no appreciable change.

After 24 hours the curling is not as tight but still apparent, no discoloration or wilting and soil has been re-watered using a spray bottle and 7.2 pH H20.

This method of cloning was done using the methods described on this webpage and I only used the tops / branches so no wax was needed.
https://www.wikihow.com/Propagate-Bamboo

So question for the group... will my bamboo bounce back or is the article bogus and should I invest in an aeroponics cloner to speed up the root growth?

Thanks much,

Dave
BooRat
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Location: SWF zone 10a

Re: New to Bamboo

Post by BooRat »

I've never tried cloning robusta, only Bambusa so YMMV. Unlike cannabis, no leaves are necessary when cloning, but I have much better success with the nodes that have buds forming on them (bury that node). When I take cuttings I remove about 75% of the leaves (if there are any) as there is not enough "wicking" action at first to support them. The remaining leaves will curl and half or more will probably die and fall off within a week or two.

I place the pots in full shade for the first couple weeks and water generously a few times a day. Misting any remaining leaves seems to help a little. If all goes well you should see some new growth after about a month. 1"+ 1-2 year old culms work best using the nodes from the center 1/3rd of the cane (not the top).
ThatDudeDave
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 7:33 pm
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Location: Washington

Re: New to Bamboo

Post by ThatDudeDave »

Thanks a ton Boo,

I'll take some additional cuttings later today using your advice :)

Have a great one.
dependable
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Location: Island off Cape Cod Massacusetts
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Re: New to Bamboo

Post by dependable »

I think the method with cuttings works on some tropicals, but I am pretty sure it will not work with F robusta. The best way to propagate those is with whole plant divisions, rhizome, stem and leaves. A division with 5+ plus stems is your best bet.
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