Article on how spring temperature affects shoot yield

bamboothew · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:31 pm

Just a minor point, but for reference on the issue of mature moso rhizome diameter they do get well in excess of 1 inch in both the Anderson grove and the Clemson experimental grove. I've never thought to measure but some were definately larger than an inch, some perhaps even close to 1.5 inches.

stevelau1911 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 2:53 pm

I've never seen actual pictures of moso rhizomes from a mature grove in the grove itself, but that makes a lot more sense now as it takes a larger rhizome to support 6-8 inch diameter culms.

I see this quite a bit where rhizomes that come off a mature division get downsized to well under 1 inch, but it would be pretty cool to have rhizomes get to a size where the lopper would have trouble cutting through. Of course there's a lot less energy that this division produces compared to a grove of culms.

Alan_L · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:11 pm

stevelau1911 wrote:

That's going to make it impossible to observe the full potential of bamboo if they act completely different in an ideal climate like the southeast.

Exactly! Each of your observations and claims are only for the plants you've been growing yourself, so all of your statements should really be qualified.

"Rhizomes will only spread a couple of feet a year" and "I have only seen the rhizomes spread a couple of feet a year in my Great Lakes zone 6 climate" are both very different statements. (I only use this as an example -- I'm not saying that you wrote this at any time.)

bamboothew · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:38 pm

stevelau1911 wrote:

I've never seen actual pictures of moso rhizomes from a mature grove in the grove itself, but that makes a lot more sense now as it takes a larger rhizome to support 6-8 inch diameter culms.

I see this quite a bit where rhizomes that come off a mature division get downsized to well under 1 inch, but it would be pretty cool to have rhizomes get to a size where the lopper would have trouble cutting through. Of course there's a lot less energy that this division produces compared to a grove of culms.

They look pretty neat but are indeed pretty tough on hand tools. My first trip to Anderson (my first bamboo dig ever) I immediately broke a nice shovel and had to drive miles away to buy another to finish the job! Now I always take a spare when going on a dig

Of course, now I dig out around rhizomes and cut them with loppers, especially large species.

ghmerrill · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:55 pm

stevelau1911 wrote:

I've never seen actual pictures of moso rhizomes from a mature grove in the grove itself, but that makes a lot more sense now as it takes a larger rhizome to support 6-8 inch diameter culms.

While larger rhizome can produce large culms, Most of the time, the SUPPORT of the culm is NOT the rhizome. Rhizome necks are notoriously thin and fragile, as anyone who has dug any amount of divisions can tell you. if you see how a shoot grows, you will see that there is significant anchor root growth from the base of that shoot, supporting it as it grows.

needmore · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 6:12 pm

Re-reading my post I'm not sure I was clear, the ratios I was taught were something close to:

1st year perhaps 10% or so of the buds will mature
2nd & 3rd years more like 30%-40% of them EACH year
after year 3 a few of the remaining buds may mature or may not

philippe smets · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:13 pm

needmore wrote:

1st year rhizomes will mature only a few buds;2nd & 3rd year they will mature a similar number and the highest number of buds happens in Y2/Y3; years 4 and on will see very few buds mature.

I do not understand the difference between 2nd year and Y2 ?

thanks needmore

philippe smets · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:19 pm

needmore wrote:

Re-reading my post I'm not sure I was clear, the ratios I was taught were something close to:

1st year perhaps 10% or so of the buds will mature
2nd & 3rd years more like 30%-40% of them EACH year
after year 3 a few of the remaining buds may mature or may not

ok I got it now, thanks, it s in fact very helpfull to know

it means that if the rhizome spread far away from the grooves over the fall, the next spring the new culms can be far away but the extended groove will not be very dense but it can happen to have a new culm at the very end of a 1st year rhizome, is it correct ?

thanks

needmore · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2011 9:23 pm

philippe smets wrote:

needmore wrote:

Re-reading my post I'm not sure I was clear, the ratios I was taught were something close to:

1st year perhaps 10% or so of the buds will mature
2nd & 3rd years more like 30%-40% of them EACH year
after year 3 a few of the remaining buds may mature or may not

ok I got it now, thanks, it s in fact very helpfull to know

it means that if the rhizome spread far away from the grooves over the fall, the next spring the new culms can be far away but the extended groove will not be very dense but it can happen to have a new culm at the very end of a 1st year rhizome, is it correct ?

thanks

Yes, exactly, so when making divisions it is wise to try and ensure that you are including a section of older rhizome - usually on the grove side of a culm being dug so include more rhizome from that side of the culm. This way the new division can perhaps be more vigorous.

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Article on how spring temperature affects shoot yield

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