Boo shoots for 2013

[stevelau1911]

While the rest of the shoots are 16-19ft, this atrovaginata shoot got dwarfed to only 6ft because I wanted to see how it would look. It looks pretty cool. I could have dwarfed it even shorter if I wanted to.

Its branches happen to be much smaller than that of the regular culms. I wonder if this could be done with a 3 incher.

[pokenei]

Does dwarfing it make it branch and grow leaves faster? If it saves 2 weeks or more, then I think it's worth doing it.

I am thinking about doing that to those late shoots. It will likely be in the Fall season before they would finish growing naturally - which doesn't give them much time to be productive.

My Atrovaginata has a shoot that has been dormant for more than a month while the other two finishes growing. It's the only bamboo that I have observed doing that, while others prefer to abort. Now it is starting to grow, albeit very slowly.

Bejing is now pushing up one more shoot, slightly up-sized from the needle-thin shoots earlier. Those needle-thin shoots have matured and are now producing energy to feed this new shoot.

[stevelau1911]

When I dwarfed it on moso bicolor, it seems to have put more energy towards branching instead. With atrovaginata, the branches are actually shorter as energy seems to be going towards the other shoots, but there is no noticeable difference in the rate that they are growing new leaves.

Beijing will probably keep on shooting, slightly bigger shoots each time, as it tends to do that when it is small. I doubt this species has much size potential now, but it has the best canes for gardening stakes since they are really hard and strong.

If the 3rd atrovaginata shoot is curved, there's a possibility for it to curve back down underground and become an ankle breaker as it commits to becoming a rhizome, but this early in the season, it may help to have a 3rd shoot. It may also needed to have those 2 shoots finished growing before sending up the 3rd. I'm getting a 2nd wave of shoots on atrovaginata too where if I'm lucky, one of them may surpass 19ft, but I doubt they have enough energy to get that tall. Atrovaginata shoots tend to be very heavy, so I think they require a lot of energy.


Both species should be capable of late shoots, but if they are completely tarped to the ground, even shoots emerging in September should be OK.

[pokenei]

Atro shoots are straight. I'll observe it for a couple more weeks and see how it grows. If dwarfing it spurs it to grow another non-upsized shoot, then that becomes counter productive. I'd rather it saves energy for next year.

I'll reserve my judgement on Beijing's potential for now.

[JWH]

My tallest iridescent culm is approximately 22ft. Taller than my 20ft PVC pipe. It probably has a bit more height to gain, but not much.

[dependable]

Here are some shoots. The yellow stripe on vivax is nice, as it is the first one to show up in any of my green vivax,(excepting the vivax aureocalis that reverted, but this is a different stand).

[JWH]

Very nice Dependable!

[stevelau1911]

It sounds like the limit for any bamboo species in zone 6 may be 2.5-3 inches based on what I've seen so far in person as well as on this forum, but if this wet weather with average temperatures persist through the rest of summer, followed by a warm winter, I think someone may get a 3+ incher.

Anyways some of my bamboos are finally shooting in July.

Here's one of the big shanghai III pushing its 2nd shoot as the first one finishes growing. The first one got to nearly 5ft tall so I expect this one to perhaps get past 7ft with its greater diameter.


Here's a much smaller shanghai III which looks to upsize just a little bit. There's another shoot that's a bit thicker than this one just barely poking out below the picture frame, but I doubt that this culm has enough energy to push both of them simultaneously.


Here's my best prominens division other than the main plant which seems to be producing a similar sized shoot as the original culm.


This is the other vivax huangwenzhu inversa. The bigger one is already nicely leafed out.

[needmore]

Here are some shoots. The yellow stripe on vivax is nice, as it is the first one to show up in any of my green vivax,(excepting the vivax aureocalis that reverted, but this is a different stand).

Wow, it looks like your SYKimmei may be in the proper location, I've seen a grove of tall SYK in TN, over 20' and sprawling but man was it ugly as there & here the yellow bamboo get a black sooty fungus and that SYK was the worst example I've seen, ugly dirty black on what should be a beautiful bamboo so I am hoping that your humidity prevents that there based on your photo?

[Alan_L]

Also, how do you have so widely-spaced SYK culms? My juvenile planting in a big pot has always produced a thicket -- like Fargesia rufa in density.

[dependable]

Seem to be lucky as far as mildew on culms, there is a little on the P vivax aureocaulis, but not on SYKimmei or Pa aurocaulis. The SYK stand is pretty dense where well established, but has lately been sending out more aggressive and widely spaced new shoots. Similar experience with Semi-aurndinaria fastuosa viridis.

[johnw]

First shoot on Chusquea culeou 'Caña Prieta' today, I had almost given up hope.

[JWH]

I think my Bambusoides is going to have a nice upsize this year. This is the thickest shoot i've ever seen from it.

[canadianplant]

I can finally add something to this post...

It is official, both of my bamboos were about 3 weeks behind due to the horrible slow spring this year. Yes, I need to pull some weeds...

Phyllostachys alata whip shoot? from last year:



There are 2 shoots this size so far (again, sorry if its hard to see or tell size. I just found these today):

[needmore]

I think my Bambusoides is going to have a nice upsize this year. This is the thickest shoot i've ever seen from it.

Looks good, wish I could grow that one here - in your earlier photo do I see black string tied on some culms?