Potential Golden Bamboo Issue?

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STEEVANO
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Joined: Sat May 16, 2020 11:06 am
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Location: Speyside, Scotland

Potential Golden Bamboo Issue?

Post by STEEVANO »

Hi all, great forum might I add.

I have a query regarding Golden Bamboo we planted in mid March in Scotland. It was Green, Lustrous and looking real healthy. Up till now the leaves have became very pale green, yellow and brownish.... I have checked the pH of the soil and that is 6-6.5. This morning I dug around the side of 2 of the trees and the clump has not spread out yet (I'm sure this may take time) however, I used my meter to check the moistness of the soil and it said normal, I then filled the hole with water as I wanted to see if the soil has good drainage and it appears to drain away in a reasonable amount of time, also they are in a raised bed so water should drain even better from the toes down to grass/garden level.

I have also read somewhere that when you first plant Bamboo, they can go into a "shock" state for the first year until following spring - is this true?

I was going to mix some sand/small pea stone mix into the soil but unsure if i need to do this now since I know the free drainage is not bad but maybe i should do this around the rootball to prevent it from sitting in too damp soil when the bed does get watered?

I have Sulphate of Ammonia (Nitrogen Fertiliser) which I am going to use next to try to add some further nutrients.

Sun is not a problem as they get the bulk of the days sun, however they can be exposed to some wind, nothing too harsh but they do move at times.

So, should I be worried or is does this sound normal?

Many Thanks guys!
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needmore
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Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Kea'au, HI

Re: Potential Golden Bamboo Issue?

Post by needmore »

Greetings, it is not normal for bamboo to go into shock but it does happen a lot. If handled properly at each stage it should be fine but if yours is having problems then somewhere during the dividing, potting, unpotting, planting or maintenance stage something went slightly awry - or the new conditions differ wildly from whence it came and it is adjusting. Not to be too concerned about though as long as there are green leaves and culms it should be fine as long as there was adequate root mass.

Do you know how recently it was divided and potted before you obtained it? Recent divisions can be unstable for a bit and should be nurtured in the pot for a few months before selling to someone. If you buy bamboo always ask the vendor how long in the pot and you want the answer to be a few months or longer so that it has time to stabilize as a division and had a chance to grow new rhizome/roots in the pot. If this was a recent division that could well explain the issues.

In any case I'd stop messing about with it, especially around the roots and water normally, it almost looks a tad wet to me.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Canadrew
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Location: Vancouver Island

Re: Potential Golden Bamboo Issue?

Post by Canadrew »

Hi! Welcome to the forum.

I, too, am a new bamboo dad and mine are experiencing the same as you (Dulcis, F. Robusta Wenchuan and Chusquea Gigantea). My Dulcis looks awful right now, in a slow, steady state of leaves browning/falling off. However, I have a new shoot starting to grow so I'm trying not to panic and I urge you too.
From my limited knowledge, the plant is really trying to get used to its new home and is putting all its energy into new roots/shoots, so the leaves will suffer because of it. A little nitrogen fertilizer goes a long way and a light sprinkling of water every day should help alleviate your concerns.

Give it time and patience. And remember, no one says "Geez, my bamboo died!" It's a pretty foolproof plant, once it gets established.
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