I cut back on fertilizer going into winter - I'll hit it with some this afternoon - maybe that's the issue - tons of water would have diluted whatever fertilizer it had (mostly composted manure) right? Yes, the rain this fall has made effective fertilization almost impossible around here. I think I...

It is possible that the plant just did not have enough resources to mature that shoot. Make sure you keep the fertility high for these plants. I think the possibility that your barrels have contaminated the water is extremely unlikely. If you do rinse them out again, use a little soap. If you have e...

So anyway my questions - was it not getting enough water due to the fabric bag? Too much water? Too cool during shooting? Not enough sun during shooting? I am not sure what happened to the new shoots, but it is normal for bamboos to produce more shoots than they need. The extra shoots will stop gro...

I suspect that your Bambusa will get larger than mine but I might be able to sustain a wider variety given our climate differences, I've wintered over some Dendrocalamus 2 years now, the Phyllostachys certainly can attain mature sizes I believe due to our consistently cooler winter climate. I reall...

Ophiuchus wrote:...hope this is not something I can look forward to in the future.

I am with you on that one! Growing bamboo is always an adventure .

Brad, I recently got to spend a little time in your area, so I am somewhat familiar with your climate, and you are exactly correct about the differences. We generally have between 2 and 15 freezes per year. Over the last 5 years, the winter minimums were something like 19, 28, 28, 22, 22. We can hav...

Glen, are you able to grow Strelitzia reginae in your area? It grows and blooms extremely well, but it has to be protected during hard freezes. Two winters ago, I left it on a covered porch during a bad freeze, and it completely topkilled. Strelitzia juncea actually seems more frost tolerant, but s...

I am glad that I could be of assistance! Yes, Gracilis and all forms of B. multiplex are winners for our area. 'Golden Goddess' makes a great hedge. If you need a little taller hedge, consider any of the full-sized forms of B. multiplex . They will reach a height somewhere between Gracilis and 'Gold...

Bridge City would be in USDA Zone 9a. I realize that it is not a big difference for many plants, but it actually is near a threshold temperature for many subtropical bamboos. For bamboos, it is probably better to look at the average annual minimum temperature for your area. The USDA map shows your a...

Around here, I try to start fertilizing the tropicals around early April. At this time, my temperatures would typically be warmer than yours, but I think this timing would be acceptable for you as well. I like to see some leaf growth before I fertilize these plants. In either case, I would want to s...

Boonut had this happen to him. He does not post much anymore, but perhaps you could PM him and ask for advice.

http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2622

http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4651

If you are planting during warm weather, you can fertilize that day. If the weather is cold, it will not be an efficient use of fertilizer, but it will not harm the plant. All this is assuming that you are fertilizing with reasonable amounts and following the fertilizer label instructions. I normall...

You said that you did not want to do this, but I would just get a couple hundred feet of hose and run it back, with any necessary branches to accommodate all the plants. You could run a poly irrigation line with microsprinklers off the main hose, or just get some cheap plastic sprinklers. Since your...

I have seen a similar phenomenon on my bamboos, mostly on Phyllostachys species, but sometimes on other genera. In my case, it was a physiological stress response to high heat, drought, or both. It has never been a problem, as new leaves have either emerged from the tip of the current leaf fan, or a...

This does sound unusual. Normally, if the grove produces too many shoots, they will abort when they are a few inches to a few feet tall, but well before they begin to branch. Also, the shoots die right down to the rhizomes. Since your shoots die after they produce leaves, and the lower portions surv...