Question about Texas winter damage to gracilis bamboo

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Drew_from_ATX
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Question about Texas winter damage to gracilis bamboo

Post by Drew_from_ATX »

All - I have significant gracilis bamboo hedge that wraps the entire backside perimeter of my yard. The clumps are roughly 5 years old. During the winter storm in Central texas, they suffered severe cold damage. They were even covered in ice for several days until it warmed up. In the past, we had a cold streak and all of the foliage dropped. This time nearly ever calm above 4 ft from the ground has turns completely brown/tan along with leaf drop.

My question is should I cut all the clumps down to the ground and let them grow back with the necessary space in the clump? I'm hesistant to only 'chop' it down to approximately 5 feet if all the tops are dead to give me only temporary privacy until it full returns. The plants definitely are still alive as they are starting to shoot but haven't produced any leaves on the existing culms yet.
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needmore
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Re: Question about Texas winter damage to gracilis bamboo

Post by needmore »

At a glance it looks like everything above ground is dead. I'm of two minds on the clear cutting, one mind is that the dead culms can provide some stability to new culms in windy times and just might provide some energy, the other mind does not like the messy look of all the dead. If you are going to cut them I'd do it soon, I suspect this may not be supported by facts but I swear in my experience cutting the dead out once the new culms are already a few feet tall results in floppy new culms - not sure how this can be true as that suggest that the dead culms are still providing some energy but well, they are clearly dead...none the less in Indiana I learned to not cut once the new culms are up much in height.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Drew_from_ATX
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Location: Austin, TX

Re: Question about Texas winter damage to gracilis bamboo

Post by Drew_from_ATX »

I have some clumps that are 4-6 feet wide at the base. Will cutting it down to the ground say with a chainsaw allow for more space for new culms to shoot in the middle of the clump versus the perimeter where they tend to grow?
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needmore
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Re: Question about Texas winter damage to gracilis bamboo

Post by needmore »

It would allow more space but I'm not certain that it would encourage the plant to shoot in that area.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
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