5 Small or 1 Large Tropical Blue

[boolover]

So, I was thinking of buying a clump of Tropical Blue that's a division consisting of at least 3 culms that are at least 2" diameter each, topped at about 16' assuming a reasonable amount of foliage below the 16' level. Assuming I could find a nursery or grower to do the division, deliver it to my property and plant it would be pretty expensive, and there's always the unknown of survival. What if I purchase 5 individual single-culm plants that are in 5 gallon pots and are about 12'-14' tall with nice foliage, and plant them basically together to give a clump-look to start? Doing this seems like a good idea because it would have 5 separate root systems, with each one dealing with its own new shoots, culms, branches and leaves. I would think that in one or two years, this would yield many more culms than than a larger 3-culm division as mentioned above. And, would be easier to pick up and handle and be less risky than a fresh cut division. Has anyone done this? If so, how far apart should the 5 plants be to each other? I would like the 5 to have the "look" of a single clump.

I'm relatively new to bamboo. It all started 2 years ago with three 15 gal. pots of Golden Goddess to create a quick fence. Shortly thereafter, Alphonse Karr, then my first Tropical Blue. Then about 10 other varieties. I'm hooked!

Thanks... Allen Sher

[Joseph Clemens]

I believe that when someone says, "Tropical Blue" they really mean, Bambusa chungii, which looks like:

.

It seems that you have basically answered your own questions. That five smaller plants will provide more surety of establishing a grove, and that they will, quickly become a more dense grove. Of course they will need to be well mulched and fertilized to ensure they fulfill their potential.

[webgator]

I would say you only need one or two and in about 2 years you'll have a nice clump of bamboo. Whether this is the large division or small 5 gals it's up to you. I have seen larger divisions put upwards to 12 new culms in a season.

Personally I would never plant multiple bamboos right next too each other...always at least 6 to 8 feet apart.

[mantis]

If you are bound and determined to buy multiple plants, here is what I'd do... buy two of the 5 gal. Put one in the ground, and keep on in a pot. Keep it in the pot for a year or so to see if the in-ground one survives. You'll need to keep upsizing the pot, but next year you should be in at least a 15 gal pot, which would make for a nice start either as a replacement for the one in the ground, or as a separate planting. Like webgator, I would never plant 5 starts in a small area to make them look like a single clump.

Good-luck!

[boolover]

Thanks for the valuable input.

The concept of planting a number of separate bamoboo (in this case B. Chungii) in a single location so as to make it look like it's one big clump seems like a much faster way to achieve a large (broad) array of culms than would be possible with a single plant, unless the single plant contained say at least 5 (1" diameter) culms at say 12'-14' tall. And, it would seem to me that the digging up, moving & re-planting would be much riskier than the planings of 5 individual single-culm plants from a 5 gallon pot that have beeen well rooted and healthy looking. But, I could be all wrong on this, and maybe I'm not considering other ramifications.

Sure do appreciate feedback.

THANK YOU!

[Joseph Clemens]

Because they are the same species, and most likely even divisions of the very same clone, when they are planted in close proximity they will grow so they appear to be one plant, but those multiple divisions should colonize a much larger area, more quickly, than even a single larger division of the same plant could.

[needmore]

I've done this with the running species and for the most part, I've regretted it each time. Although you get the look of an instant grove, future congestion is inevitable and thinning is tougher to do without setting back one of the 'originals'. Light congestion happens faster and limits growth; making divisions is trickier to figure out and it can lead to chopping up rhizomes that are unrelated to the culms I'm after. Your mileage may vary...

[boolover]

Joseph makes a good point that makes sense in that the planting of multiple boo will, in fact, create a larger clump in a shorter period of time; however, needmore points out that in the case of running bamboo, it would not make good sense to plant in this manner because future divisions would be a bit of a mess. I guess if I wanted to divide from the multiple rhizomes of the Chungii, the worst case would be that the division could contain material from more than one rhizome, which should not be a problem, unless I am wrong?

Thanks...

[Alan_L]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me with several clumpers jammed together, you'll have several plants fighting for nutrients, water, space, etc. It may *look* like a single plant, but it won't be. The end result will be weaker plants instead of one big, strong plant.

[dudley]

have too agree with Alan L on this one.
chungii forms a vase shaped clump. it will never look like one plant, just five plants too close together. something very upright might create the proper effect, like an oldhamii for example.

[Roy]

have too agree with Alan L on this one.
chungii forms a vase shaped clump. it will never look like one plant, just five plants too close together. something very upright might create the proper effect, like an oldhamii for example.

I don't know about that (vase shaped). Mine are pretty erect. I don't see any vase shaped clump.

[dudley]

maybe when mine is as mature as yours it will lose its vase shape. my clump still has culms just an inch or so in diameter. they do droop considerably. perhaps i should say for several years rather than never.

[mantis]

I need to get some pics of my chungii; it looks like sinicus... twists, turns, anything but straight. Maybe I'll get some after work tomorrow.

[mantis]

A picture in the dark... notice the culm on the far right side of the pic... came out almost horizontal, and then turned up. The culm in the center of the pic made a huge S shape... came out pointing left, then curved back right, and finished going straight up. Crazy plant.

[boolover]

The photos of both Joseph's and Mantis' show fairly tight clumps in that the culms look close to each other. Roy's seems to show a more open clump with culms that appear more erect even near the ground. I understand that a typical B. chungii is considered an open clumper. Perhaps Roy's mature plant has been thinned to give it the more open look? My B. Chungii (photos to follow later today or tomorrow), while only in the ground for 2 years, is more open and the newest shoots are thick, fairly straight & about 25' tall. Not withstanding the B. chungii Barbalata, I wonder if there could be non-documented variations of the B. Chungii with respect to clumping characteristics?