semi

Other things that involve bamboo

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green99
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Location: North of San Francisco 300 miles near the coast. Zone 8-9

semi

Post by green99 »

A friend of mine has Semiarundinaria fastuosa 'Viridis' planted in pure dune sand. It has crept out in front of his house, so I tried digging it, but I gave up when I still couldn't find the rhimozome after digging down over 3 feet deep. Maybe loose sand isn't the problem after all?
green99
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whoops

Post by green99 »

This is supposed to be under Security Alert! Whoops!
Bamboomoon
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Semi

Post by Bamboomoon »

I planted Semiarundinaria Fastuosa ("Green Temple") behind my house in a bank consisting almost entirely of sand that has sifted off of the hill behind my beach house. This sand is deep! This is the beginning of the second summer, and the Green Temple looks quite green, quite happy. I don't see how it can survive without nutrients, but I guess water is all it needs.

On this same hill, which does have a few lumps of fallen clay in it, I have also planted "Arrow" and Yellow Groove. The Arrow has been there 4 years; the Yellow Groove has been there 3 years. They are fine! Very green!

We have long dry, summers here, and drenching winters. I water them a couple of times a week during the summer, when it has been particularly hot, but other than that; nothing!

We bury our beloved plants in manure to try to coax the best out of them! We scatter multi colored pellets on them (10-12-10), like popcorn.

Maybe the boo doesn't need us at all, but only take encouragement from occasional pruning , and an occasional cozy chat. Or maybe they don't care about the chat or the pruning? Possibly we are only the stupid aliens with sharp tools!
BambooMoon
zone 8b
Snohomish, Wa
Oregonbamboo
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Post by Oregonbamboo »

Mike the NW is a prime bamboo growing area! I don't even water our established plants in the summer and they still come through it looking fantastic. They do get composted steer manure once a year and a nice thick layer of bark mulch. They seem to not need a whole lot from us to do well here in my opinion. :wink:
AJ Williams
Cedar Mill Bamboo
http://www.cedarmillbamboo.com

100% Organic Garden and Nursery in Portland, Oregon
green99
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Location: North of San Francisco 300 miles near the coast. Zone 8-9

bamboomoon

Post by green99 »

It's amazing what some of these boo's can handle. The person I was refering to has had most of his bamboo in the ground for about 30+ years so now as he gets old he doesn't have the energy to dig and contain it.
Some of his other boos just sit there and don't creep in the dune sand.
If your interested here's a list of the bamboos that don't creep, and seem to need richer soil to do so, but still look good. P.bambusodies, P.manni decora, P.vivax, P.nigra, P.nigra henon, P.amabilis(tonkin cane). He has planted others over the years that have died, but that may not have directly been from the sandy soil. Arrow bamboo is doing good, but kinda staying put.
Here's the ones that have really excelled- S.fastuosa'Viridis'(didn't mention the Viridis part before), P.violescens(very far runner once established), and Chimnobambusa quadrangularis(the most invasive, almost a pest in shade). I attribute the reason that these ones do so well is because the are off season shooters in this area. They seem to shoot in the winter(rainy season) for the most part, but the winter is also very mild.
I planted a few plants(bananas) at his place, and it really pays to prep the soil first to give them a head start.
Bamboomoon
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Post by Bamboomoon »

I was hoping the bamboo I put on the bank would live, and perhaps do well enough to help hold the bank from sliding. So far so good. You mention Quadrangulis. I bought a starter for $45, which died this winter several months after I put it in the ground. Can't say why; it kind of puzzles me.
The other "erosion control" boo I've been thinking about sticking up there to stabalize the bank is Bashania Fargesi, which is supposed to be the fastest spreader in the family, according to some quotes I've seen.
BambooMoon
zone 8b
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green99
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Hey bamboomoon

Post by green99 »

I think the C.quadrangularis needs some good soil to get it started, then it takes off uncontrollably! It also likes a little more shade than others, but if your on the beach it maybe just right with the fog. I'll send you a nice gallon start for shipping if you want. I'm not interested in growing it any more since it is really the most common bamboo(probally more than golden) in my area, and has been really invasive.
I think it might have been introduced in this area along time ago by the former Chinese population for eating shoots, because I saw an old picture of a Chinses guy posing with a cured stalk of it. But can't say for sure.
Email me if interested.
Haven't tried the Bashania fargesi, but in bamboo for gardens he lists these bamboos suitable for alkaline soils- Phyllostachys decora, P.flexuosa, P.glauca, S.fastuosa, Yushania chungii. Not sure how great that list is, but Yushanias might be the ticket.
Kyle
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