Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

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mountainbamboonut
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Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by mountainbamboonut »

Here are two pictures from my dig I did today at a 50 year old p. vivax grove an hour from my house. The grove was very cool and had been maintained on one side with only a lawn mower for the past 35 years. There were huge rhizomes in a few places arching across the lawn maybe 30 ft. from the edge of the grove but no top growth. The root ball picture in the bed of my truck was the smallest one that I got, the one wrapped in plastic in the background was twice the width of this one and was huge. I dug three and got them in the back of my truck and then hooked up my trailer to rest the top growth on. After strapping them down I made the one hour drive home and planted them this evening on my property in 3 different areas. I think I was able to keep the root balls nice and moist during the transplant. Ideally I would have gotten them home sooner but it was only me with a shovel, spade, and huge pry bar. The lovely Mrs. Bamboonut was there for emotional support and photo opps but as a one man show it took a bit longer than I would have hoped to keep the root balls moist. Anyhow, I think they will do great and get established. I will keep anyone posted if they're interested in seeing how the growth compares to my other p. vivax planting which was I bought in a 15 gallon container. With the massive root balls that I was able to get I think the growth will likely be more substantial. I also pulled off some huge sections of rhizomes and have them potted in my greenhouse. It will be only my second attempt at rhizome propagation and had luck with it last year also in the month of March which I know isn't ideal, but it worked. Hope you enjoy the photos.
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ShmuBamboo
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by ShmuBamboo »

Now is the best and only real time to make rhizome only divisions. Vivax is pretty easy to propagate that way. That small of a root ball there will likely not be enough to support those size culms and all that leaf matter in top. I would bet that some of the leaves will dry out in sunny California, even if you keep the roots wet.
Happy trails...
oobmab
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by oobmab »

Wow that's some hardcore digging. Shmu's right, you will have to support the plantings. The first time I did this I planted 25 clumps in a line and lashed a bamboo pole to all of them, and then lashed another pole to a tree. Afterwards I decided, nah, and cut them to the ground hoping for survivor shoots; had about a 50% success rate. Mine were 20-25' tall with a max 1 foot dia. root ball. It was ridiculous. My truck picture looked like yours, but without a trailer. Did I ever feel like a redneck tooling down the interstate with the stuff dragging on the ground.

My second batch of clumps were your size. I lashed them together and to a tree with bamboo poles. They have done very well. The first spring, one sent up a 1" thick culm, 20' tall. They weathered this brutal winter very well; I can't wait to see what they put up this year. After about a year, I removed the supporting poles and guy-lines; my reasoning was that if they fall over, I'll just put 'em back up. Have had strong winds with no problems. Keep yours very wet and they should do fine.
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by johnw »

That was a hard slog. Did you have to shade the leafy tops on the way home?
johnw coastal Nova Scotia
mountainbamboonut
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by mountainbamboonut »

Is my best bet to top them down to one branch (low) so there is less foliage to support? I was wondering if that would give them the beat chance of survival. As for the size of the root balls, the one pictured is the tiny one. The one wrapped behind it is probably a 200 lb plus root ball. I am confident that rootball will support two culms but only time will tell. Let me know what you think about cutting down the culms to give them a better chance at establishing. And as for feeling like a redneck, I always do because my loads are always out of control with tarps flying everywhere! I always supplement my hauling with a Levi Garret.
T9D
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by T9D »

Wow that's nuts. That's a nice score. Bet those look great in the yard. I wouldn't cut them back at all. That would break my heart. Put some supports up and keep them watered every day and hope for the best.
I_am_Ian
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by I_am_Ian »

Nice!

Any pics of them in the ground in their new home? How tall are they?
dependable
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by dependable »

Nice job.

I would probably prune down to include only a few branches per culm, at least on the smaller root ball. I understand why you would not want to do this. Perhaps just be ready to at first sign the roots will not support full leaf volume. Maybe you could just thin leaves, as a lot of the plant's energy/biomass is in culms.
oobmab
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by oobmab »

The wind's not going to blow over a clump with a 200 lb root ball. But if you want to be safe use bamboo poles to brace the stuff like a teepee if you don't have big trees to lash to. Topping's your call. I didn't and had no problems.
Cooper12
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by Cooper12 »

mountainbamboonut wrote:Is my best bet to top them down to one branch (low) so there is less foliage to support? I was wondering if that would give them the beat chance of survival. As for the size of the root balls, the one pictured is the tiny one. The one wrapped behind it is probably a 200 lb plus root ball. I am confident that rootball will support two culms but only time will tell. Let me know what you think about cutting down the culms to give them a better chance at establishing. And as for feeling like a redneck, I always do because my loads are always out of control with tarps flying everywhere! I always supplement my hauling with a Levi Garret.
yes id top them about a third. I did the same with my Black stripe and it did great

I just saw some huge viviax at the zoo yesterday . love it. sometimes the tall canes can break in our heavy wet snow we can get but ohwell
Jason Floyd
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Cooper12
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by Cooper12 »

mountainbamboonut wrote:Is my best bet to top them down to one branch (low) so there is less foliage to support? I was wondering if that would give them the beat chance of survival. As for the size of the root balls, the one pictured is the tiny one. The one wrapped behind it is probably a 200 lb plus root ball. I am confident that rootball will support two culms but only time will tell. Let me know what you think about cutting down the culms to give them a better chance at establishing. And as for feeling like a redneck, I always do because my loads are always out of control with tarps flying everywhere! I always supplement my hauling with a Levi Garret.

your rootball was larger than mine. i cut roughly a third off the top. this is Black Stripe
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Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
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Potato country
Cooper12
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by Cooper12 »

Cooper12 wrote:
mountainbamboonut wrote:Is my best bet to top them down to one branch (low) so there is less foliage to support? I was wondering if that would give them the beat chance of survival. As for the size of the root balls, the one pictured is the tiny one. The one wrapped behind it is probably a 200 lb plus root ball. I am confident that rootball will support two culms but only time will tell. Let me know what you think about cutting down the culms to give them a better chance at establishing. And as for feeling like a redneck, I always do because my loads are always out of control with tarps flying everywhere! I always supplement my hauling with a Levi Garret.

your rootball was larger than mine. i cut roughly a third off the top. this is Black Stripe
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Jason Floyd
Hangtown Farms

Emmett Idaho
Zone 7A
Potato country
mountainbamboonut
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by mountainbamboonut »

Thanks for all of the awesome feedback! I will keep a close eye on them and consider pruning if it seems necessary. I placed two in the ground and one in a large tractor tire (with the small root ball) so that I can watch it closely and maybe prune it back if necessary. I had to trim them at transport to about 20 ft. so there wasn't too much overhang off my trailer--they were the skinniest and smallest culms in this large grove but happy with the good size root mass on two of them.

One went in my goat coupe and they are already reaching for leaves from their favorite rock. I plan on supplementing their diet heavily in the next several years with bamboo trimmings. The other I put next to my young golden vivax (which is upstaging it with its shimmer haha) and a chinese pear. Hope you enjoyed in the pictures and I'll keep you posted on their progress/health. Hopefully I can keep the two in the ground flourishing without a pruning but I'll keep a close eye on it. Thanks again!
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march 9 2015 new vivax.JPG
march 9 2015 new vivax dig.JPG
march 9 2015 new vivax 1.JPG
Last edited by mountainbamboonut on Tue Mar 10, 2015 2:56 am, edited 3 times in total.
mountainbamboonut
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by mountainbamboonut »

and the one in a tractor tire until I have the energy to dig more bamboo holes in my yard...
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dependable
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Re: Large P. Vivax Dig and Transplant

Post by dependable »

How are you going to protect new shoots from the goats? They will eat them for sure.
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