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Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:28 pm
by pokenei
I came across this boo while in China.

The shoot appeared to have less belly than the matured culm. The inter-nodes appear to be longer also. There are no other bamboos nearby, so the shoot must be a Buddha. Unless those compressed bellies have yet to rise up.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Thu Oct 24, 2013 12:49 am
by needmore
That looks like the real one, Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin'

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:45 pm
by boonut
I have several of those. In pots, they look like Bambusa Vulgaris wamin... get them in the ground and a few years later, they look like Bambusa Ventricosa.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 11:08 pm
by needmore
Allen, it was the hairy culm leaves that caught my eye, do those appear on the ventricosa sometimes? I always recall when I lived in Hawai'i that the culm leaves on vulgaris stuck me like cacti needles and those look similar.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:34 pm
by boonut
needmore wrote:Allen, it was the hairy culm leaves that caught my eye, do those appear on the ventricosa sometimes? I always recall when I lived in Hawai'i that the culm leaves on vulgaris stuck me like cacti needles and those look similar.
I have quite a few regular vulgaris and yes, the culm sheaths definitely look like that. In town, you see a lot of regular vulgaris. Out at my farm, they don't grow as large... unless we get a lot of rain.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:44 pm
by boonut
I don't know why the wamin reverts to plain vulgaris down here after a few years. I know a few people that have wamin that didn't have that happen. I planted about 10 wamin in the ground over 10 years ago... none of them have the compacted nodes now.

I also planted around 15 Bambusa Ventricosa "Kimmei" over 10 years ago in the ground... most from cuttings. Many had swollen internodes the first few years... and now none do. With the droughts we had for about 3 years... and then plenty of rain in the past few months, kimmei is shooting like crazy and growing twice as tall. Kimmei is one tough bamboo. It requires very little water... and looks great. When it gets plenty of water, it takes off.

When I planted most of my bamboo at the farm, I was trying to see which one looked the best, required the least effort and water, and didn't freeze. Kimmei is one that fits all of that. Very nice. I don't even thin that one. Very nice naturally.

Most of the wamin... once they lost the compressed internodes... pretty much stopped growing... maybe one culm per year. None look very good.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 7:25 pm
by ricshaw
Glad to hear the positive review for Bambusa Ventricosa "Kimmei".

I have both the Wamin striata and the Kimmei. The Kimmei is recovering from a transplant after a sever gopher attack.

I do not see the swollen internodes on new growth. I have had people who have Bambusa Ventricosa ask me why they are not getting the "Buddha belly" look.

Re: Buddha Belly ?

Posted: Thu Nov 21, 2013 12:16 am
by terrabamboo
Would Bambusa Ventricosa "Kimmei" grow in Central MS or does it get too cold? 8b.
How about Bambusa chungii ?