Zone 9b protection??

[drjay9051]

My second year of bamboo mania and I'm loving it.

i am located in N. central Florida (9b). Last winter we had temps into the teens for a few nights. as a result my B.oldhamii did not make it. They were planted in mid summer and were well watered and mulched for winter. just a bit too cold for young plants. They were replaced gratis by the seller (nice). This year i would like to protect them as best I can. Is there any downside to wrapping them in tarps and tying closed? The culms are about 10 feet high. I'm thinking if i can protect them through the winter they will stronger next year.

Also just wondering, it's December and both my clumpers and runners are still putting out shoots. Last fertilization was in Aug. Is this unusual for this time of the year? Is it an indication of a strong plant or just a fluke.

Any help is appreciated.

[stevelau1911]

One of the big differences I've found with temperate runners(phyllostachys) and tropicals is that temperates can be protected in zone 6 with any kind of a wind barrier successfully while it doesn't work at all on tropical boos since their tissues get damaged pretty easily with any degree of a freeze and this makes it a bit tougher. Tropical bamboos just can't handle lower temperatures.
I think last winter was an exceptionally brutal winter since we got to -9F while it hasn't broken the 0F in several prior years, but if you have new plants, you might as well take be prepared even if you've never seen teens before. I've never seen it get way below 0F here, but it only took 1 night to cause a lot of damage.


As far as protecting tropicals, I've tried putting them in my tarp which didn't work as the temperatures still drop into the 20s even under snow cover when it's below 0F outside, but I think if you do a column(vertical) tarp(given your clump doesn't bend to the ground), perhaps add some piping insulation and christmas lights top top it off, that should raise the temperature that the plant tissue encounters for the coldest months. If that's not enough, I guess it may require heating cables which hopefully won't overheat the plants. I've heard of Florida farmer mist their oranges to create a layer of ice to protect oranges, but I don't know if it works on tropical bamboos.

I have never had a problem with lack of sunlight because even though I usually use clear or transparent tarps, I've tried black plastic on bamboos, and they don't yellow out like covered grass over the winter which shows they don't really need light through their dormancy, but I'm not sure if it's different for you since your climate doesn't get nearly as cold. As far as late shooting, that's one of the biggest problems I've had with growing them is that they always shoot so late in the year so that the shoots never fully develop, come indoors and don't leaf out properly so I'm no longer that interested in them, at least in this climate.

[Mike Beard]

My Oldhamii has been killed to the ground the last 2 winters with lows of 17fa and 19fa but it came back from the roots, the only protection I did was grass clippings piled around the base and watered them good during the day before the lows temps were projected. My Parker Giant has been killed to the ground also and i tried making a cover with a 100 watt lite inside but the winds picked and darn near destroyed it so it was removed and the grass clippings were used.
This winter is looking like hopefully a normal Fl. winter with that said I have plan B in mind,I have some AC Duct wrap insulation 1.75" thick by 48 " wide that I will wrap my tender boos Wamin,Parker and Oldhamii all the others have sized up with enough culms and leaves that I hope they can fend for themselves
By the way this is my 3rd winter with bamboo and I am in zone 9 about 7 miles south of the Lake-Polk county line in the middle of the boon docks so far from town we get yesterdays weather
a lot of my clumpers are still shooting ,B. Chungii and B.Textilis Multabilis to name a couple

[drjay9051]

My Oldhamii has been killed to the ground the last 2 winters with lows of 17fa and 19fa but it came back from the roots, the only protection I did was grass clippings piled around the base and watered them good during the day before the lows temps were projected. My Parker Giant has been killed to the ground also and i tried making a cover with a 100 watt lite inside but the winds picked and darn near destroyed it so it was removed and the grass clippings were used.
This winter is looking like hopefully a normal Fl. winter with that said I have plan B in mind,I have some AC Duct wrap insulation 1.75" thick by 48 " wide that I will wrap my tender boos Wamin,Parker and Oldhamii all the others have sized up with enough culms and leaves that I hope they can fend for themselves
By the way this is my 3rd winter with bamboo and I am in zone 9 about 7 miles south of the Lake-Polk county line in the middle of the boon docks so far from town we get yesterdays weather
a lot of my clumpers are still shooting ,B. Chungii and B.Textilis Multabilis to name a couple

Mike:
You are a bit south of me (Ocala). I see you have a selection of runners/clumpers as do I. Where do you get your boo?

Jay

[Mike Beard]

drjay
i have bought bamboo from Beautiful bamboo in lake county, Kanapha Gardens, Roy Rodgers(forum member in Tampa), exchange/trades with other forum members ,road side rite of way and backyards with permission and I keep an eye on craigs list, so far my runners are not happy I think it just stays to hot here in northern polk county for them to grow well and the last 2 winters have been so darn cold some of the clumpers are struggleing but if this is a normal winter they should establish themselves i hope and start looking good