And on the fourth year, it leaps!

[Matt in TN]

Very, very nice Matt! How are the other boos doing?

Thanks! The rubro is doing very well - see here for an update: http://www.bambooweb.info/bb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3609

I'm afraid the nigra and arrow were eaten to the ground by my horses when they got out once a couple years ago. I was hopeful they'd come back, but they're just compost now. The moso never made it past a seedling. It put up a few small shoots and died outright.

One interesting thing I learned about goats when they got out a couple years ago - they come along and eat all the lower branches on a larger bamboo and actually make it look pretty nice. The madake is big enough now that I'm tempted to put them in here on purpose soon. The rubro is so big it's more likely to eat the goats than the goats eat it.

[Matt in TN]

Madake update, year 5. It's shooting much later this year, but things are looking good so far. I'll add more when it fills in a little bit.

[mshaffer]

Yea my Moso doubled in height this year. They said on the The Weather Channel that last year the jet stream caused a really warm/early spring so maybe it was a longer growing season last year.

[Matt in TN]

It's official - Madake has now overtaken Rubro in culm size (that's a quarter at the base of the culm for size reference). Last years' culms are in the background, so you can see that it had a pretty significant upsize this year.



Rubro still can't be touched for sheer QUANTITY of culms, but Madake is trying to catch up:

[needmore]

Very nice Matt, lets hope you get the same upsize ratio next year!

[Matt in TN]

Very nice Matt, lets hope you get the same upsize ratio next year!

Amen, brother. Too much bigger and I'm going to have to use coke cans instead of quarters for size reference

[stevelau1911]

How did the bambusoides fare through last winter?

Looking at your new culms, it looks like bambusoides is very closely related to prominens. This relates to the behavior as well since they both tend to produce a good number of culms, and upsize pretty quickly. I guess the only difference would be that bambusoides has slightly bigger size potential, but less cold hardiness.

[oobmab]

Matt, the huge grove of bambusoides at exit 40 I-26 has come back nicely. From the interstate can't even tell it got 80-90% burned.

[Matt W]

Oobmab, you may be speaking to a different Matt. The only Bambusoides (Tanake) I have got totally top killed. So far no shoots and no releafing.

[oobmab]

Oobmab, you may be speaking to a different Matt. The only Bambusoides (Tanake) I have got totally top killed. So far no shoots and no releafing.

No, talking to you. You told me the boo at exit 40 is bambusoides. Just giving you an update about it's condition.

[Matt in TN]

Oobmab, you may be speaking to a different Matt. The only Bambusoides (Tanake) I have got totally top killed. So far no shoots and no releafing.

Total topkill here too. I'm starting to see some new leaves on old culms, but we'll see. That was a pretty hard winter - it may be done.

[mountainbamboonut]

Matt in TN, what zone are you in? what is your average winter low?

I hadn't seen this thread and i was SHOCKED by that incredible growth on your madake from that small beaten down plant. WOW!! I had not idea it had that sort of potential.

[Mackel in DFW]

Our madake upsized very fast, Mountain Man. Very fast. I don't know what happened to it, 90 % top kill, and major down size. There was an icestorm at 14 F. But 14 F never downsized it in the past.



I probably need to get the hell out of here and move out in the country somewhere in Deep Dixieland. Out there, people are just so respectful and friendly.

M

[Mackel in DFW]

When Dad was stationed in Huntsville, Alabama, he bought a house way out in the country, over the river and up the gigantic hill, take a right, through the forest, and next to a breathtaking, giant bluff. Yeah, Buddy, Appalachia land. I was the original mountain man, MM, you were probably in diapers still when Mackel learn't how to skin a squirrel, make his own moonshine, and appreciate the attributes of a fine-lookin', true-lovin', redneck Mountain Woman. But, unfortunately, we had to move two years later, as Dad retired from the military and moved to Dallas for a dream civilian job. He's passed now, mother moved to Florida, and it's just all Mackel by himself...pining for them days when people invited you for dinner and didn't even know who you wuz, they were just so friendly... and them Scott-Irish women, oh my Garsh. M

[oobmab]

Oobmab, you may be speaking to a different Matt. The only Bambusoides (Tanake) I have got totally top killed. So far no shoots and no releafing.

Oh, I see what you're saying now. 2 Matts in TN (literally). Who knew?