This summer was too hot for most Fargesias

Alan_L · Post by **Alan_L** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:11 pm

I've had four different Fargesias in pots for the past few years, preparing to put some of them into the ground this year. Unfortunately the hot summer was too much for them even in shade, and it seems like they've all died: 2 robustas, a scabrida, and a murielae. One of my big potted 'Rufa' divisions that was in a bad spot took a beating too. Lots of dead culms on that one, but the plant is still alive. A potted denudata is looking pretty sad too.

The in-ground Rufa that gets lots of sun got a bit scorched (as it does every summer), but the ones in the shade are fine.

Anybody else have Fargesias suffer or die this summer?

foxd · Post by **foxd** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:19 pm

Last year I had a couple of Fargesia rufa divisions in pots die when the temperatures got hot and they didn't get enough shade. Both my Fargesia that are in the ground came through this year fine. If I take more Fargesia divisions I am definitely going to drag them into the basement during the hot part of the year or bury the plants in the ground.

Post by **needmore** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:35 pm

I had a couple and still have one potted rufa and they did just fine. In the shade, watered daily, not on a deck though so I wonder if yours were?

My in-ground Fargesia: Full sun rufa watered daily was beaten up and lost numerous culms, the leaves fell away recently and the 4.5" of rain last perked it up and it looks much better. Full sun & dust covered denudata, watered daily, looked unhappy but did not lose any leaves. Mostly full shade nitida & denudata watered daily did just fine, murielae lost some culms but I think it may have been a different cause.

canadianplant · Post by **canadianplant** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:29 pm

Alan - My buddies Denudata does that in NC. IT comes back every year, but... nothing substantial (he has it in too much light). IF theyre in the ground, id wait till next year to call em quits.

utahraptor · Post by **utahraptor** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:41 pm

Last summer was too hot for my partially shaded rufa, but 3 or 4 tiny stems made it. It is nearly finished off now.

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:41 pm

No problems here with any of the Fargesias in pots or in the ground with the exception of Juizhaigou #1. I got the plant in late April as a 1 gallon and potted it onto a 3 gallon. I left it in a sunny spot with the other new bamboos, it got sun till about 1:30pm and just noticed a couple of weeks ago that it was looking poor, brownish chlorotic leaves. I assume it could not take the relentless sun here though it did get watered as required. It was awfully humid here for 3 weeks and I wonder if that's what's caused its distress. I moved it to bright shade and it started send out new leaves but they are small and rolled and have stalled. I think it may pack it in. Rats; as the other J.#1s we got were clearly mislabelled.

johnw

bamboothew · Post by **bamboothew** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:18 pm

My totally shaded potted rufa and robusta have both looked great all summer. The half sun in-ground rufa started looking ratty and lost most of its leaves during the long stretch of 95f+ days we had but it looks better now that the highs are in the 80s.

foxd · Post by **foxd** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:57 pm

needmore wrote:I had a couple and still have one potted rufa and they did just fine. In the shade, watered daily, not on a deck though so I wonder if yours were?

Yes, they were on the deck.

moriphen · Post by **moriphen** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 6:45 am

All my Fargesia's are in the ground with partial shade and as our summer did not include a drought they are quite healthy.

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 1:18 pm

Can any growers of Juizhaigou #1 tell me the siting it requires? If it needs shade it would be the only Fargesia that we grow that can't take full sun here.

I still have to wonder if the warming of the rootball in a pot during that 3 weeks humid stretch wasn't to blame.

johnw

Post by **needmore** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:19 pm

John I forget which one I have, I think it is J1. I have it where it gets a bit of direct sun in late AM and for part of the afternoon as well so a few hours of direct sun here, shaded later in the day. During the drought I watered it daily and it looked pretty good, it sent up some shoots approaching 2m and the tips began to dry despite the watering so I can't tell if those are going to ever leaf out yet. Overall it looks pretty good considering...

Tarzanus · Post by **Tarzanus** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:44 pm

johnw wrote:Can any growers of Juizhaigou #1 tell me the siting it requires? If it needs shade it would be the only Fargesia that we grow that can't take full sun here.

I still have to wonder if the warming of the rootball in a pot during that 3 weeks humid stretch wasn't to blame.

johnw

I don't have it (yet), but if I've done my homework correctly - it should be quite sun tolerant. In fact it gets red coloring if it's exposed to sun for at least one part of the day.

Fargesia murielae is looking great this year. It didn't gain almost anything when it comes to height of the plant, but the clump more than doubled it's size. There are hundreds of rhizome buds (shoots) around the clump, apparently just waiting for the spring to come. We've had drought this year, but it never showed any leaf curl. It's exposed to full sun during most of the day and soil around it got extremely dry. I watered it every few weeks during the drought.

johnw · Post by **johnw** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:47 pm

Brad - Having never seen sunburn on bamboo before here are three shots of the pitiful Juizhaigou #1. Seems to be worse looking by the day even though in the shade.

Don't quite know what to do with it, I had planned to store it for the winter in the dark cold room with the others but that will probably mean a certain death.

johnw

Markj · Post by **Markj** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 4:02 pm

Re: This summer was too hot for most Fargesias

Not here....!

Just endured the wettest summer for 100 years.

Scabrida now @14 foot tall

Markj · Post by **Markj** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 4:07 pm

Juizhaigou #1, grown in full shade here- looks happy enough but slow growing.