How brown can something get....

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steve-in-kville
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How brown can something get....

Post by steve-in-kville »

.... and still make a comeback?

Last spring I planted three Indocalamus tessellatus. They are completely brown now. Shooting for us is right around the corner and I am wondering if these will come back. Our winter was pretty mild this year, so its not that the cold could've done them in.

Thoughts on this?
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steve-in-kville
wolfedg
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by wolfedg »

Based on my very limited experience bamboo is incredibly resilient. I would guess that as long as the plant was healthy last year, especially in the fall, and as long as the ground wasn't frozen too deep and cold it will probably come back. It may not size up at all or even downsize a bit as far as culms, but it whats underground that really seems to count. We had a very mild winter overall here as well, but we had a couple of single digit events with some wind early in winter that had the same general effect as a bad winter on the bamboo, at least the above ground parts.
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steve-in-kville
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by steve-in-kville »

Thanks for the reply. This particular variety amuses me.... I thought I had lost it to wind burn and heat last year (we had a very hot & dry summer). Then in the middle of the summer, it threw shoots!! Now its all brown. It was mulched pretty heavy, so I hope it comes back.
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steve-in-kville
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needmore
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by needmore »

Mine turned brown pretty much every winter in IN, despite it's good hardiness rating. I had some I cordatus that is a very attractive bamboo but it seems to hate being divided. I sent some to Alan and I think it all died, I brought some to CA and it looked dead but threw a couple small shoots last year and a few more this year.

There is hope!
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
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Alan_L
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by Alan_L »

Indocalamus tessellatus gets brown easier than I. 'Solidus' and I. longiauritus for me, but I've never had it go all brown before... maybe in the harsh winter a few years back. It came back though, so I wouldn't be concerned. I always have half-brown leaves on this one to prune off later in the season to make it look good.

BTW, mine is shooting now, shoots 2-3" (50-76mm) tall. I know this because it spread much more than I thought it had so some shoots are out in the open. :)
johnw
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by johnw »

For hardiness Alan, for cold hardiness how does I. tessalatus compare with I. latifolius 'Hopei' & S. palmata for you? One has always been lead to believe that Sasamorpha borealis was the tough one but it's horribly temperamental in pots.

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needmore
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by needmore »

johnw wrote:For hardiness Alan, for cold hardiness how does I. tessalatus compare with I. latifolius 'Hopei' & S. palmata for you? One has always been lead to believe that Sasamorpha borealis was the tough one but it's horribly temperamental in pots.

johnw
John, none approach the hardiness of S oshidensis, I longiaritus seems hardier than I tess at least for me it did. Palmata far less hardy but S borealis is about the same as I longiaritus and both hardier than I latifolius.
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Alan_L
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by Alan_L »

johnw wrote:For hardiness Alan, for cold hardiness how does I. tessalatus compare with I. latifolius 'Hopei' & S. palmata for you? One has always been lead to believe that Sasamorpha borealis was the tough one but it's horribly temperamental in pots.

johnw
I don't have either of those species, but I agree with Brad that Sasa oshidensis might be my cold hardiest (?).
steve-in-kville
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Re: How brown can something get....

Post by steve-in-kville »

Thanks for the replies. I'm gonna give it time... truth be told, all my bamboo looks rough right now. My Nitida looks horrible. My Rufa got pounded by snow.
Regards,

steve-in-kville
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