Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Ask questions about growing bamboo

Moderator: needmore

Post Reply
Stathis
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:01 am
Location info: 0
Location: Cyprus

Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by Stathis »

Hi,
My bamboo had a large amount of new shoots in spring but now their leaves turn yellow. The same heppened last summer and eventually they died. Anyone can say why?
Thanks
Attachments
Last year's leaves
Last year's leaves
Fresh Leaves
Fresh Leaves
Stathis

Cyprus, East Mediterranean
pokenei
Posts: 407
Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2011 7:18 pm
Location info: 0
Location: Toronto (north)

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by pokenei »

Does this happen on the new leaves that have grown this year, or old leaves from last year? I have brown leaves just
Iike yours but only from last year's growth.

Other times when the leaves turn brown (dried up) at the tips are due to seasonal temperature changes e.g. when cold winter air first set in.
Alan_L
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:13 pm
Location info: 81
Location: St. Louis area

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by Alan_L »

Could this be too much water?

Do you fertilize regularly?
dependable
Posts: 1323
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 12:28 am
Location info: 0
Location: Island off Cape Cod Massacusetts
Contact:

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by dependable »

Are these in pots, or planted out? (and if planted out, how long, etc) These are two very different growing conditions, would need to know that to even begin to guess.
Stathis
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:01 am
Location info: 0
Location: Cyprus

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by Stathis »

Thanks for the response everybody.
Are these in pots, or planted out? (and if planted out, how long, etc)
I planted out one plant in spring 2016. The rhizome was spread by the end of summer but the leaves went yellow and later, in fall, they dried out (first picture).
In fall it produced many short, healthy culms but I removed them in early spring. Then more, taller shoots were produced in spring. Apart from being shorter than the older culms, they created a nice green grove until this month.
Could this be too much water?
I'm not sure how much is too much ! :) After the rain season I water it once a week, plenty. Now with 35 degC I water it 2-3 times.
Do you fertilize regularly?
I put about an inch of compost in spring and when I saw that it was turning yellow I began fertilize twice a month with 20-5-10, dissolved in water.

Also, I asked for help from an agriculturist last year ( he didn't know anything about bamboo) but his main concern was soil drainage and water minerals (my palm tree turned yellow also).
Stathis

Cyprus, East Mediterranean
Chris S
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 8:51 am
Location info: 0
Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: SE UK 400ft Zone 8/7 Low usually 28F, -4C (-10, -12, -14, -1, -6C last 5); High 99F, 37C in 2019
Contact:

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by Chris S »

The problem is likely to be in the soil or the irrigation water, if not both. Something is causing chlorosis of the leaves, which cannot produce enough chlorophyll. Bamboos like slightly acidic or neutral soil and water, and they will not like chlorine. Chlorosis will be exacerbated by sunshine. The best water to use is rainwater you have collected yourself. Your tap water may be collected rainwater with chlorine in it, or from a desalination plant, and variable in constitiuents. Mine comes straight from chalk aquifers and is totally useless for plants. From the geology of Cyprus, your soil and any groundwater is also likely to be very alkaline, which will cause chlorosis because the iron in the soil is 'locked up' by the alkalinity, and soil with any builders' rubble or plaster, with high lime content, is also disastrous. You may need to talk to some more local agriculturalists to find out about local rocks, soil & water. Try adding some plant food powder specially made for rhododendrons and other ericaceous plants to the water for a bamboo in a pot and watch the colour of the leaves after a couple of months. If the new leaves have appeared a much greener colour and stayed that way, then you have narrowed down the problem, and you just need to find a solution for the plants in the ground, or maybe just sit back and start to appreciate the pleasing aesthetic effect of yellow foliage.

Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Azalea Camellia Rhododendron Plant Food is what we have the UK, not sure if you can get that in Cyprus, except through BFPO, but it looks like you may from this bulletin board thread http://www.easterncyprus.com/viewtopic. ... 9c45aa095f

Water and soil pH can be simply and cheaply measured by yourself. Narrow range indicator paper is ridiculously cheap on ebay from China
Chris
SE England
bamboo-identification.co.uk

Think globally, act locally
Stathis
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Jun 21, 2017 11:01 am
Location info: 0
Location: Cyprus

Re: Bamboo leaves turn yellow!

Post by Stathis »

Chris, i didn't believe that i can find someone here who even knows Cyprus! Thanks for the reply.

It is true that my well water is very alkaline, but also tap water pH is always about 9 (from desalination plant)
For this I feed my plants with iron chelate, although i don't know how much they need, and a seaweed ferilizer "Fitomare" http://www.lambrouagro.com.cy/lambrou/u ... tomare.jpg which was recommended for plant s under stress.

About the soil, Im not sure if its very bad. If you know famagusta, ayia napa, you also know "red soil". It is treaded with sand for more drainage.

I will definitely to an agriculturalist again.
Thank you very much
Stathis

Cyprus, East Mediterranean
Post Reply