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So Last year in March I planted around 20 30Gal Emerald bamboos along my property line. They are a beautiful deep green and the leaves look very healthy but the craziest thing started happening through the summer. On all of the new shoots they would be growing fine and then randomly between 4ft and 12 ft the tops of the new shoot turn brown and die then fall off. It is so frustrating to spend 3 grand on the plants and see this happen. Most of the new shoots stayed alive and now have lots of branches and leaves but look weird cause it looks like they were lopped off at some point. Some of the shoots died a few more culms down from the top. I had just used a mild fertilizer last year when it started happening so i figured that I must have done something to cause the problem. But now this year I havent fertilized and the same thing is happening to the new shoots!!! I feel like crying. Can someone please help me figure out what the cause of this is? I have about 60 yin yang and 40 monastery on the same water supply and they are healthy and not having the same problem. Thank you so much in advance. Stu

One can only start to guess, if that happened to me I'd wonder if:

1) Not enough energy to support the shoots full development which means they are hungry and need lots more food/organic material?
2) Was not a weather event (wind, I'm guessing no freeze there) that set this in motion?
3) Was the food weed and feed?
4) Birds landing on the tips - really fat birds I guess or some other form snapping them off?

It seems like salt or the weed and feed would impact more than the shoots and the plants would overall look stressed but I am reaching here. My first suspicion when a shoot aborts after going up some is lack of plant energy or weather event.

when I transplant this bamboo it took a lot of watering until it was established... mine didn't take off until after the first grow season. I also almost lost an entire row of Golden Goddess when I used chicken manure when I planted in the middle of the summer. I now only transplant in spring or fall if possible and water almost daily until the plant seems to be well established. do you have pictures?

Your plant is probably a bambusa but I can't locate it on the species list (ref. emerald). I'd try to locate local ABS or local bamboo nurseries for help. If you can confirm specie this site may provide more help. Also, if you can provide photos this may help. Although my zone etc is not compatible, wind and direct sun for extended period of time can cause me like problems. You have some very good bamboo nurseries in Florida and they are typically helpful. Rgds

Emerald is a name used in Florida instead of Bambusa textilis 'Mutabilis' and 'Kanapaha'

Yin Yang is Bambusa emeiensis

Temple is presumably Thryrsostachys siamensis

Just ask Sherry?

Thx Chris. Stual - Suggest you call or email Tropical Bamboo in Florida re your problem. I've traded with them and purchased bamboo from them (B.T. Scranton) and have found them top of the line in terms of support and product. The guys in ABS South East district may provide help as well but Tropical Bamboo is your best bet. Good Luck