Re: Small introduction
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2013 2:06 pm
I don't have that many species and bamboo varieties planted here, but as far as I've seen, Phyllostachys aureosulcata is just as hardy if not hardier than most Fargesias. This year we've been hit by cold wave and tender bamboos suffered quite a bit. Well, Fargesia murielae and Fargesia denudata refused to show ANY damage while it was cold, but they both start autumn-like yellowing when temperature finally rose to around 10C for about a week. That makes me think they did suffer from thirst during the cold weather or maybe when it was over and cold soil didn't allow water to move fast enough around the plant's tissues.
Aureosulcata, on the other hand, shows no damage. Not even one leaf wilted, it's even darker green than before winter started. Not even one of the leaves yellowed, not in fall and not now after the cold.
I think that most of Fargesias got their extreme hardiness grades because they easily got burried under a pile of snow. Large Fargesia clump can be totally covered by only 10 inches of snow. Phyllostachys bamboos that are much taller and grow upwards, will lean down at the same amount, but will not get nowhere near as much protected. With larger amounts of snow, roots, rhizomes and lower parts of bamboo will be well protected, high culms will bend to the ground, some of them breaking under weight of snow...
Some bamboos are meant to remain burried under thick layer of snow throughout the winter, I think Fargesias are one of those.
Aureosulcata, on the other hand, shows no damage. Not even one leaf wilted, it's even darker green than before winter started. Not even one of the leaves yellowed, not in fall and not now after the cold.
I think that most of Fargesias got their extreme hardiness grades because they easily got burried under a pile of snow. Large Fargesia clump can be totally covered by only 10 inches of snow. Phyllostachys bamboos that are much taller and grow upwards, will lean down at the same amount, but will not get nowhere near as much protected. With larger amounts of snow, roots, rhizomes and lower parts of bamboo will be well protected, high culms will bend to the ground, some of them breaking under weight of snow...
Some bamboos are meant to remain burried under thick layer of snow throughout the winter, I think Fargesias are one of those.