Search found 12 matches

by westfork
Wed May 26, 2021 5:37 am
Forum: Growing Bamboo
Topic: bamboo damage from Feb 2021 polar vortex
Replies: 11
Views: 5786

Re: bamboo damage from Feb 2021 polar vortex

We can finally get a pretty good idea of what made it though a zone 3 winter in our zone 4b location. Last spring we had the poor timing of planting a couple dozen more bamboo species to test right before an incredibly hot summer that locally was the driest in forty years, followed by an early cold ...
by westfork
Tue May 25, 2021 5:50 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: source for Shanghai 3
Replies: 15
Views: 7995

Re: source for Shanghai 3

First culm is pushing through, so the newly planted Shanghai III survived our zone 3 winter at its zone 4b location.
by westfork
Sat May 22, 2021 2:41 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: source for Shanghai 3
Replies: 15
Views: 7995

Re: source for Shanghai 3

Have the green culms started making new leaves? Not yet, but 90% of my bamboo species haven't waken up yet. Plus these culms probably are not alive as far as the first internode. Last hard freeze was just two weeks ago. But now that our lows are above 40 things will change quickly - The corn fields...
by westfork
Fri May 21, 2021 3:19 am
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: source for Shanghai 3
Replies: 15
Views: 7995

Re: source for Shanghai 3

needmore wrote: Tue May 18, 2021 3:53 pm Was it buried in snow at the time?
Unfortunately no. Most of our winters are open, cold air doesn't hold much moisture. The top growth died but that is standard practice for all bamboo up here. Had about six inches of straw for winter cover and the culms stayed dark green to that level.
by westfork
Mon May 17, 2021 9:58 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: source for Shanghai 3
Replies: 15
Views: 7995

Re: source for Shanghai 3

I got a really nice Shanghai 3 from Bamboo Garden last spring. You might call and see if they still have one left. And it looks like it survived an old fashioned winter with a couple nights at 34 below zero. That is a lot to ask for the first year without any shelter.
by westfork
Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:17 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: Watering
Replies: 7
Views: 4792

Re: Watering

With your in ground bamboos a lot would depend on your soil. Some soil retains water for the season while others don't. We have loamy loess soils that are very deep and can sustain a corn crop for eight weeks in July and August with no rain during a drought and still produce well. But then field cor...
by westfork
Tue Feb 25, 2020 5:50 pm
Forum: Growing Bamboo
Topic: Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers
Replies: 5
Views: 3634

Re: Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers

Thanks for the input. Your earlier posts helped a lot in trying to find the ones that would work best. I would love to try demissa Gerry, but not at the current price over here. I did order a couple of new generation nitidas. Our climate has moderated a lot since I first tried bamboo - The winters a...
by westfork
Fri Feb 21, 2020 11:26 pm
Forum: Growing Bamboo
Topic: Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers
Replies: 5
Views: 3634

Re: Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers

Thanks for the suggestions. There are so many conflicting reports of hardiness on the mountain bamboos that make it hard to choose. In 22 years I have never had a bamboo without 100% winter top kill, so anything would be a plus. This winter has been our mildest in that time (but scared me with a bri...
by westfork
Wed Feb 19, 2020 5:52 pm
Forum: Growing Bamboo
Topic: Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers
Replies: 5
Views: 3634

Upright Extremely Hardy clumpers

Which of the hardiest clumpers tend to have the most upright growth? Relatively thick, strong, and open culms would be a plus. Based on forum discussions, I am considering: -Jiuzhaigou 1 -Jiuzhaigou 2 -Jiuzhaigou 10 -Jiuzhaigou GenF -Taibashan II A lot of other good options are omitted because I wou...
by westfork
Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:25 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years
Replies: 5
Views: 3856

Re: Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years

I guess it all depends upon your definition of hardiness. Most of the other survivors keep nice green foliage long into the winter while dulcis gets toasted pretty fast. But since dulcis keeps a greater proportion of its energy underground vs. the culms compared to the others, it bounces back faster...
by westfork
Sat Feb 15, 2020 11:18 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years
Replies: 5
Views: 3856

Re: Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years

Yes, parts of the post were tongue-in-cheek because of the extreme conditions these plants were put through. I guess I have never seen setback after complete topkill since all my plants have experienced complete topkill every year for twenty years. I am looking forward to what the dulcis may do in a...
by westfork
Fri Feb 14, 2020 6:19 pm
Forum: Bamboo Discussions
Topic: Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years
Replies: 5
Views: 3856

Zone 4 bamboos over 22 years

After over twenty years of neglecting bamboo in zone 4 Midwest (in the Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota border area), I am giving it another shot. In my first attempt with hardy bamboo in 1998, I went with the philosophy that the plants had to take care of themselves or they weren't worth the effort. P...