Source List - Additional Growing Criteria
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2008 6:26 pm
Bill - The emails on the Yahoo Texas Bamboo Group discussing growing conditions/requirements prompted me to bring up the subject of additional growing criteria. I know this has been discussed before on other message boards probably including this one in the past.
The specific emails I am referring to were related to the individual who was new to bamboo, interested in bidding in the ABS Auction, but daunted by the long list of bamboos available and having to research which of the bamboo were suitable for growing in Zone 9. Pointing him to the Source List requirements for say Fargesia nitida 'Jiuzhaigou' might result in disappointment, while he may have become a convert if he won a bid on say Bambusa emeiensis 'Flavidorivens'. I do not know where this individual lives, and am guessing southern TX, but recognize there maybe some frost free island that stays cool where a Fargesia would do just fine. But that is my point, as useful as the Source List is, it would be even more useful with additional data.
Some of the additional information that I see probably needs to be added are things such as:
- Soil pH (probably whether the bamboo tolerates alkalinity or not?)
- Tolerance to wet or dry conditions (perhaps graded similar to sun/shade)
- Maximum temperatures (peak summer average at night?)
- Winter chill hour requirements
I would propose that this addition information initially only be included in the online version here on Bambooweb to save on printing costs.
I realize you have a lot of things on your plate and so volunteer to help accumulate this data and perhaps populate a "Beta" database unless someone else wants to do it.
Mike McG near Brenham TX
The specific emails I am referring to were related to the individual who was new to bamboo, interested in bidding in the ABS Auction, but daunted by the long list of bamboos available and having to research which of the bamboo were suitable for growing in Zone 9. Pointing him to the Source List requirements for say Fargesia nitida 'Jiuzhaigou' might result in disappointment, while he may have become a convert if he won a bid on say Bambusa emeiensis 'Flavidorivens'. I do not know where this individual lives, and am guessing southern TX, but recognize there maybe some frost free island that stays cool where a Fargesia would do just fine. But that is my point, as useful as the Source List is, it would be even more useful with additional data.
Some of the additional information that I see probably needs to be added are things such as:
- Soil pH (probably whether the bamboo tolerates alkalinity or not?)
- Tolerance to wet or dry conditions (perhaps graded similar to sun/shade)
- Maximum temperatures (peak summer average at night?)
- Winter chill hour requirements
I would propose that this addition information initially only be included in the online version here on Bambooweb to save on printing costs.
I realize you have a lot of things on your plate and so volunteer to help accumulate this data and perhaps populate a "Beta" database unless someone else wants to do it.
Mike McG near Brenham TX