Almost Soda can size

[Steve in France]

Shanghai 3 after 3 years in the bed has put up a 2 3/4 inch culm
I've been snapping off any shoots under 1.5 inches and this seems to help later shoots size up.
Parvifolia has not put up a shoot and I believe it's because I let the box it's in get too dry, I've watered like mad today in the hope I can save the season for Parvifolia.
With a little luck I should be down at David Arnolds place some time over the next two weeks to finnally drop off a couple of Bamboos that have been waiting 2 years to get there, one is for Mr Salmon. And I still need to dig up a Red Fall for Matthew.
Best Wishes
Steve

[Jeff: Igor's Apprentice]

Wow! That looks like a really cool bamboo with great size potential!

What's the whole name on this one?

[needmore]

Steve, good to hear from you, I've almost called a few times recently and get distracted. Great work on the S3! So what do you think about the S3, Dulcis Vivax or neither? TO me the culms look like dulcis but there are no oral setae on the shoots and shouldn't there be for dulcis but not vivax? Also, the backup one I have potted started looking really sick last summer - like it was way too wet, dropping leaves etc. This spring I have that pot next to the in-ground one, it is leafing back out nicely but some of the leaves have white striping - the kind of striping that usually fades but none the less they are present and the shoot came out much later than in-ground and is much lighter. But I certain it is not a mixup, just a mixed-up plant.

Was gonna call to see if any of the lilies I sent you looked like the refl flame? None of mine did and I wonder if they shipped us something else?

[Steve in France]

The full name is Shanghai 3 , Brad has it and I got mine from him , I think about four people over here have at the moment . I have no real plans to make spares, best to get on a list with Brad , that is if he has spares.
Brad I called David the other day for the first time since the Fall, I ment to call you too. I'm taking the two Prominens soon , they are totally pot bound and ready to go crazy in the ground. I've not made a spare so these are the only two I have. I have no room for more big Bamboo so I've not planted prominens here.
I think Shanghai 3 is a cross and it will only ever be Shaghai 3, no one can nail it down so I gave up trying
Water lillies are still not in a pond and are suffing , I've no flowers so far, and don't know what I have. Lilypons is just a half hour up the road from here and they have everything, just a bit expensive , but always the real thing. I'll go up and see what they have in a month or so.
All the Best
Steve
p.s. Brad did your Parvifolia ever shoot last year ? I think I really mess up with the watering, mine should be in the ground not the box.

[needmore]

No, it did not shoot last year. I now have it planted in 4 places, 2 of those are shooting, the others were not last time I checked - on the shoots thread here are pictures of my 2nd oldest grove, nice shoots on it thus far, well smaller than the soda can!

I can totally see the S3 being a cross, I know there are dulcis folks (Jos last time I checked) and vivax folks, I think both or neither. Wish I'd have gotten mine in the ground (and in better ground than the junky clay it's in) sooner after seeing yours, mine is a bit over half that size this year it appears - I'd better fed the rascal lots all summer.

[bamboothew]

Hi, Steve! Good to see you, and great-looking S3 shoots!

I'll have the trade ready whenever you get around to dividing the Red Fall, certainly no big hurry though: I've gained over 20 forms this spring so plenty of boo-chores already to stay occupied

[stevelau1911]

Wow, soda can size in 3 years is pretty impressive. That's 2.6 inches for a standard sized soda can. Looks like S3 has the potential to exceed the 3 inch mark with the right conditions. This bamboo needs to find it's way to the southeast to really test out its potential.

I don't think that a drought will necessarily stop shoots. I remember someone from the southwest posting a thread about their vivax which only put out a couple shoots during the regular shooting season, but then exploded later in spring/summer when there was more rain. It's also very dry so far this spring up in the north so I might have to put the soaker hose on my bamboo groves to make sure that they shoot when their time comes. I hope the cool weather means that the drought doesn't have much of an effect on the shooting season.

[Steve in France]

Hi Steve , I,m impressed too, but I've seen Bamboo throw a single big culm and then not make that size again for years. This seems to happen often in the UK. But given the heat here ( which I believe makes all the difference) I'm hoping for a few more big ones next season. Shanghai 3 seems to have different habits here in Maryland to the one I've grown in France.
I hope Parvifolia is not about to start a flowering cycle and that's why it's doing weird things. We were under a red fire watch for a couple of days here , way dry.
All the Best
Steve

[Steve in France]

When I say Shanghai 3 does different things here I mean it seems to mature faster. Shanghai 3 in Europe tends to throw a lot of whipshoots for a few years. Great for making new plants but not so fast to size up. Parvifolia seems to act more or less in the same way as it does in Europe , fast to size up and hard to get small stuff off to propagte from. We seem to have the perfect climate for Shanghai 3 here on the DC border (White House about 8 miles away ), other than the odd dry spell, the mild Winters and long growing season suit S3. Jos figures it's food ie: shoot Bamboo, it's thin walled and snow loads can break culms. I wish I had 20 plants to pass to someone interested in shoot production in the US.
For a big Timber Bamboo with an elegant form Parvifolia in the one for me.
I,ve not planted Prominens out because finding room for another large green Phy does not make sense here.
I'm hoping to get vivax H inversa in the ground soon and see how that does.
Snapping off small culms as they emerge seems to help make large culms on the same run of rhizome. David was talking about this the other day. It maybe the way Jos gets his stuff big, culm selection and shoot culling could be the key to getting those perfect groves.
Later
Steve

[oZmonKey]

Those shoots look awesome Steve.

[Steve in France]

Needless to say, the rhizomes are well beyond the 4 x 8 ft box. Rhizome spread about eqauls the tallness of the culms.
I'll expand the bed and barrier it this time. My Shanghai 3 in France has been in for ten years and it only has 1.5 inch culms, goes to show you what a little heat and compost/manure can do, plus water .
Later
Steve

[philippe smets]

wuaaahhh, congratulations steve, amazing in 3 years

[Steve in France]

Hi Philippe, under three years in truth as we bought this house a little less than three years ago. The fact it's planted in two feet of compost helps, no soil in that box just leaf compost manure and back mulch.
Phyllostachys flexuosa Spring Beauty is being a pain, it's growing slowly and puts up few shoots. I'll try and divide it a couple of months and see if I can get one to you.
All the Best
Steve

[philippe smets]

I ve just tried this year to plant two moso in 100 % horse manure,
it seems till now that moso really likes it ... we ll see next year

do you water even if it rains at this time of the year ? anyway the size of the shoots doesn't depend on what you are doing now ???
the problem in my field is that I have too much sun, is gonna be much better in 2,3 years

thanks for trying with the spring beauty

have a good day,

philippe

[tomgun]

I have never had a soda can size up that fast. The bamboo next to it sure sounds like it grows like a Dulcis but my Dulcis, which are the same size, are much curvier, not so straight.