I'm now growing bamboo in my 3rd state which means after hitting near mature sizes in 2 states I'm starting over yet again. These photos are not much to look at but I know from growing sub tropical forms in CA that they will size up rapidly so I thought I'd better start getting some 'before' photos. I've been slowly acquiring plants as I cross paths with them and still have a half dozen or so in pots but these are my current in-ground plantings. Several of these were either not ID'd or were clearly mis-Id'd so I'm guessing at a couple and have no idea on a couple.

Photos get bigger if you click on them.

This was a nice size bamboo growing when I bought the place but I sawed, hacked, and pried it out - I believe it was B ventricosa, possibly B vulgaris "Wamin' but I don't think so.



G maxima




N elatus




B chungii




C coronalis




Likely G atroviolacea




S brachycladum 'Sacred Bali'




B hirose




B lako




D asper 'Betung Hitam'




D sikkimensis




B multiplex




B nana




The vendors best guess is G atter




No idea, the vendor said it gets huge 80'+ several inches diameter




No idea, was labelled Sparta bamboo??? New shoots initially were cream striped, then took on a burgundy sun exposure blush and the cream has become hard to see, I'm guessing a form of Gigatochloa but???

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Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com

Bigger lot than in CA it seems. Didn't you say that there's not much topsoil? How does an 80' clump stay upright?

_________________
Alan.
My blog: It's not work, it's gardening!

Yes, 3x more ground to play with here. There is no topsoil, I'm on solid lava with perhaps a 3-4" mat of roots and decomp soil full of worms or just exposed lava. I can trace a rectangular perimeter about 3" deep with my very abused shovel and then peel off a layer of roots/worms/ground lava/decomped young (like carpet) soil thus exposing a smooth lava flow beneath. I plant in mounds and will expand the mounds as needed. It is surprising how far laterally I find tree roots running, they dip into all the cracks in the lava. Bamboo of course will not do that so the mounds will have to suffice.

_________________
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com