Drought effect on cold hardiness

[Alan_L]

Maybe this has been discussed before, but I've now got some pretty good data about this, so thought I'd post again.

If you live where it gets pretty cold even for a short time, your bamboos will really suffer if they are drought-stressed!

For the last two years, here in St. Louis we've had pretty dry fall and winters. Not leaf-curling dry, but dry. Both winters were quite mild, with temps rarely getting into the mid-20's F, often staying above freezing. Until... we get the arctic blast and for 4-6 days temperatures get into single digit F with strong winds. This caused 95% of the leaves to die, and many culms too -- from 50% to 100% of them depending on the grove. Except for one grove, which had no culm death, not even a branch death -- completely leafed out again in the spring (even though all leaves died).

At first I thought it was the species (Ph. virella) but that didn't make sense, as the other Ph. around it all suffered. But it happened 2 years in a row.

The other day I finally realized that my gutter drainage pipe empties right into that little grove, so it was getting more water than any other planting!

I think I'm going to make sure I water as much as I can this year, even if I think it might not be that dry... just in case.

[T9D]

I always make sure to really water well going into winter. When it freezes it's cutting off water to the plant. Simulating drought. If it's already dry and then freezes, it just made sense to me it would be worse. Especially if you get cold blasts of wind, just because it's cold out and winter, doesn't mean it won't dry it out the same as a dry summer. It may take a little longer, but it will happen all the same.

[pokenei]

Agreed. I had wrapped/tarped most of my bamboo over this past Winter. But oddly, the few that I didn't protect actually look better, with less Winter damage. The only explanation is the exposed bamboo received enough water from the rain and snow, wheres the fully protected ones diverted precipitation elsewhere, thus not receiving enough water to withstand cold windy days.

[Alec]

I always make sure to really water well going into winter. When it freezes it's cutting off water to the plant. Simulating drought. If it's already dry and then freezes, it just made sense to me it would be worse. Especially if you get cold blasts of wind, just because it's cold out and winter, doesn't mean it won't dry it out the same as a dry summer. It may take a little longer, but it will happen all the same.

So I've been curious about this. I've always been scared to water at all in winter due to the damage that frost can induce on the roots. We often dip into freezing temps at night but stay around 30-40F during the day in January and February. The danger is when it stays in the 20s for a week at a time, which can happen some winters. Would you still water then?

[Bruce-FTC]

With the change in the political climate, I'm once again boycotting the news. So, I have time to catch up on the forum. It's been a while.

Poknei - Keep in mind another potential hazard of covering your bamboo is the greenhouse effect. Here in Fort Collins, many years ago, I realized I not only need to cover my bamboo in winter, I also have to implement a fan on a thermostat to suck the hot air out of the top of my tarp and push it through a dryer vent tube down out from under the tarp. Otherwise, the bamboo will cook in the winter. Even with that, I find it's tricky to get enough space for circulation between the tarp and the bamboo, on both the sunny side, and the shady side. On the sunny side they cook if there's not enough air circulation space. On the shady side, moisture tends to condense and the leaves stay wet and cold or frosty all winter, and will be rotted out by spring.

Alan - It's such a relief to learn both you and your bamboo are still with the living! I'd feared the worst when INWIG went dormant. I do hope you and your family and the pie shop, and your bamboo are all well and happy and enjoying life. Take care my friend.

Bruce

[Alan_L]

We and Bamboos are doing fine -- been thinking about reviving INWIG too, maybe with weekly posts? I think it would be nice to document the changes in the garden over the last few years...

Back on topic, this year we've had a super wet fall and winter, and it was quite mild up until the last couple of days. I was actually able to rhizome prune between Christmas and New Years -- the ground was moist and completely unfrozen. But now the first Arctic blast of the winter is here -- won't be quite as cold as last year, but nighttime lows in single digit F with wind. I do hope to avoid lots of dead culms this year, as I cut out probably 300 or more dead ones this spring/summer, with maybe 100 still out there.

Cutting them isn't a problem -- it's the debranching that gets me. Or should I say all of the branches that are left -- so pokey!