Starting over again, again

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needmore
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Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Kea'au, HI

Starting over again, again

Post by needmore »

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.
poles.jpg

G maxima
maxima.jpg


N elatus
nastus.jpg


B chungii
chungii.jpg


C coronalis
coronalis.jpg


Likely G atroviolacea
atrov.jpg


S brachycladum 'Sacred Bali'
bali.jpg


B hirose
hirose.jpg


B lako
lako.jpg


D asper 'Betung Hitam'
hitam.jpg


D sikkimensis
sikkimensis.jpg


B multiplex
multiplex.jpg


B nana
nana.jpg


The vendors best guess is G atter
atter.jpg


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


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???
sparta.jpg
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Alan_L
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Re: Starting over again, again

Post by Alan_L »

Bigger lot than in CA it seems. :) Didn't you say that there's not much topsoil? How does an 80' clump stay upright?
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needmore
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Re: Starting over again, again

Post by needmore »

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
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