Dendrocalamus Validus

[ZZZ]

Hello--

I planted a small, 3gal specimen of this clumping variety amongst my exotic bamboo @6 months ago. I see this morning that it is sending up its first "real" shoot of substance; a great red color as I'd seen in the pictures online.

At any rate, it occurs to me that I planted it too close to the property line, as it will be pushing out the raised bed railroad ties onto the neighbor's property in short order. Is there any reason why I can't carefully dig it up and move it about 6ft further into my property, or should I wait until the fall when it goes dormant?

Thank you.

[needmore]

How tall is the shoot? Your current weather is very important. If only a few inches tall then I think that if you are gentle, careful and have compatible weather you can move it now but if it is hot and dry where you are then wait. I did the same with 3 bamboo a few months ago, one had an active shoot, another had 3 and they all kept going once moved, but my timing was a rainy period with tons of humidity. I had the new planting mounds ready (no can dig a hole here) and the backfill soil plus a hose right at hand.

I think the key though is weather and timing, make sure that the root mass does not get hit by direct sun or winds and if you can time it for a period of a few rainy/cloudy days it would be best.

If the shoot is taller then I'd wait, and if it is expected be hot, sunny and dry I'd wait.

[needmore]

BTW - so the D validus has red shoots? Do you have a photo link? I'm having a senior moment and can not recall if I planted D validus or D peculiaris...

[ZZZ]

Hi Brad--

Thanks for your info. After I posted the question here, I looked through my old emails and located the place here in Florida where I bought the D. Validus back in December. They told me pretty much what you did: that it's best to transplant it when the ground is wet (it poured here last night), and if it isn't raining while being moved, I should be sure to saturate the ground after. They also advised it's best to transplant it right away as opposed to waiting until it goes dormant later in the year. The shoot is about 18" and I was pleasantly surprised to have discovered it today. I don't know what I was thinking when I originally planted it so close to the property line--I essentially have a large raised bed with railroad ties that runs along the property line--and while I am kicking myself for having to dig it up after it seems to have taken so well, the seller said that even though it's a 50/50 proposition that the new shoot will survive, he's certain that the rhizome will come back as long as I'm sure to keep it watered for a few weeks.

For whatever reason there seems to be very little info on the web regarding the D. Validus, and I am curious to see these red culms for myself. The aforementioned 18" shoot is showing red, but I am guessing I have set the growth back now by a few months after having transplanted it to a better spot...

[needmore]

I'm curious about the red as I've never read that about D validus but out here the bamboo folks call red bamboo is D sikkimensis which I have and the mature clump mine came from was a real beauty - not red, but orange/golden with shiny waxy culms and really interesting shoots - the shoot leaves look like a hairy angry animal.

[webgator]

Agreed, Validus should have more of an orange hue to it once they fully emerge.

This is the my newest shoot popping...



These are from last year...

[needmore]

Wow, nice shoots! I get the red part now.

[webgator]

Wow, nice shoots! I get the red part now.

Thanks! I'm hoping these push 5" diameter this year. Height of last year's I would estimate to be at least 40 feet.

[needmore]

I think mine is D peculiaris not D validus but yours makes me ponder getting one. I'm around 38 species I think but there are not many more out here I can find that I would like, I'm a bit terrified of D giganteaus as it will get quite large here!

[ZZZ]

Great photos...

I did end up moving mine a few feet farther away from the property line, and as I feared, the new (first) shoot stopped growing and in fact just fell over. The wispy shoots from the rhizome are still fully green with nice leaves, so I'm sure the plant will be ok. Am I not likely to get another shoot this season, however, which means I've set growth back by a year?

[needmore]

Hard to predict, maybe new but smaller shoots yet this fall?

[webgator]

Seven total new shoots and one appears to be at least five inches diameter!

[Alan_L]

[needmore]

Pretty impressive and especially so for Jacksonville!