I'm based in the US, in Phoenix, Arizona and got into bamboo about a year ago, give or take. I've always thought it was a neat plant, but never tried growing any before that point. I've been focusing heavily on my backyard the last couple years and finally had the funds and initiative to get new plants in the ground.
![Mr. Green :mrgreen:](./images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif)
Since starting, I've gone through almost one full year with some of my first acquisitions and I have been super impressed with their hardiness and tolerance for our sometimes rapidly swinging winter temperatures and brief but damaging freezes that have nuked some of my other plants in the past. The whole thing sort of snowballed after that, and I've been happily acquiring different varieties wherever I've found a place for them. This is definitely a fun plant to grow, even in the desert!
![Cool 8)](./images/smilies/icon_cool.gif)
I've got 5 15-gallon B. oldhamii from last year, of which one has just sent up its first new cane of the season, which looks to be well over 1" diameter. Hoping the others do likewise. Also have some B. tuldoides and the B. tuldoides 'ventricosa' in separate sections. I did end up digging out and putting in an enclosure with HDPE barrier to grow a couple of runners, and I have 2 15-gallon P. nigra and a 3-gallon B. spectabilis in there all of which seem to be kicking off the growing season as of last month sometime.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
For the smaller stuff, in a micro-climate I have beneath a large Eucalyptus tree, I've put a few varieties of B. multiplex and, even though it's probably not ideal, could not resist at least attempting to grow a pair of 2-gallon F. nitida that I acquired. The culms are just beautiful and, so far anyway, it seems to be handling transplant very well despite our temperatures here. Summer is going to be a challenge once we get into triple digits temperatures and low humidity, but hopefully diligent watering and shade during most of the day from the tree will help.
Last but not least, I just recently filled my last open spot along a block wall with a pair of beautiful B. dolichoclda 'stripe' 15-gallon specimens with 3/4" canes. One already had a new cane coming up, hopefully it won't abort from the transplant. They should look spectacular given the proximity to a lemon tree and with those yellow canes. I have seen reports of some plants in this variety having the BaMV but these are quite a ways from my others (no chance of physical contact) and seem robust, so I'll proceed with caution, sterilize pruning tools just in case and hope for the best.
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
I guess that's about it as far as an intro. I'm not out of room yet for planting bamboo and there's a few more varieties I'd like to acquire (B. lako for example, and maybe one of the larger blue/white powdery clumpers) but no dice as of yet. May be able to get something from Bamboo Ranch down in Tucson, but not until later in the year it seems.
Looking forward to sharing more as time goes on and hopefully being able to share some of my experience growing these beauties in the desert.
![wave :wave:](./images/smilies/wave.gif)