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Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:05 pm
by jpluddite
Hi guys.

Is anyone selling a relatively cold hardy clumper? I live in central PA in zone 7a. I planted a 'green screen' during the summer and it did fine, but now it's showing some top kill.

If you have something, let me know.

Thanks,

jp

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:00 pm
by moriphen
What exactly was the species name for this bamboo? Not all temperate clumping bamboo can handle a zone 6 winter knowing the species name would help a lot. That aside bamboo can take a few years before the hardiness numbers match what the ABS database would reflect.

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:49 pm
by johnw
Fargesia Green Screen is the same as F. robusta Pingwu. Rather surprised it would have winter damage in Pa. given the mild winter down there. Maybe try robusta (Campbell form) which is a bit hardier.

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 8:16 pm
by jpluddite
John,

I was surprised, too, specially since it's in a relatively sheltered area. The plant was about 3.5 feet tall when I planted it in early late spring, and it seemed to do fine until the winter. It's still alive; the top kill affects only about the first 2-3 inches of some of the culms, but it's strange to see.

jp

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 1:03 pm
by canadianplant
Give it a few years and it might toughen up no?

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 4:07 pm
by johnw
canadianplant wrote:Give it a few years and it might toughen up no?
I think you may be right now that I think back about the Campbell form, it had some tip kill the first year or so but not since. So not surprising with Pingwu.

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 5:59 pm
by jpluddite
By comparison, my first year Japonica division appears almost unscathed, despite the fact that it's in a much less sheltered area than the Pingwu.

jp

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 1:28 am
by johnw
jp

Well I guess that P. japonica division is a good indicator of just how tender Pingwu must be. I suppose we can say the same for F. robusta Wolong too.

I am very happy with F. sp. Scabrida as it is pristine after all the cold here and it didn't get planted from a one gallon until September. Have pix but the Mac hard drive is corrupted so it's in for a new one & no way to download them. Should be out of the shop in a day or so.

Drizzly here and +3c.

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 2:38 am
by tncry
I tried both robustas on the island and they have faded away to nothing. Not hardy enough for zone 6.


TC in PEI

Re: Anyone selling relatively cold hardy clumper??

Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:26 am
by needmore
My F robusta 'Wolong' is many years old, thought it was dead a couple years back but kept producing a few runt culms, is presently nearly a foot tall and has now survived 2 consecutive winters. If it does not make a big size leap this year it will continue to be a major flop. For me thus far F denudata has sized up the most in height, F rufa in mass, a newer F nitida shows size promise and may find 2.5 meters or taller this year?