Calling all backyard moso-growers

Moderator: needmore

Post Reply
User avatar
terrabamboo
Posts: 246
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:20 am
Location info: 0

Calling all backyard moso-growers

Post by terrabamboo »

If you have a few confirmed moso plants that you would like to donate to my plantation project, please PM me. I lost roughly 30% of my moso crop from this past winter and have no more funds to replace the field divisions. I would like to keep the entire section (roughly 40 acres) all moso and keep it filling in nicely. I will gladly pay shipping and some handling.

Steve, the plants you contributed are still alive and kickin' in pots. Just have to wait another year I'd imagine before I can plant them unless I have a strong herbicide regime as the grass and weeds are 6 feet tall around here. (johnson grass).
Terra Bamboo
300 acre Bamboo Plantation Project
Focusing on Henon, Moso, Robert Young, Rubro, Vivax and Fargesia
stevelau1911
Posts: 3088
Joined: Sun Nov 23, 2008 9:15 pm
Location info: 42
Location: upstate NY zone 6B
Contact:

Re: Calling all backyard moso-growers

Post by stevelau1911 »

I really don't have good sized moso seedlings right now, but one thing I've found with them is that when they go in the ground and get in contact with the native soil, there seems to be an automatic signal for them to start producing rhizomes, and getting much bigger even throughout the first season versus more of a clumping habit when they stay in pots. I have no idea why this happens, but this seems to be what they turn out to be after a couple years being potted with little or no rhizome growth. The good size ups will only occur with enough warmth, and holding leaves through the winter though. They seem to grow more or less like a fargesia. Here's an example.
Image

I think one way to prevent the grass from growing is to simply lay down weed fabric over it before planting, or mulch if there's enough. It just needs to be a dark color so that grass can't grow through it, and it will just yellow off and die. Here's an example.
Image

All I use is tree leaves, and even if there's grass there, the leaves will smother them, preventing anything from growing within the area. I added another foot this spring of tree leaves on most of my in ground bamboos. I believe that no competing plants is better for the bamboo.
Image

I really doubt that anything will grow on top of the chicken manure with wood chips either. This leaf yellowing is starting to bother me because it could indicate rhizome growth instead of shoots, but the soil temperature should be well in the 60s in another week which is warm enough for shooting. If no shoots emerge and leaves keep dropping, then I know it's probably going straight to rhizome growth which does happen in some cases.
Image
Tarzanus
Posts: 1457
Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 12:05 am
Location info: 0
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia

Re: Calling all backyard moso-growers

Post by Tarzanus »

Steve, Moso will send runners as soon as possible. I've seen first runners on less than 1 year old seedling. Some of the seedlings actually never started running, might be that the plants were weak growers or they got damaged by pests. I'm sure If I would take care of them enough, they would behave aggressive just as the one I planted outside a couple of years ago. It's spreading, but this spring it seems it got into peaceful (not shooting except the part that is still inside the pot and a couple of late whip shoots) season. Now that shoots started branching out, whips started showing up all around the plant and it's evident that it ran A LOT last year. Sadly it didn't decide to upsize.

I would plant them immediately. When mine started running out of it's pot (I kept it potted but I buried it to prevent overheating of roots), it started showing really aggressive growth. It doesn't go in north-western direction, but it completely and successfully colonized south and eastern side of the clump. Rhizomes are everywhere, though, there are not many shoots - as like they haven't matured enough yet. Keep them moist, protected from strongest sun and well fed and they should explode.

They are far away from Fargesia. Except if you live far north like Steve and even Steve reported that his bicolor runs and shoots like a boss.


Plant them, mulch them, they should thrive!
User avatar
terrabamboo
Posts: 246
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:20 am
Location info: 0

Re: Calling all backyard moso-growers

Post by terrabamboo »

OK, so I think you have me sold on just sticking my 1 foot tall moso in the ground, but then unroll a large hay bale and put a thick layer of hay around it to keep the grass from growing.

I still would love to have more to give the field more beauty. Can you imagine waking through a 40 acre sea of moso in Mississippi?? Five more years and you guys can come down and check it out :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Terra Bamboo
300 acre Bamboo Plantation Project
Focusing on Henon, Moso, Robert Young, Rubro, Vivax and Fargesia
Post Reply