bamboo cuttings

[dionysus]

does anyone know how to get cuttings from the notches on bamboo plants? i am going to grow them to make a new trellis. thanks

[pikevi]

I have read that bamboo cuttings must have at least one node underground and two nodes above ground when planted. The cut should be at a 45degree angle and planting is also at 45 degree angle ( not straight ). I am giving this info from memory. I hope some one else who has done it can add more.

I am not sure they will survive your winter. And a season's growth will not give you much of a trellis .

Good luck.

[brookn]

Hi could you elaborate on what type of bamboo you are talking about. I am thinking you are talking about a type that is called "fishing pole bamboo". I have some of these planted.
If it is this type, mine have just really started to take off with four large growths, and some smaller ones. I got mine 3 years ago from a friend who just yanked them out of the ground. She had a stand of them in her yard that was enormous, and many had to be over 8 or 9 feet tall.
Pikevi if it is this type, it dies off in the winter, and comes back in the spring like a bulb plant. The canes when they die would make a great trellis, but like I said, I am on year 3 of growing these, and I will not have enough for something like a trellis for probably another year or two.
When they die back they leave the dried out poles, but you have to take care and cut them and not pull up by the roots. I does not make them happy to be pulled up. If you ask my son it does not make mom happy if you make them into swords either. Especially if you use them to wack and poke your sister. We just have too much fun at my house.

[brookn]

Oh, I am going to have to research this, cause I think may also not be a "true" bamboo plant either. Many different plants get labeled as bamboo, and they are usually a form of another plant, many times a dracaena. I am thinking this might be a form of grass. Like I said, guess I better do some homework. Yeck, more homework. I am a glutton for punishment.

[pikevi]

Thanks, brookn.

It appears that it is a true bamboo(googled). and , as you said , is pretty hardy. I just read that they can withstand -20C(-4F).

I love bamboos, especially the yellow ones. But our temperatures dip down to -35C(-31F) at times and I am not sure they will survive.

[brookn]

Hi I just got back to this thread. I had to work and then I went to visit at mom's house. Been gone all day.
I am not sure about the temp. thing. It gets cold here. They just turn into dead sticks, and when it warms up here they come up out of the ground. You could always give it a try. I have mine mulched, and they like a lot of water.
I am not positive about our winters, but we had a very bad winter here, at least for the plants. If you look at Springfield MO, which is about an hour away, they got horrible ice. The trees and plants took a beating. It is not uncommon here for it to be 80 degrees farenheit for a week in Dec., and then a week later have a snowstorm. We are famous for our trees, and it has been awful. Had a warm snap then a cold snap. It looked like all the new leaves and buds had melted on my trees. We will also not have any fruit this year, the cold came when everything was in bloom. Oh yeah and our saying here is "if you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes"
Okay, I am rambling.
I know that we definitely got below -4F this winter, and the little buggers are growing great in the front yard.

[pikevi]

Thanks brookn.

No harm in trying. I will look for one soon.

The weather is widely fluctuating here too.

[dionysus]

hey, brookin, would you mind sending me some roots? i will grow them in a tub and store them in my pole barn durring the winter. in the summer i will apply an absolutely terriffic fertalizer to them to get them to grow even bigger. if you want, i will even pay postage for them. thanks

[brookn]

I would be happy to send some, but they are in the middle of their growing season. I don't want to disturb them right now. I only have a small patch of them. It may be a year and a half before they have produced enough for me to do any dividing on them. If you want, this fall I will contact my friend, and see if she will send some more my way. I am sure this will not be a problem, as she has a lot of them. It is much easier to send them when they are dormant as they wil probably not like to be shipped while growing. Drop me a pm sometime in Sept. and I will happily see about it.
Oh, and they shouldn't have to be stored in the winter after you have them growing, they will just come right back up the next year. Your zone is not much different than mine, and all I have done is mulch and water. I just leave them to the elements. It is better to leave them in the ground, too much moving around would probably make them really grumpy.

[brookn]

If you are wanting something sooner, you might try ebay right now, I saw tons of bamboo in plants and seedlings. They are not very expensive, and you can get plants or seeds.

[dionysus]

that would be wonderful!!! i am going to keep them in a tub though, it is not so mucha s the elements that i am worried about, it is my ponde and surrounding wetlands. those pesky little buggers will take hold anywhere they can get a constant supply of water. thank you for the suggestion though