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Slow growing running bamboo

Hello all.

This is my first post here - I am wondering if anyone has any advice on the bamboo I have planted (even if it is just to be patient!)?

I have planted four (supposedly vigorous) running bamboo in a relatively small area (5-6m dia) surrounded by a small artificial stream:
 * Two Phyllostachys bissetii (one 50L and one 5L) - 50L planted last June and 5L planted about 2 years ago in June.
 * One Bashania fargesii (10L or 20L, I think) - Planted last June
 * One Bashania qingchengshanensis (10L, I think) - Planted last June

Thing is, it is nearing the end of April and so far I have seen just one single small shoot (about an inch in height) from the 5L bissetii. This was the same thing it did last year (2 shoots).

The garden is quite shady - facing south there is our house in front and to the right a line of Laylandii firs, so there is not much direct sunlight (there is a noticable temperature drop in my back garden compared to the front). There is also an overhanging birch and sycamore so it is relatively sheltered from rain.

image


I am in Leeds (England), so hardiness zone 7-8 I think.

The soil measured in the small island swings from medium moisture to dryish, it is about ph7 and is quite shady all year round. Because there is a cut-through the centre of the island the soil there is quite compact, but at the sides where the bamboo is planted it is pretty loose.

I fertilized the bamboo around December - January on the surface with chicken pellets. Nothing since.

Does anyone have any pointers to get things moving or is it too early to be loosing hope - I was kind of hoping the bamboo would have ripped through the stream and be tearing up my garden by now. Too optimistic?

Thanks for any help,

Jonny

 

PS: In the picture red circles around the bissetii, yellow on the fargesii and blue on the qingchengshanensis, for what its worth).

Posts

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    Hi Jonny, welcomeimage

    It's just a matter of time I think, a few years and you'll be wondering how to contain them



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Hi nutcutlet, thanks for the (very) quick reply!

    I hope so - I worry that it is too shady/cold/dry and planted the bisettii and fargesii specifically because they are vigorous and tolerate shade, but even grass struggles to grow in my garden - hence the bamboo alternative.

    Other posts on the subject talk about how dozens of culms are shooting each year, so wondered if there is something I am not doing that I should be. Hopefully by next year (or so) I will be having to apologise to my neighbours!

    Thanks again.

    Jonny

     

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    They do like some moisture so don't let them dry out. My most successful one is in shade. The one that got drowned and then frozen the winter before last didn't survive



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • SalinoSalino Posts: 1,609

    ..I'm puzzled as to why anyone should want to have running bamboo....you seem quite relaxed about it there, Jonny.... good to see in that way... I'm sure all those shoots will be popping up very soon.... just like field horsetail, which is about to unleash itself where I am.... perhaps you'd like some of that too...lol... it's a good spreader...!

  • Hi. Thanks for that, I'll ensure there is plenty of moisture for them then. I read somewhere that the chlorine in tap water can be harmful to bamboo so I tailed off regular watering (not having a steady supply of rainwater) but better to keep moist then. I guess I just need to be more patient, might take up meditating, or just have longer lie-ins...

    Hi Salino. I have a brace of young children running feral in the garden and its nice to give them somewhere to play. I would not say I am particularly green fingered but I'll have a pop and wanted to give em a small jungle-like copse to play in, hence my eagerness to see quick results. So keen that I once found just the kind of thing I was looking for growing wild in the woods near me and ported some into my garden. After then researching Japanese Knotweed and spending the following two years digging the stuff up again, running bamboo doesn't seem to bad!

    Cheers,

    Jonny

     

     

  • GolarneGolarne Posts: 77

    You might have better luck with willow. although it prefers damp, I've found it unfussy in my garden. last year I cut two-foot long stems from one plant and put them in a bucket of water. They all rooted so I planted them and this year I have a willow hedge. ideal for. Gold for children to run through, or they can be woven into little igloos, tunnels, arches etc. and they won't run and invade your neighbours. You just need to find someone with a willow you can chop at!

    Pembrokeshire
  • SalinoSalino Posts: 1,609

    ..poor Jonny... you won't make that mistake again...lol... stick with bamboo if you must, although I think there are better choices you could have made - different varieties I mean...you must be a glutton for punishment....

  • Hi. No, wont be making that mistake again! Even I have limits as to what to plant, though I would rather have something that I have to regularly control than something that refuses to grow.

    Out of interest what varieties would you recommend? It would have to be hardy, shade tolerant (or loving) and produce decent width culms to anything over 2m in height. Any ideas?

    Hi Golarne - thanks for the tip, I am trying to think if I know anyone who has a willow - it is worth a shot. If I had some but it didn't like that location then there will always be somewhere for it to grow.

    Cheers,

    Jonny

     

  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445

    A big advantage of willow over bamboo is the price.

    You can usually find a bit of willow to stick in the ground at no cost at all and you could do some those live willow weaving structures with the kids.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Just been looking at some willow weaving images, it does look very impressive! I just finished building them a small log cabin, willow weaving would have been a great alternative to that! Live and learn.I'll definitely be looking into willow, something I never considered before.

    Thanks for all the advice, its been a great help!

    Jonny

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