Posted: 06/09/2012 at 21:07
I've heard this variety is particularly prone to spindly stems. I'm not an expert on bamboo and I'm sure someone else will give better advice shortly, but apparently you should cut out any particularly weak and spindly stems as soon as they emerge, leaving the stronger ones to use the energy to get thicker. That's not to say I would recommend chopping loads of it down wholesale now though, it might shock the plant. Perhaps you could thin out a third of the weakest stems and keep on top of any new spindly growth. Then next year, if the plant seems healthy and some stems are thickening, you might cut out a little more of the weak stems, and so on. I hope that makes sense. I also hope someone more knowledgeable comes along and says whether this advice is good!
