Winter hardiness tests

[Alan_L]

I decided this year to do some tests with various cold-hardy species in my yard. Unfortunately we're having an extremely harsh winter, so I think that most of these experiments are bound to fail.

1) I got several divisions off my young Phy. bissetii when it tried escaping it's alloted area this year. One of the divisions was a 3-culm (5') division which I potted in a large decorative pot and placed next to my house in front. It put out several whipshoots throughout the summer, and looked really good. The experiment is to leave it out all winter with no protection to see what happens.

2) I put some of the other bissetii divisions in various places to see how they survive the winter: a couple out in the open, a couple against the house under the deck stairs, a couple in the greenhouse, a couple buried in a pile of leaves.

3) I wrapped plastic around several of my in-ground plants to provide wind protection. In each case I left some number of culms unprotected to see what difference the plastic made.

[Alan_L]

Some early results (refer to test numbers above):

1) I noticed a few sagey, crisped leaves the other day, and today I see a lot of rolled leaves. I expect much leaf loss.

2) The pots out in the open are the only ones I can see easily, and there is a lot of leaf roll going on. I expect total leaf loss.

3) Won't know how these are doing until after this weekend's bitter cold, but as of a couple of days ago they all looked surprisingly good. The Phy. nigra was the most surprising as I expected the exposed leaves to be all crispy already, or at least curled, but they still looked lush and green. I'm glad I decided to wrap them this year, as I wasn't going to.

[bambootony]

testing 1. 2. -15 W.C. tonight.
That should be a good test...
BRRRRRR

[ghmerrill]

a bone numbing 45f here last night... NOT normal for this time of year. the posititve side is that I took all the bromileads and some fo the orchids that have been crowding the windows in the house, and moved them out on the porch to enjoy some rain... for the last couple of days. nice to not have to bring them in at night!

[Iowaboo]

haha, I don't think many here will feel sorry for ya and your bone-chilling 'cold' night-time temps.

[stevelau1911]

3) I wrapped plastic around several of my in-ground plants to provide wind protection. In each case I left some number of culms unprotected to see what difference the plastic made.

I've found that tying down the culms and then putting a thick frost protection cover over them works more effectively than wrapping them because this way it gets more insulated by the warmer soil and also kills the wind factor when there is snow on top of it.

We've generally had temperatures in the 20s and 30s most days which is actually good because it is not cold enough to damage bamboos and also not warm enough to melt the snow which is sitting at about 7-9 inches now. I don't even think we'll even reach 45F this month because the snow cover + lake effect cooling keeps it cold most of the time.

[ghmerrill]

I would love to have some of the snow some of you guys have Lance! if things keep going they way they are now, we are all going to be peeing in buckets so we have something to water the boos with this summer.....

[Alan_L]

I've found that tying down the culms and then putting a thick frost protection cover over them works more effectively than wrapping them

When did you do this, last Winter? If you're talking about this Winter, how do you know which is more effective since it's not Spring yet?

I'm not interested in providing warmth, just wind protection. Plus some of these plants are in restricted areas that won't allow me to tie them down.

[Alan_L]

... we are all going to be peeing in buckets so we have something to water the boos with this summer.....

Please make sure you label any trade plants you send that have been watered this way.

[Iowaboo]

we are all going to be peeing in buckets so we have something to water the boos with this summer.....

Just remember to dilute it!!!!!!!!! I've killed more bamboo that way than from winterkill

[needmore]

we are all going to be peeing in buckets so we have something to water the boos with this summer.....

Just remember to dilute it!!!!!!!!! I've killed more bamboo that way than from winterkill

You need to consider a dramatic dietary change to move your ph more to the akaline then...lay off the vinegar & kraut martinis.

[stevelau1911]

I've found that tying down the culms and then putting a thick frost protection cover over them works more effectively than wrapping them

When did you do this, last Winter? If you're talking about this Winter, how do you know which is more effective since it's not Spring yet?

I'm not interested in providing warmth, just wind protection. Plus some of these plants are in restricted areas that won't allow me to tie them down.

I'm trying both ways of protection this winter and I'm only able to check on the ones with a plastic cover over them so far and they are fine for the most part. I have no idea how the ones that are wrapped up are doing, but all I know is they are not completely protected by the snow cover.

Last year I tried burlap, and that was a complete failure since the protected ones did worse than the ones with no protection. Wind can still blow through burlap, and it also keeps the snow off exposing leaves to more wind.


Around here, there is almost always a good layer of snow in january and february so there might not even be a need to protect them. Its only about a foot in these pictures, but some years, it has gone up to the 3-4ft range.

3ft tall rufa almost completely buried.


Greenhouse snow from over last night

[needmore]

Based on the forecast I was expecting subzero last night but we lucked out on this one - our temps were forecast at +20F high, -1F low, we actually 'warmed' to +27F and the low was +12F out here. I'm usually colder than the forecast so we must have had good cluod break in the day and cloud cover last night.

LONG way to go yet, obviously, but so far my low has been +1.77F last week, with some strong winds during this deep freeze but not on the coldest nights. My usual early damage to the Phyllostachys comes to Robert Young (never has wintered over), Moso (ditto) and a Nidularia (ditto ditto) from a seedling a few years old. A walk through this AM, the Robert Young seems unfazed for the most part; Moso looks to have 100% leaf burn, as does the Nidularia. No other material damage visible yet to any Phy's.

Chimonobambusa quad & tumid both were top killed at around +12F a few weeks ago; Pl simonii at the same time (WAY over rated in hardiness in my experience), F. scabrida may actually have 1 or 2 viable leaves remaining but hard to say, same for F. robusta 'Wolong'. The ground covers and shrubs are mostly gone but that is expected. Several if not most Phy's are showing no visible signs of damage at all.

Oh well, it's only halftime so I have 8 weeks or so to fret left.

[Matt in TN]

How old is your moso - is this a mature plant, or juvenile?

[Alan_L]

...so far my low has been +1.77F last week, with some strong winds during this deep freeze but not on the coldest nights.

It's been an unusual winter so far, since here in St. Louis we've had temps that are at times well below those in Chicago (and what Brad's been seeing). Woke up yesterday to -6 F, although there was no wind. Normal low is about 20 F.