G. atroviolacea shooting?

[ClariBoo]

Just curious if anyone else is growing the above boo. Wondering about when it usually shoots. Mine came from Jim Bonner at Bamboo Plantation back in February and I got it in the ground in March. Has branched and releafed very nicely.

It, my Wamin, and Bambusa eutuldoides viridivitatta haven't started shooting yet. Where my Textilis and Malingensis have already put up 6-7 shoots each.

I'm patient, just curious.

Daniel

[Roy]

Just curious if anyone else is growing the above boo. Wondering about when it usually shoots. Mine came from Jim Bonner at Bamboo Plantation back in February and I got it in the ground in March. Has branched and releafed very nicely.

It, my Wamin, and Bambusa eutuldoides viridivitatta haven't started shooting yet. Where my Textilis and Malingensis have already put up 6-7 shoots each.

I'm patient, just curious.

Daniel

My G. atro is not shooting, but at my house the rains have been few and far between. Should be getting our regular Summer rains now, but not yet, but I keep hoping.

[boonut]

Both my Atros at the farm are not shooting yet. We have had plenty of rain. I don't think it has stopped raining for more than 2 days at a time in about a month. We may have had more rain in the last month than we normally get all year. The last few rains have been just enough without flooding everything, so I am happy.

[mantis]

It, my Wamin, and Bambusa eutuldoides viridivitatta haven't started shooting yet. Where my Textilis and Malingensis have already put up 6-7 shoots each.

My wamin put up a MONSTER shoot a few weeks ago, but one of my textilis' hasn't put up anything and the other has only put up 1.

Don't have a G. atro, so I can't help you there.

[mr.mike]

My atro hasn't put up anything yet either nor have any of the textilis varieties, ie; wong chuck, weavers, emerald, or scranton. For me at least, they have, so far, been the slowest to shoot.

[Bamboo Conne'isseur]

My wamin put up a MONSTER shoot a few weeks ago...

Can you take a few pics?

[mantis]

My wamin put up a MONSTER shoot a few weeks ago...

Can you take a few pics?

I tried to get pics yesterday, but my camera fogged up as soon as I went outside... it's been raining A LOT here. More than I've ever seen. I'll try to get my camera acclimated to the weather this weekend, and get some more pictures of the shoot.

-mike.

[mike best]

5-6 year old 48-53 feet tall G. Atro: There were 4 new culms from 1 to 3 feet tall on 5-2-07 in Winter Springs, Florida. (see photos) I just got a report that they are now (Jn. 28, 07) at least 20ft tall. There is now one
more shoot--Just poking up through the sand right next to the area we
first dug in May. I transplanted 48-53 feet 4 culm cutting in May to Orlando and the new 3 foot shoot died and the rest of the boo had 100% leaf drop. Very painful to see it do that but I have seen the same thing before with Brandisii and puntting pole with good success. I did not top it. I trimmed back the branches. I nervously waited for signs. Very painful to think I might have killed it but it finally pulled through the full sun and heat with lots of water and now has leafed out fully as it can and is my favorite bamboo in the yard. But boy what a lot of work.

[ClariBoo]

Wow Mike, that's a beautiful boo. I can't wait for mine to look like that.

Sure enough, a couple or so days after my original post, i went out this morning and saw a shoot finally.

Daniel

[litibu]

Mine is a new addition from Bamboo Direct. It was a #1 size pot which equates to two culms each about 1/8 in diameter.

Looked allot like regular grass to tell you the truth. I mean small.

Last week it sent up its first new culm. It's about 3/4 inch. What progress it has made. Must of had some nice roots.

Now looking at the previous photo of that beautiful boo being trucked away. How does one go about transplanting something of that size?????

Specifically do you have to cut it back if you get good root mass? I'm interested in moving some Lako across the yard and i just want to use a backhoe to scoop it up and replant.

Does anyone with more experience have any advice?

Thanks

[Roy]

Mine is a new addition from Bamboo Direct. It was a #1 size pot which equates to two culms each about 1/8 in diameter.

Looked allot like regular grass to tell you the truth. I mean small.

Last week it sent up its first new culm. It's about 3/4 inch. What progress it has made. Must of had some nice roots.

Now looking at the previous photo of that beautiful boo being trucked away. How does one go about transplanting something of that size?????

Specifically do you have to cut it back if you get good root mass? I'm interested in moving some Lako across the yard and i just want to use a backhoe to scoop it up and replant.

Does anyone with more experience have any advice?

Thanks

From what I see on the truck and trailer, he must not want to do any real topping of the culms. In that case, I'm sure he will have to put up some sort of brace to hold it up and water it well for a few weeks. I usually use a long cut culm from say B. sp. 'Clone X' as a brace. I just dig the size hole I want to put the bamboo in, then I take a post hole digger and I dig as deep as as I can, along side of my culmp hole, and then put the 'Clone X' culm in the deep post hole and fill and pack the dirt as I go. One I get that filled in, then I plant the bamboo and use the wonderful duct (Duck) tape to tape the newly planted bamboo to the 'Clone X' culm.

Here's an example of my hurricane resistance brace on a B. tex. 'Mutabilis".

[mike best]

litibu I don't know how big your Lako is but I don't think you need to top
it,especially since it sounds like you are getting (scooping up) all the
roots and dirt at once and leaving the whole root system intact unlike the root system in the photo below:


I never had the luxury of a back hoe. It should be better and much easier. The real secret is WATER IT! Baby-sit it for the next month or so with proper watering's and you will have success.

I usually push the envelop and don't top my field transplants no matter how tall. With that said, there more reasons TO top a tall field transplant
than not.

Some reasons might be that it is to tall and heavy to move it through the yard and out the gate or around other tress, down the highway.
Just lifting it out of the ground can be difficult. It can blow over in the
wind easier if it is not topped and some people use the tops for propagation.


The leaves will tell you how the boo feels. I expect It will curl leaves,
then wilt, then drop some weather or not it is In full shade or full sun it
won't matter in the long run. Don't be alarmed as this is just a temporary
set back and it will put out new leaves on the same twigs within weeks.

Sometimes I have had 100% leaf drop on large field transplants and within days if you look very closely you will see little leafs starting to sprout on the branches just like it is spring time. Within a month it will look normal again full of leafs. A minor set back with no lingering effects.

Topping the boo dose have a lingering effect that is visual. "Hey Mike what happened to your bamboo, where are the tops?"

i could be wrong here, but just thinking out loud, It is It is my guess
that boo is self regulating and will top itself it if wants to be topped.
starting with leaf curl, wilt, leaf drop to conserve water then starting at
he top of the culm, will die section by section shutting down what it cant support.

Your Lako will probably be very bottom heavy and won't blow over but better to be safe than sorry, I like Roys method of bracing a boo.

One last thing. I suppose you know not to lay your Lako down on the ground in the sun. That will spell 100% leaf drop, might set it back even more or kill it. If you must lay it down, lay it in the shade and cover it with a wet canvas drop cloth or similar cotton covering from roots to leaf tops and never let it dry out while laying down.
Also never try to grow your bamboo from the back of a truck, its better in the ground: (see photo below by Chuck Theroux)

[Roy]

What the 2 people are doing in this picture is what one should do when having to travel any distant at higher vehicle speeds. Wrap it in Saran wrap, or like material, and drive worry free. When you get to your destination your leaves and plant should be in perfect condition.

[litibu]

thanks all for the advice. ill let you know how it goes. I'm going to wait a couple weeks so the rains are in full force. That will help with watering.

[Roy]

thanks all for the advice. ill let you know how it goes. I'm going to wait a couple weeks so the rains are in full force. That will help with watering.

You could just pull off some of the leaves to try and balance the amount of water the roots can supply versus the amount of water the leaves can give off. Thus the culms and branches will still be intact and the branches will grow more leaves anyway.