Lots O' Shoots

[boonut]

Bambusa Lako only stops putting out shoots from around December - February. Lots of shoots coming up this month.

[boonut]

This is what the overal shape of my 5 year old B. Lako looks like 7/25/2009. I thin out about 12 culms a year to keep it under control.

[bepah]

Beautiful!

[Matt in TN]

Wow - I'm jealous!

[Roy]

Boonut,

I will be so glad when I can get a nice clump of B. lako growing like that in my yard. I keep hoping that I can get mine to start putting up new shots, but nothing so far this year.

[boonut]

Boonut,

I will be so glad when I can get a nice clump of B. lako growing like that in my yard. I keep hoping that I can get mine to start putting up new shots, but nothing so far this year.

Roy,

You have a great collection of very nice bamboo with ideal conditions to grow them in. Here are a few suggestions to get B. Lako to produce more shoots. B. Lako seems to enjoy full sun... even down here. They do require a little more water on a regular basis to do really well. They also seem to enjoy the heat. Wind doesn't bother them. Our soils are alkaline, but every time I apply "soil sulfur" to make it more acidic, the Lako rewards me with lots of shoots. I do fertilize about twice a year. I also pile the cypress mulch around the base. Another thing I do in my yard is to cut the grass back about 1 foot a year and pile in more mulch. After the soil sulfur treatment, and pulling the grass back a foot a year, I really see the biggest push of shoots. But, like I said, this one puts up shoots most of the year. I don't have another bamboo that puts up that many shoots, although the Gigantochloa Marga is coming in very close... we will see how that one does in the long term.

Forgot to mention I thin out the Lako in May or June... perhaps that also has something to do with it putting out so many shoots. Maybe timing has something to do with it. Bottom line... I am sure if anyone can grow big ones, you will.

Here is a picture of the latest shoots on the Marga:

[Arachnotron]

Very nice. I can't wait until my lako starts shooting. I got it last year as a single culm, but nothing so far. My B. v. 'kimmei' shoots just about year round though.

[dudley]

still no shoots on my lako this year. same size now as when i planted it 4 years ago.
time to try a new spot.
I was thinking less sun. it currently has one of the sunniest spots i have.

[moriphen]

Stunning, I hope I have something akin to that in the future.

[bambootony]

WOW!! Very Nice Boonut!!!!

[boonut]

I have quite a few B. Lako in the ground. The picture in the first post shows that most of the new shoots come out on the northeast side of the clump... which gets more sun. I have at least 30 clumps at the farm. The ones with bigger holes to start with and more mixture with compost... and mulch on top to keep it from drying out so quick do the best.

I have noticed that the ones that get the least care and water, have whitish looking culms after a year or so. They look bleached out because they don't have the full canopy of leaves on top.

Just trying to help others trying to figure out what works best with B. Lako.

[tnguyen]

Wow, this is awesome. Thanks for posting pics.

[webgator]

Man that is one beautiful stand of Lako! I only dream about putting mine in the ground. It stays in a 25 gal pot which gets garaged in the winter upon threat of sever cold weather. The two shoots that it currently is putting out are lucky to be an inch in diameter.