Flexibility of mature sized bamboos.

[stevelau1911]

Since my area gets over 100inches of snow on an average winter, I think that keeping my bamboos from breaking under the weight of snow is a bigger concern than winter protection. Right now all my juvenile bamboos that range from 1/8 to 5/8 inch depending on their species can be bent down to the ground easily without breakage. I'm seeing new shoots still growing already getting bent to the ground with strong wind, and popping right back up like fishing rods now.

My concern is once these plants get larger, they might not be as strong, or flexible enough to take 3feet of snow which is common under a lake effect snow belt. Are mature sized 2+ inch bamboos still able to bend to the ground under the weight of the snow, and bend back up?

[bambootony]

land!!!!
BRRRRRrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!

[zxylene]

I have some of the same concerns with snow I do not get even close to as much as you but we do get some. I would think and I am hoping that the individual branches and leaves can only hold so much before the snow slides off. So I am hoping that it is not enough to break the culms or knock the plant down. Ice on the other hand I am afraid will hurt my boos.

[kudzu9]

As bamboo get larger, they lose some of the flexibility associated with juvenile culms. Your experience will vary according to what species you have. Some bamboo will stay fairly upright and take a fair snow loading, and others will bend over and ultimately break. Breakage happens soonest with thin-walled bamboo like vivax. I live in an area that doesn't get much snow fall, but I have seen a grove of local vivax decimated by a modest snow storm: 4-5" culms broke off at about the 20' level. I don't have any bamboo that are presently bigger than 1.5"-2", and I make sure I go out and give them a shake whenever we have some snow. So far, I've only lost a couple of culms to snow loading.

What bamboo are you growing and how big are they at this point?