Ebay s Craigslist

[bamboothew]

Matthew: most people don't heavily research plants before buying, from eBay or the local garden center (I include myself in that category). Even if they do, they could Google "Phyllostachys nigra", get to the Bamboo Garden page for that species, see a beautiful plant, what low temps it can take, and how tall it can get. Does that page say anything about the spread of this species or running bamboo in general? Nope. It does say "initially slow to spread, but quite vigorous after that". What does that mean exactly? So they think they've "researched" the plant, but they didn't get the important info. Five years later there's bamboo in the neighbor's yard, and a couple of years later their town is banning bamboo. (Extreme example for illustration only.)

Also, just because all of the other eBay sellers of bamboo don't mention the spread and ways to control doesn't mean that nobody should. I know that's not what you were trying to say, but it almost came across that way.

Exactly right on all points, Alan, I agree. My only point was that a lack of information on a seller's page (ebay or otherwise) is not at all unusual and it is up to the customer to research the plant in almost every case, even on reknowned nursery websites. Even the terms "invasive" or "aggresive spreader" can conjure images of plants like mint that only spread a fraction of the distance per year that bamboo can (though imo mint is probably much harder to eradicate in some ways), and one usually must go from page to page on a nursery site to find out what those terms mean as they relate to bamboo, and I have always thought that is pretty bad business. But imo it finally boils down to the consumer needing to do adequate research. However, to be clear I ttotally agree that to be responsible, sellers should provide the most information they can reasonably provide before a customer bids/buys.

[Alan_L]

It is important to put it out plainly that it will run, if it's a running bamboo, but I don't want to put out information I don't know.

So then you say that this bamboo may spread anywhere from 1' - 15' a year depending on your climate and growing conditions. Withholding an important fact because you're "not sure" isn't the way to go. Do you talk about the potential size of the culms or the potential height? Those are equally uncertain. The only difference is that talking about the potential spread and yearly maintenance will scare some buyers away, and eBay works only when as many buyers as possible bid on items (if it's an auction). So naturally many sellers would be hesitant to publish "negative" facts about the products.

If somebody who lived in your area was coming to your house to buy bamboo in person, would you withhold information about spreading and control just because you don't know what their soil is like or how much they'll water? No, or at least I hope you wouldn't. You should treat the eBay customers the same as you would the live ones.

Some of this may sound accusational, and I apologize if that's how it comes across. My intent is to make you really think about this, not to accuse anybody of anything.

[stevelau1911]

This is what I created so far which can be added to each listing as basic information to inform the grower about things they may care about. I can probably add a few more categories such as germinating seeds, diseases, etc, but I think this is a good start.

Growing instructions for running bamboo

Planting
Before planting a bamboo, make sure there is a site available with either full sun, or partial shade as most running bamboos grow better in full sun. The hole that is dug should be at least a foot deep and twice as wide as the root ball so that organic matter ie compost and manure can be mixed in with the native soil. Mulching is also recommended to hold in moisture, and the bamboos should be watered once it is planted, and as needed afterwards depending on the time of the year and how wet the soil is.

Winter Protection
For colder climates, zone 6 and below; flag tarping is recommended and this consists of bending the culms down to the ground, and while holding them down, putting a solid layer such as a sheet of plastic, pool liner, or whatever blocks the wind entirely over the entire bamboo. These culms should be pressed to the ground so that they get the warmth of the soil temperature, and get further protected when the snow accumulates over the tarp. The tarp can be held down by garden staples, but other heavy objects such as bricks, rocks, and heavy branches can hold a tarp down just fine. Building a tent or greenhouse over a bamboo will not work nearly as well as a tarp as they would still get exposed to the cold temperatures. Also porous materials such as deer netting or burlap don’t work.

Controlling the spread
For especially warmer wet climates such as in the southeast, running bamboos can spread a quite a distance. Depending on the temperature, soil type, precipitation, fertilization , sunlight, the species, and the maturity of the grove; running bamboo can run anywhere from a few inches up to 20 feet a year.
Even if you live in a warm and wet climate with an extremely aggressive species, it is pretty easy to control the spread as long as you know about the growth habits. Bamboos can make rhizomes any time the soil temperature is over 50F, and most phyllostachys species generate rhizomes that grow from 0 to 8 inches deep so they don’t grow very deep unless they run into a tree stump or barrier which forces them to grow downwards.
The easiest way to control the spread of bamboo rhizomes is to take a shovel and dig a trench around the perimeter of a grove to the point you want to limit the spread of rhizomes. These rhizomes can be lifted up and re-directed the other way, or you can also cut them off, or even force them into the drainage holes of nursery pots; fill those pots with soil to create divisions.
If you are planting a screen along the side of a fence which borders a neighbor’s yard, I would recommend a one sided barrier, and at least a foot of space between the plastic rhizome barrier and the fence so that rhizomes that jump over the barrier can be caught. There are many other ways to keep a bamboo under control with can be found easily with a simple search on the internet.

Pampering for maximum growth
In cooler climates such as the northeast it can sometimes be hard to get some species of bamboos to spread or put on size so in order to maximize their growth some of the basic things to keep in mind are mixing in organic materials to improve and loosen the soil. Regular watering will also help get a young plant started, and increase the spread of rhizomes. Another thing that can help maximize growth is increasing the soil temperature, and one of the ways I have achieved this is the use of fresh grass clippings which produce heat when they decompose, and adding roofing tiles on top to trap that heat as well as absorb the heat of the sun.

Propagation
If you want to propagate your bamboo to make more plants, there are over a dozen ways to do it. Divisions can be made from rhizomes, culms with nice root balls, whip shoot, rhizome into drainage hole, air layering, ground layering, tissue culture, dwarfing culms, and many more.
The easiest method when you are starting with very little plant material would be pull rhizomes into the drainage holes of nursery pots and fill that pot with soil. Once that rhizome turns into a culm, and the pot is filled with roots, the connection to the mother plant can be severed as long as the culm is hardened off already which takes 2-3 months from start to finish.

[benboo]

Is a plant sale license required to sell plants and seeds on ebay?

I have read that many people do not register, while others do. and some people get fined for selling plants without a license, but mostly because of selling plants to California.