Is my Black Bamboo Dying? Please Help...

[DMcBrideBoston]

Here is a little background on the tree.....

The tree was recieved as a gift in May of 2004, it was 6 feet tall at the time, it was full of green leaves as well.

I planted the tree outside in pete moss and 10 10 10 fertilizer was used. I use the same 10 10 10 fertilizer every 4 months.

2 months ago, my bamboo shed all of it's green leaves, and currently has none. Should they have grown back by now? There are NO buds present either.

The bamboo is currently 7 feet tall and still has no leaves.....

I am worried my beautiful bamboo is dead, can anyone help me out? Is there anything I can do to save this tree?

The Area......

North West of Boston, Massachusetts in a suburban town. Sunlight is not a problem at all.

Thanks So Much,

Dave

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Dave,
We shall presume that your bamboo is a Phyllostcahys nigra.
See photos ... Phyllostachys nigra (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=527) in the Gallery Bamboo Flora.

Questions...

Did you plant your bamboo in 2004?

Has it made any new shoots since you planted it or has it started to produce any new shoots for this year?

Is the dead portion from a previous year?
(Phyllostachys nigra culms are green the first year, gradually turning a solid or speckled brown/black by the second year, depending on sunlight).

If your plant was outside during the last winter, did the leaves stay green all winter or did they become become a tan parchment color due to cold temperatures, and then drop off this spring?

If the tiny buds on the branches are also a beige color, it may not releaf.
Check to see if any of the tiny leaf buds are beginning to swell and elongate.
If so, new leaves are beginning to form.
Otherwise you may have your first piece to `harvest', with hopes that new replacement shoots are on the way.

Mark

[DMcBrideBoston]

Thanks for the quick reply Mark.

Yes, It was planted in May of 2004.

No, It has not made any new shoots since it was first recieved.

No, The portion has been dead since the tan leaves fell off in April 2005.

They changed to the tan color before they fell off in April.

I will check on the tiny buds when I get home today, and I will post back up on Wednesday Night around 10, when I get back to work.

I will be here until 2:30pm if you have any more help or questions to offer/ask me.

Thank You

Dave

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Dave,
Phyllostachys nigra is `marginally' top hardy to your location, depending on the severity of your winter, and the microclimate it is growing in. (heavy frost pocket ? / wind - chill factor)

It is listed as being hardy to 0 degrees F, (-18 degrees C), though in the single digits Farenheit it will certainly suffer top dieback.

Degrees of top hardiness are as follows ...

- Evergreen in slightly warmer temperate climates, replacing some leaves with new leaves in spring/summer
- Partially evergreen - leaf tip dieback, replaced with new leaves in spring/summer
- Deciduous - Leaves become beige /drop off by spring, but some leaf buds are still viable, producing new leaves in spring.
- Complete die-back

If the potted plant had healthy newly developing rhizomes when you planted it, new shoots should soon be emerging around it's base.
On the first year after planting, you may get numerous smaller diameter shoots, and if you're forutnate, you may get a similar size diameter shoot as what you have.
Diameter of new shoots don't increase with age, rather, in each succeeding year the new shoots should become larger in diameter and height - depending on the growing conditions.

Leaf buds begin to swell, elongate and unfurl new leaves PRIOR to new shoot emergence, so you should know very soon if your bamboo is going to releaf.

Mark

[DMcBrideBoston]

If it does not re leaf then, am I completely out of luck, and have to start over or is there a way to save this particular Phyllostachys nigra?


Is there anything you recommend I do in the mean time, while I wait...

Thanks Alot

Dave

[Mark Meckes]

Even if you get complete top dieback, you should still get new shoots, though as a reaction to top die-back, the bamboo may send up more shoots that are smaller.
You will usually get smaller or equal sized shoots for the first couple of years after planting a potted bamboo anyway, until it anchors itself and develops a new system of larger rhizomes that are capable of producing larger culms.
I grew Phyllostachys nigra for a number of years in Pennsylvania, and even though it was almost annually top-killed, it still produced 6-8 ft tall new shoots, and a lot of smaller ones.

The new growth you get this year will depend on the health and vigor of your starter plant, and the growth of the rhizomes in 2004.

What month did you plant it in?

Mark

[DMcBrideBoston]

It was planted in May of 2004

[Denko]

I am in NY (northern Westchester, zone 6) and both of my nigra varieties are sending up shoots, but leaves are few on the still live canes from this terrible winter. You definitely should see shoots by now (they are usually light to medium brown)

John Mortensen

[paulineisaachsen]

Hi Dave

It may be too late if the colour has left the stems. If they are still black and a little green in part you could try lifting the plant and shaking off the soil.
Check for signs of mould in the soil - white powder, smells of mould. Check the plant for any signs of recent root development, usually off white and spreading with a radius of about 3/4 inch. Check also if the rhizome still lives - i.e. near the surface, black with off white centre, yes, you will need to cut with secateurs across the rhizome to check the viability of those. Start with little sections and the oldest first. If the centre is yellow to brown tending soft fibrous all the way through, the plant has rotted or desiccated. If you find a section that is firm and off white especially with healthy roots accompanying it you may have a live section, particularly if you press on the little buds at the rhizome nodes and they resist pressure and don't squash. With the section you may have hope in, plant this shallow in a sandy loam with a light amount of compost, or light pumice and peat planter (compost added) mix if you must, in a container to nurse for about 3 months. Plant at the surface of the mix. In the absence of foliage the rhizome and stems act as chlorophyll producers. Cut all old and dead stem sections and branches back but leave at least the lowest 3 'live' branches. Do not fertilise or overwater. Stand in a sunny place without snow or frost. Leave without disturbing the roots. If I am correct that you are coming into your spring months then there is every possibility that the rising sap may encourage your plant to releaf. For future reference, plant in an aerated mix that has pumice stones or similar material, such as coarse sand and seashell mix. Mulch with the same and draw this back in summer until the bamboo has enough depth of its own mulch, about 5 years. Fertilise with rich compost in spring to feed the new shoots and leaf growth.
Remember, silica is the 4th essential element for bamboo. It is especially true in a climate such as yours as it provides resilience to extreme exposure. A loam or brown clay soil is a good base medium that contains it. Pure silica sand is not necessary or safe.
Pauline

[DMcBrideBoston]

Thank You All For Your Help. WIll Post update this weekend.

Dave