Bamboo craft species to grow? Z7 Md USA

[saxofoner]

I am an amateur bamboo crafter, but have never actually grown bamboo. I believe it is possible to get many different varieties over the internet, but I am not sure what variety to get. I am looking for a species that will grow good in Maryland, Growing Zone 7, but more importantly, a variety that is strong enough for things like furniture, trellises but versatile, not like Iron bamboo, walls too thick for splitting. I just purchased "The Craft & Art of Bamboo" by Carol Strangler ( I highly reccomend it to other amateurs, but it might give experts some good ideas too.) And there is a section on varieties. I like the sound of phyllostachys nigra, problems?

[Mark Meckes]

Hi saxofoner,
How much space do you have to grow the bamboo?
- enough for a grove, or just small clustered plantings?
I'll make some suggestions after hearing more about the planting location and conditions.
Yes the book "The Craft & Art of Bamboo" by Carol Strangler is very inspiring.
See this review (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=560) - (note several corrections needed)

Mark

[saxofoner]

I have a relatively small area, mostly shade, I don't know if "Moso" bamboo will grow here, but that would be great.

[Mark Meckes]

What is your usual minimum winter temp?
If it's less than 0 oF / -18 oC then your options are many.

> I have a relatively small area,

This is your biggest constraint which will affect the growth potential of the bamboo and your actual harvest size and quality.

To cultivate a bamboo grove, it should have at least as much, or double horizontal space as is the height of the plant.
A stand of bamboo can be trained to need less, and a potted plant can have it's culms topped, staked and shaped to a (bamboo) trellis.

In regions where winter snow and ice storms regularly cause damage to trees, expect bamboo breakage as well. This can affect potential harvest.
A 30ft tall upright stately bamboo grove planted along a driveway can completely block access to the driveway during a heavy ice-storm, but much of it will usually spring back up when the weather warms.
There are ways of dealing with this.

Think bamboo topiary.

Other options ... Containment

This can reduce potential size and growth of the bamboo, though still providing useful materials for craft.

Methods of contaning bamboo...
- rhizome barriers, root pruning, surplus shoot eating,
propagating ... (to another more spacious location) ...

------------

> it' mostly shade ...

hmmmm ... All day ... filterd light? ... morning / afternoon light?

At the minimum, start off with healthy vigorous plants so that they have sufficient energy to adapt to the environment. One way is to grow them in containers first, in a location with more light until they're bursting to get out of the pot, then plant, or divide, propagate or plant into a bigger pot, ad finitum...

By natures way, sunloving bamboo growing in shade will produce less numbers of new culms annually, directing more of their attention towards root and rhizome development growth. It require more energy to sustain culms which need to grow to greater heights to get access to sunlight.

Most sun loving bamboos can manage on a `half day' of sunshine or open filtered light with occasional periods of sunlight. They naturally adapt quite well at the periphery of mixed forest ecosystems etc
If a portion of the planted area receives more sunlight, it can provide some nourishment to parts of the planting that extends into deeper shade.

(In hot central Texas many bamboos `run' into the shade to get out of the dry heat, and can produce their largest culms there.)

Species selection

Consider single species or mixed species plantings.

To be continued :)

Mark