Starting a bamboo grove

[jane99]

Hello. I have transplanted 9 bamboo plants to a pasture. It is growing - survived the transplant... I keep it mowed around it. I was thinking about laying down plastic around it this summer to kill the grass (fescue). Then remove it in the winter and hopefull some runners will have taken off and new shoots will come up. I certainly don't want to till around it if there are runners. What do you think? Thanks - peace & love,,,,, jane

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Jane, A method I've used is to cut the weeds or bend them down flat, then spread out overlapping sections of newspapers and top with a thick layer of mulch (woodchips bark, leaf mulch, stable materials etc).

Though it involves some labor and investment in mulch, the following years' growth makes it well worth the effort.

How far apart are the plants?

Mark

[jane99]

Hello Mark - thanks for response. So you just mulched the area around
the plants. I guess same difference? I was wondering if they would
just take off through the grass and then eventually kill it out by
shading it.... I planted 9 starts about 6 feet apart in a straight row.
I have plenty of room to grow bamboo and would like to start it
throughout the property and then mow around each grove. Do you know if
it will take 2 years to send up shoots? thanks,,,,,,,,peace &
love,,,,,,,,jane

[tharlow]

I'd bet you could mulch fairly heavy using hay (might even get some old rotting round bales for almost nothing). Leave this sort of mulch on year round as it will help insulate the soil (summer and winter) and help retain moisture, especially if you are not easily able to irrigate them in the pasture. Eventually the hay will completely decompose adding nutrients to your bamboo. If you lay it on thick it'll choke out the grass.

The first few years you probably won't see much action. They'll gradually get bigger and begin running. If you mulch the areas between them, I'd think they'd populate those areas first before venturing in the direction of dryer (non-mulched) areas. Having the biggest starts you can get speeds the development a bit. I've heard it suggested that the larger plants have more energy reserves and seem to survive harsh climates better than smaller plants.

BTW, what type of bamboo did you get?
--Tom

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Jane, as long as the bamboo is taller then the surrounding vegetation and receives adequate moisture, it should manage on it's own.
Yes the bamboo will eventually crowd out many, but not all weeds.
I've read that groves can take 6-10 years from planting time to reach maturity. This would depend on species and location.
In less then ideal situations (like some parts of Texas) the bamboo can take 20 years, or perhaps never grow to optimum size, rather, they adapt to their environment.

The first year is the most critical year for your bamboo. As the bamboo has not fully anchored itself or tapped in to sub surface moisture, grasses and weeds around the planting can drain much needed moisture away from the bamboo.
This is particularly the case if you have dry hot periods.
As Tom said, applications of mulch serves to suppress weeds, retain moisture, provide nutrients and keeps the soil friable so that roots and rhizome can become established.
In the second year, most new shoots will be within 18" or so of the original planting. This is the main part that should be mulched.

Of course their growth will also depend on the species planted and what size they were at planting.

What are your soil conditions like?

Mark

[jane99]

Hello. Thanks for the replies. My soil conditions - ha... It is basically sand and that's about it. I live on a sandstone bluff and it washes down. I do have it at a low spot that will keep wet longer than other areas. My soil is acid and lacks nutrients. But,,,,,,,,, my bamboo is growing :)))))) I will mulch all around for 4 feet or so with hay. I don't get the need for extra fertilizer and all. People normally say it is uncontrollable - grows like a weed.. I will add some organic nitrogen fertilizer to the starts i have if y'all feel it is needed. Thanks again for your help. By the way,, the time periods you mentioned for a grove to get established??? I don't get that. My understanding is that bamboo grows its full size in one year. It might take 3-5 years after that before it is ready to harvest. Maybe your use of the word "maturity" is unclear? peace & love,,,,,,,, jane

[tharlow]

Each shoot that comes up in the spring will achieve its full stature in a single season, but you will probably notice that the shoots your starts put out will be smaller than the original ones. It will probably take a few years before the culms get back to the size of the ones in the grove you got your starters from.

This is just me, but I'm reluctant to fertilize much in the first year. I don't really count nice broken down compost as fertilizer. I think it's better to make sure the plant gets established in its new location before possibly giving it a shock with too nuch nitrogen. You probably won't go wrong with organic material if it's been well aged, though. After it's survived the winter is when I think is the time to begin fertilizing, after going easy with the initial planting period.

Bamboo, especially temperates (those that can take a freeze), tend to be slow in achieving full size. Once established, and if neglected, is when they may get out of controll. You hear about the speed of growth, because a culm will go from breaking the ground to some 50 ft or more with some species in just a few months. People forget the plant itself has been growing for years. Once the plant is established as a grove, it can send up shoots a long way from the next culm. Again this is afew years down the road.

Hope this help make a little more sense.

--Tom

[jane99]

Hello.... I like the idea of not fertilizing initially - - - and not because i'm lazy. I'm thinking the bamboo is kind of like a tree or a grapevine in that it needs to develop it's root system first - not foliage. Do y'all agree that one can keep a grove intact by mowing around it? thanks again - peace & love,,,, jane

[Mark Meckes]

jane wrote ...

> My understanding is that bamboo grows its full size in one year.

Correct. As a grove becomes established, the height and culm diameter of new shoots increase with each succeeding season until the grove reaches an equilibrium with it's environment and available resources.

Initially a planting will produce smaller diameter culms which are shrubby, with lower side branches and more `juvenile' in appearance Each year, as new shoots get bigger and taller, they will shade out these smaller culms.
This is where selective thinning comes into the picture.

There is a difference between optimum growth and ultimate growth potential of a grove.

Ultimate = largest height/diameter the bamboo species can achieve, based on location, growing conditions, and cultivation practices.

> It might take 3-5 years after that before it is ready to harvest.

Some say 4-6 for construction purposes.

These numbers are also based on what percentage of material can be sustainably harvested without decreasing diameter, quality and yield.

> Do y'all agree that one can keep a grove intact by mowing around it? thanks again

Are you asking ... Can I control it's spread by mowing around it?

Mark

[jane99]

Ok, i'll rephrase it that way if you like. Don't you think you can keep your bamboo from spreading by mowing around it?

Also,, i am in the process of building a greenhouse out of bamboo. I'll try to report back how it works out.

[Mark Meckes]

Yes you can control spread of top growth by mowing the shoots down when they have exceeded their boundaries, however the underground rhizomes can easily extend 20 ft from the border after a number of years of top cutting, in good soil and growing conditions.

Different species have different rhizome vigor and growth habits.
Rhizomes, like the culm tops are also cyclic. After a few years they die and are replaced by new rhizomes.
Most rhizomes are within the top foot of soil and there are ways you can root prune them to keep their spread under control.
If they are severed, they will respond by putting up sucker sprouts and if cut back when they appear, the rhizome will eventually die.

> Also,, i am in the process of building a greenhouse out of bamboo. I'll try to report back how it works out.

Great!
Start a New Thread about it in the Working with Bamboo Forum (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=49) when your'e ready.

Cheers,
Mark