Growing Iron Bamboo (D. strictus) from seed

[bfahrny]

Just beginning to raise bamboo now have some seedlings of Iron bamboo growing indoors that I hope to transplant outside next year. I'm going to have to try again with Moso, as the first seeds that I started have finally all died after about 3 months (I've heard that it is hard to get started with a high attrition rate for the seedlings)

I guess this is my question, does anyone know if these two species will survive in northeast Okla.( about midway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa). From the research I've done, I understand that the Iron Bamboo will survive our hot summers but maybe not the winters while the opposite may be true of Moso.

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Brawn,
I would hope that Moso could grow in your area if given partial shade protection in it's infancy.

Regarding Iron Bamboo - Dendrocalamus strictus ...
It is only hardy to 30 F / -1 C, so you would need to grow this as a container plant or dig it up and overwinter it away from freezing temperatures till spring.
If you have a lot of seedlings you could see what happens if some are planted out and heavily mulched. It will suffer top dieback but if the ground doesn't freeze it might send up new shoots the following year.
However if the ground freezes solid in your area I would say it would be a lost cause.

Mark

[bfahrny]

Mark,

Pardon my ignorance, but what constitutes the ground freezing. Overnite, <32 degrees for 3-5 days , etc. the way our winters have been the last several years the's no telling. Usually, we'll have an ocassional freeze with some snow, but not for extended periods of more than a few days. even when we do get snow, the daytime temps rise above freezing within a couple of days. Freezing at night only might last for 5-7 nights.


Regards from the neophyte bamboo farmer,
Brawn

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Brawn, technically speaking I guess frozen ground is when it's no longer diggable, however because D. strictus is really a tropical bamboo, it may get frazzled root/rhizome buds even before a heavy freeze set in.

As this would be just an experiment to see if you could get a seedling to survive, I would suggest ...
- First getting the the seedling well established in the ground with a full growing season.
- Mulching heavily at the onset of winter
- removing the mulch in spring at first signs of frost free period so the ground can warm up.

I have experimented growing various half-hardy perennials up North (Pennsylvania), and one problem that can occur is root rot caused by root/rhizome parts getting frozen and then cold soggy spring weather can cause more root rot if the soil remains soaked. Sometimes saving a plant requires removing the dead root material and replanting the viable parts in a fresh bed. Such are the efforts one sometimes need to go to, to plant less hardy plants at the fringe zone of their hardiness.

Mark

[Mark Meckes]

Hi Brawn,
I was given a seedling a few years ago labeled as D. asper but it didn't appear to be this species.
This autumn I cut off one of the culms (small 2cm diameter) and it was solid, and after a little research I deduced that it is a Dendrocalamus strictus.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/734/thumbs/DasperAuTX051023d-184.jpg See photos (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=734)
It has endured a pretty tough life in a 3 gal pot. In mid summer 2006 I finally planted it in the ground and it produced one 10ft X 2cm culm. I dug it up again in November and have brought it indoors, taking it outside when the weather gets in the 50's+F.
I plan to plant out it earlier in the spring this year, after all danger of frost is over.

Mark

[bfahrny]

Thanks Mark,

If I can keep the cats out of my seedlings til spring that's what I plan on doing the first year. Once they get some growth, I'm thinking about leaving one plant out for the second winter with plenty of mulch and see how it does. Hopefully after a growing season outside, the rest will be big enought to fight the cats off indoors.

Thanks again,
Brawn Fahrny