Need help identifying bamboo (P. aureosulcata)

[DeanOfGreen]

The canes are greenish yellow as shown from in the pics from the grove where I harvested. There are also some pictures of the shoots coming up. The new shoots have a red tint around the edges of the sheaths and there's a white powder that rubs off as well. There is also some hair near the tips of the new shoots similar to that on a husk of corn. Any ideas of what this might be?

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/520/thumbs/sheath1.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4067&cat=500&ppuser=1420) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/520/thumbs/sheath2.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4066&cat=500&ppuser=1420) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/520/thumbs/sheath3.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4065&cat=500&ppuser=1420) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/520/thumbs/grove1.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4064&cat=500&ppuser=1420) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/520/thumbs/grove2.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4063&cat=500&ppuser=1420)

[Mark Meckes]

Hi DeanofGreen,
Nice pics! (I will upload/cross-link them into your gallery for you)

It is Phyllostachys aureosulcata (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=520) - Yellow Groove Bamboo

If you check the sulcus (alternating groove on the culm up where the branching begins), it should be a pale yellow color.
It's hard to see this on older culms that have been exposed to more sunlight in which the whole culms has turned yellow - check a younger/greener culm.
There may also be pale alternating yellow stripes visible on some green culms (on the internodes - between the nodes) below where the branching begins.

There is also a species called Phyllostachys aureosulcata 'Alata' that isn't yellow in the groove but is green.
This is probably the true species form.
In fact, when I lived in Pennsylvania, some of my grove of Yellow Groove Bamboo reverted back to P. a. 'Alata'.

Mark

[DeanOfGreen]

Thank you very much for your help :]

[DeanOfGreen]

BTW, the pics of the shoots were after I planted. I've heard that it's not very good to propagate during shooting, but this was the soonest I could get to it and figured waiting longer would only make things worse. The shoots haven't shown any growth so I'm pretty sure they've aborted, I just hope the rhizomes are ok. I've been keeping them watered and they're relatively close to a tax ditch. I did that so I'd have a natural border they wouldn't cross and I figured that being next to a water source wouldn't hurt either. Should my rhizomes be all right? I'm planning on fertilizing a few times this year as well. Doing whatever I can get make them grow as fast as possible.

[Mark Meckes]

Providing that you were able to dig up a decent chunk of rhizomes with soil attached, you should get some small (straw size to pencil thick) sucker growth sprouting from buds growing from the rhizomes.
The amount of 'vigor' you were able to dig up with the plant will be determined by the number, size and health of these reserve rhizome sprouts.
If these small sprouts grow well, they will grow new rhizome offsets for the following years shoot growth.
The segment (division) of rhizome that came with the original planting will gradually die off, to be replaced by a new rhizome network that develops from the juvenile growth.
It can take a couple or more years for a small start to pick up speed in growth.

Mark

[DeanOfGreen]

The guy who let me get the bamboo helped me dig it with his backhoe and the chunks of soil with the rhizomes took two people to pick up so they should be pretty good sized. I guess I'll have to wait and see what happens. I'm probably going to get some straw for mulching as well. For those possible pencil sized shoots you mentioned, would they come up this year since I propagated during shooting?

[Mark Meckes]

Taking a division from bamboo is a rhizome bud-eye-popping occasion!

Bamboo deals with such calamities by having a reserve of dormant buds on their rhizomes, located one at each node.
The most viable buds will awaken and spring into action and send up a small shoot.
Rhizome divisions, or segments of rhizomes must be of youthful vigor and contain viable buds etc.

Example:
Awakening rhizome bud (Phyllostachys aurea):
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1050128-25PaureaRhizome.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=887)

Some rhizome buds never grow because they are too old and have lost their viability.
... or they are simply not able to draw up enough nutrients from the connecting rhizome division.

I hopefully anticipate that you will see some action soon.
Especially as you mentioned you got a hunk of a chunk of rhizomes. :)

Mark

[DeanOfGreen]

I actually just got back inside from checking the bamboo with my fiance. It seems as if the shoots didn't abort after all. They're starting to increase in height now. I just planted them on the 5th of may and it's now the 11th. I'm going to try and water them on a more regular basis, atleast once a day from now on. Do you think it's too soon to go ahead and give them some fertilizer?

[cngodles]

I've transplanted 10+ of this species throughout the past year an a half.

From 2005:

1st one - 4 different culms, dug up sans rootball in October - Died

All after 1st are w/ rootball.

All the following are from 2006

2nd one - 4 culms together, dug up with nice rootball in April. Actually got one large shoot to come along and shoot up, resulting in a 12 footer. Also had small whip shoot, and a bunch of smaller 4-6" high shoots along the rhyzome. This year, I'm tracking 25 new shoots, with about 8 of them being medium sized, and 60% as large as the parent. Only the new shoot from last year survived, and releafed. All original culms died.

3rd one - 1 14' tall culm. Actually got 5 4 foot high bushy shoots to come up with this one. Planted 1st week of May, got shoots to move in June. This year tracking 15 new shoots of which 10 look to get at least 6 - 8 feet high this year.

4th one - 3, 18' high culms. 2nd week of May. Too much culm, had to cut back just to get it to survive. Developed small 14" high shoot in September. This year, only developed 2 30" high shoots, most of the remaining two 18' culms look to be dead. Must be starting over.

5th one - 2 culms, remained healthly and regrew leaves. While the origianl culms are ok, this is my only planting to give me 0 shoots.

6th one - 3 healthy culms, 14' high. Middle May. Lost all 3 due to wind, dog accident, etc. Tracking about 15 new, with the highest only getting to 26".

7th one - 1 culm, top half snapped off leaving 2 branches. In October of 2006, 2 - 26" high shoots emerged. Before they opened, they were frost bitten and died. In 2007, only tracking 3 very small shoots.

8th one -First year culm aquired July 14th. Tracking 5 new shoots, where the tallest may get 36", but is only 15" today.

9th one - First year culm aquired July 14th. Lots of rhyzome growth first year, and a few very small 4-6" shoots. This spring I'm tracking 2 50% size shoots that are currently nearing 60" high and opening up.

10th one - Planted same time as 3rd culm. Single culm, was totally top killed this Winter. Also had a carry on shoot, but the side rotted out and it fell over and died. Got on single tiny 3" high little shoot last year. This year tracking 15 new shoots that are approaching 2 feet high, but appear to be on their way to over 4 feet.

[Mark Meckes]

That's some amazing details there Clint.
Goes to show, a new transplant can go and grow in a lot of different ways.

DeanOfGreen, one consensus is not to fertilize initially, or little the first year, though compost or a diluted concentration is okay.

In a situation of having no top growth - just rhizomes, the first thing is to hope for a flush of new growth.
After you see the momentum of leaf growth and can see that the plants' hydraulics are working, ie., that it is drawing up a decent flow of moisture and nutrients, then you can begin to fertilize, pretty much as you would any other vegetable plant, according to it's size and vigor.