Collecting Fargesia nitida seeds

[glenn smith]

I have a Blue Fountain bamboo that started blooming last month...
Can anyone tell me how long it might take for the seeds to become viable?
The seeds are still rather soft and I'm trying to keep sparrows from eating all of them.

glenn

[Mark Meckes]

Hi glenn,
That's interesting about the sparrows going after the seeds ... clever lil critters!
You might need to put some bird netting over the plant.

My experience with bamboo seed collecting is limited, as so far the only flowering bamboo species I've encountered, (not nitida), have produced no seed - just flowers.
I would guess that any viable seeds would ripen within a month or two from the time the floret began to flower.
One method used is to lay down sheets below the plant, give it a shake, and the ripened seeds should fall out onto the sheet.
... but if the birds get there first you may need to resort to hand picking.

Do you have any pics of your flowering boo?
If so, please do upload them with your post.
(click on 'Manage Attachments' below the message text box > Choose File > Upload > repeat procedure for more pics.)

Mark

[glenn smith]

Indeed, bird netting might be the thing!
This is a small, potted specimen I've had for about three years; I keep it at work with
six or so other bamboos in pots (I've a dozen other species at home in the ground,
the potted ones I like to have around in warm weather so I can water them more than once a day).

glenn

Fargesia nitida flowering
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/756/thumbs/DSCF3127.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4157 &cat=756&ppuser=2450) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/756/thumbs/DSCF3129.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4156 &cat=756&ppuser=2450)

[Mark Meckes]

Nice pics!
(I've placed these in your gallery and cross linked them to your post)
Feel free to upload more pics of different view points as you get them.

It's interesting that there's one last vestige of green leaves midst all the flowering culms.
It does indeed appear that the flowering is well on it's way to the seed ripening stage.

Another method to save/protect seeds from some branches is to wrap some fine mesh material over some of the branches, tied with a string or rubber band, to catch any seeds that might dislodge.
Some possible materials are someones nylon hoisery stocking material, or chiffon type fabric that is a fine mesh consistency used in dresswear or curtain material.

Mark

[glenn smith]

The nylons sound like a good idea, but I'm not sure admin will approve ladie's garments adorning the ornamentals ;-)

Heh; I'll wrap a few clusters with bits of nylon and slightly snug wire ties.

I've touched on a few threads about japonica flowering; I'm just starting to learn about the mysteries of bamboo but is it possible that I could keep the blue fountain alive long enough to cross pollinate if my arrow starts to bloom?

glenn

[Mark Meckes]

I've touched on a few threads about japonica flowering; I'm just starting to learn about the mysteries of bamboo but is it possible that I could keep the blue fountain alive long enough to cross pollinate if my arrow starts to bloom?

That would be an interesting cross if it was possible, which I don't know if it's possible, or if anyone has ever tried it.
Fargesia nitida X Pseudosasa japonica = Farsasa nitonica or Pseudogesia japonitida ;)

Another area of exploration is whether it's possible to save/dry/freeze (?) bamboo pollen for cross polination at a later time when a bamboo species comes into flower (??)

Interesting that (so far) I have not seen the Pseudosasa japonica growing around Austin flowering, though in other places it is.
It can have a lengthy period in which it does flower, which leads to the question of ... if the first flowers produce seed, will these seedlings have a different flowering cycle than seeds produced at the end of their flowering cycle?

I was given a potted flowering P. japonica growing in Louisiana but so far - no seeds produced.

Mark

[ShmuBamboo]

We saw some F. nitida blooming at a nursery on the Oregon coast today. The owner let me have a few seeds to take home and plant. The flower clumps were mostly empty, but every 6 or so had one or two viable seeds in them. Supposed to be a slow grower? F. n. has been blooming since about 2005 I guess? 2 of the 3 large planted specimens that the nursery had were in flower and looking like they are about to croak, and one was not flowering at all (but the owner expects it will).

I was told a few years ago that my P. japonica would flower soon, but no blooms here (or anywhere that I have been in the west coast area). I have been reading that it has been blooming in some parts of asia for some time now. Panda food...

[sasa fool]

I have had 4 species of bamboo flower this spring, so far 2 of my old gen F. nitida (I have another 4-5 yet to flower) a very small old gen F. murielae, Pl. fortunei, and Bambusa tuldoides Ventricosa is flowering on 1 branch. I have not collected any seed but I do have 5 seedlings from another growers' Pl. fortunei from a flowering last August.
See this thread: Pl. fortunei seedlings: Will they be variegated or a species form? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2594)

[Mark Meckes]

Good question about Pl. fortunei.
Interesting that some F. nitida species or cultivars(?) have yet to flower.
One would presume that all current cultivars of F. nitida originated from seedlings of the last big flowering episode, just as they are now being selected.
I wonder how long that flowering period lasted?

Mark

[ShmuBamboo]

I have seen posts for F. nitida flowering as early as 2005... and I have seen some that have yet to flower. Similar in Ps. japonica (arrow) which seemingly has flowered in other places, but not here yet.

The mystery of bamboo flowering characteristics. I wonder if global warming has messed up boo flowering as well???

[sasa fool]

I purchased some new generation F. nitida seedlings in 2004 (2005?) so the flowering started at least a couple of years earlier than that. I also bought several old gen plants that surely were all one larger plant chopped into smaller pieces by the vendor, judging by their appearance. Thus far 2 have started flowering this year, 4 have not, a couple died without flowering.