The Running of the Rhizomes

[cngodles]

Forget the running of the bulls, the rhyzomes are off to a great start (at least here in PA), where I've spotted some as far away as 2 feet from plantings already. This explains why my July plantings don't do as well the next year, because they fall behind on the rhyzomes.

I've spotted 2 that have invaded the no plant zone, so I'll let them grow, then dig up the new shoots come July this year.

Some plants have as many as 4, and some with arcs 3-4 inches high.

Planting #8 - 2 new rhyzomes.

http://bamboo.statedirt.com/images/f/fe/2007_planting08_02.jpg

Planting #8 - 2 other new rhyzomes.

http://bamboo.statedirt.com/images/4/48/2007_planting08_01.jpg

Planting #4 - 1 new rhyzome invading my mulch.

http://bamboo.statedirt.com/images/f/f9/2007_planting04_02.jpg

Planting #7 - 1 new rhyzome invading my mulch. It's middle bottom of the picture.

http://bamboo.statedirt.com/images/a/a2/2007_planting07_01.jpg

[glenn smith]

Sneaky little guys...I wonder how many you don't see yet.

;-j

Glenn

[ShmuBamboo]

They're off and running!

I planted 3 Phy. aurea (golden) boos here last fall ouside the guest bedroom to make a hedge/barrier to the driveway. All 3 have shoots as far as 4 ft from the edges of where the pots were. These were well established potted boos though, all in 15 gallon pots dug up and potted 3 years ago. They had grown under and 'taken over' the hen coop, which I saved from the Golden Bamboo Monsters. I had to drag the main root ball out with a tractor and chain and lots of swearing. It was a mass over 4 ft in diameter. Some of the live canes are still bent from growing under the hen coop.

Now, I planned for this to happen (boo running), and they are filling in and forming up the hedge nicely; faster than I expected though. The gravel driveway is pretty much diverting the rhyzomes along it and not into it. Some of the rhyzomes are shooting into the yard, and those will be hacked and dug up and potted in the fall. Or hacked and left in the ground over winter, and potted up in spring.

Morel: do not believe some books that say Phy. aurea will run 'up to' 10 ft in 10 years time. More like 10 ft in 3 years time. Given optimum conditions, bamboo and can do run like mad and faster than expected. I have seen some groves at some plantations easilly run and throw up a shoot 10 ft away from the mother plant in one year!

[Mark Meckes]

Here's typical rhizome growth for one growing season of Phyllostachys aurea.
The grove was dug back the preceding year and mulch was placed in the new clearing. These rhizome were growing under the mulch.
Of course if a healthy plant directed all it's energy to fewer rhizomes their capabilities are more outreaching.
Some rhizome leaders (scouts) will slither just under the mulch or leaf litter, who's job it is to look for the best place to set up camp for future generations of young 'uns.
These rhizomes are cut back each year, chopped up, composted and fed to our livestock (earthworms) who turn them into food for future generations of bamboo

Phyllostachys aurea seasonal rhizome growth - Austin Texas USA
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurRhzAuTX020923-090.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3505) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurRhzAuTX020923-093.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3504) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurRhzAuTX020923-096.JPG (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3503)

[cngodles]

Love those pictures. I believe I've seen them before.

I'd like to sever them, to avoid shoots where I don't want them; but I think that I will dig them up and either sell or gift them away next year. I've dug at least 8 plantings so far this year from the source grove, and I'd love to get them elsewhere.

I wonder if the rhyzomes of certain bamboos differ from others in size, growth rate, etc.

Do they ever get 4-5" in diameter, like some culms can?

[ShmuBamboo]

Impressive, Mark. They look just like the worm beasts in the Tremors movie!

[Mark Meckes]

You guys have a wrysome sense of humor!
Who needs dangerous sports activities, or science fiction movies when you can have the 'real thing' in you own back yard!

I'll tease the rhizomes in the non-house direction with "directional mulching" and if you don't hear from me next summer, I've become a bamboo pod-person. ;-j
LOL! Where's my bamboo tooth picks? I need to practice sleeping with one eye open. ;)


I wonder if the rhyzomes of certain bamboos differ from others in size, growth rate, etc.
Do they ever get 4-5" in diameter, like some culms can?

Clumpers make up for lackluster spread by sometimes having thick-necked rhizomes.
Surprisingly for temperate runners, even with the larger species, rhizomes are rarely over 1" > 1 1/4" (2.5>3cm). I have a chunk of Moso rhizome somewhere that's nearly 1 1/2" (4cm).
If anyone has seen any thicker rhizomes than this I want to see it to believe it.

Though the rhizomes do provide a conduit for transporting nutritional resources, they also play other important roles such as to establish new territory, initiate shoot growth and to anchor or help keep the culms upright.
But it's the roots that grow out from the base of the culm, which begin to grow as the shoot rises, which provides much of the moisture and nutrients to a culm.
New Roots forming at the base of a new Phyllostachys aurea shoot

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX060514-2906.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3435) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX060514-2907.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=3434)

This is why a whole lot of rhizomes aren't necessarily critical to propagating a new division of bamboo, though having a decent rootball with these roots attached to the culm is very helpful.
These non-rhizome forming roots can be deep rooted, (I've measured them at 5ft below the soil surface at a cliff edge on our property where the soil has broken away:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/1P_aurea2erosion.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=809)
Nonetheless I've never managed to dig a rootball 5ft deep which is why most bamboos will go through some transplant adjustments.

A comment about these rhizome leaders.... Cutting off the growing tip will encourage new rhizomes to sprout from eye buds on the remaining rhizome, and come the following year you may have more albiet smaller diameter culms rise from these rhizomes.
Plus if/when you dig up/propagate these new plants there may be more rhizomes keeping the rootball intact then there is if you dig up a culm with only one single rhizome extension.

Mark

[ShmuBamboo]

Another joke: Snakes on a (flat) plane? Tha-dump, symbol tash.

Amusing read, indeed. The rhyzomes cometh. Its rhyzome season after shooting season is over. I repotted my new Phy. aureosulcata (Yellow Groove) today and found a new rhyzome already wrapped half way around the old 5 gallon tub. It is now in a 10 gallon tub so those snakes can run some. It also has a rhyzome that is above the soil level for about 6 inches... maybe it will turn into another shoot? I used to think that rhyzomes that breeched the soil and buried themselves were actually shoots that were confused.

I have some foot long dried rhyzomes and root segments from Phy. bam. "Allgold." Man, that stuff is tough! The roots grow in all directions from the rhyzomes, so there is great strength in them that way. The rhyzomes on those are about an inch in diameter. I can see how they also make for a great table stand just growing and stiffening up below soil level. Snakes on a plane...

[cngodles]

Whenever I dig, I find many worms using the leaves as cover, living on top of the soil. The top is like the soil you find with fishing worms, thousands of little dirt balls (there is a name for this, just can't think of it). Does anyone else experience this with their grove?
(Moved topic to this new thread): Bamboo as a soil builder? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2698)

I've very curious as to where these rhyzomes will spread this year. I'm predicting that I'll have to dig up at least 6 plants from unwanted areas. That would have to take place about this time of the year next year.

Certainly a busy year next year. I'll have:

8 - 3rd year plantings. (of which two produced over 15 shoots each this year.)
5 - 2nd year plantings.

Also included are 1 - 3rd and 1 - 2nd year heteroclada seedling planting.

Fargesia sp. 'Rufa' (did I get that right?) will be in it's 3rd year as well. It has at least tripled in size this year.

I've got about 4-5 Moso is pots that are doing well. I still haven't tried growing them outside yet. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about wintering them this year. Does anyone have a plant light solution that works well?
(Moved topic to this new thread): Supplemental lighting for overwintering bamboo? (http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2699)

Thanks!
Clint

[Mark Meckes]

More rhizome ramblings ...

The running of rhizomes leads to different situations depending on the intent of the planting.
One use as mentioned is for propagation - to increase stock of a desired plant.
In other cases one hopes for the planting to expand into a grove or hedgerow etc.
When this involves a group of plantings of the same species, or several different species growing in a designated area, this may require selective thinning of the culms to provide sufficient light and nutritional needs for each culm in the available growing space, especially after the plantings become established.

Sometimes excessive rhizome growth can lead to a larger number of albeit smaller diameter culms.
I have read (and will make note when I find the article) that to consistently produce large size shoots for food production also may require removal or suppression of excess rhizome growth.
Meanwhile extra feeding/fertilizing and directing of selected juvenile rhizome growth is done for the production of the following years harvest of larger shoots.

I used to think that rhyzomes that breeched the soil and buried themselves were actually shoots that were confused.

btw ... I have searched the dictionary and couldn't find rhizome spelled as rhyzome.
Even though each spelling makes equal phonetic sense, the spelling in the Title of this thread has been changed from rhyzome to rhizome for the benefit of word title Searches.

Rhizomes are often classified as "underground stems that grow shoots and roots".
Rhizomes also grow more rhizomes, and I would add another distinct classification though it is difficult to name ... Tillering rhizomes, rhizome shoots/sprouts ... variations around this theme.

Rhizomes generally grow in a horizontal mode, though sometimes, as we've been observing, they can resurface for a distance then head back underground, or angle upwards and grow into a shoot that has slightly different characteristics to a regular culm shoot.

Some distinct characteristics of a "rhizome shoot" are ...
- Angle of upward growth
- Shorter than usual internodes, especially on the lower half of the shoot
- Side branches will often grow throughout the entire length of the culm and will sometimes grow to longer lengths than branches on a regular culm.
- The internodes will all have a sulcus (groove) which is sometimes more indented than on a regular culm.
- The culm walls of rhizome shoots are thicker-walled than on a regular culm.
- Rhizome shoots are generally smaller diameter than regular shoots.

Here's an example of a tillering rhizome or rhizome turning into a shoot:
Phyllostachys aurea
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070727-9935.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4447) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070727-9927.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4446)

Occasionally, and I find in much rarer instances, does a larger rhizome shoot form, growing vertically like a regular culm shoot, but bearing the traits as explained above that resemble more that of a rhizome.

Here is an example (foreground) - of a rhizome shoot:
Phyllostachys aurea- 1 1/4" (3+cm) rhizome shoot culm
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070727-9912.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4450) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070727-9925.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4449) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070727-9937.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4448)

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

The ups and downs of the life of a rhizome

Rhizomes of running bamboo species have a distinct subterranean zone that they prefer to live in, which varies according to species.
Other variables are ...
- Soil type. Apparently in soils of looser or more friable consistency, the rhizomes can burrow deeper.
- Contained bamboo. Bamboo that is contained within vertical barriers will cause the rhizomes to girdle. When the growing space has become overcrowded rhizomes have no other option but to burrow deeper or to rise up and over the impediment to search for an escape route and find needed nutrients.
Here's an example of a Phyllostachys rubromarginata rhizome hopping over a concrete retainment barrier which was installed about a 15 years prior, now covered with leaf litter.
They made the 'mistake' of making the barrier flush with ground level.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/512/thumbs/PrubroB6BGA930604-2.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=2077)
These rhizome hoops are also called "ankle busters", at least to any grove sprinter who would happen to get a foot caught in one. :eek:

This pic shows flattened rhizomes on the side of this rootball that was pried away from a concrete barrier.
The plastic sheeting had been placed in the trench prior to pouring the concrete.
There were many more rhizomes growing on the other side of the plastic.

Phyllostachys arcana
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/610/thumbs/ParcE5BGA930303-5.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=1935)

When grown in an open environment free from restrictions, running bamboos stay within their desired depth and do not burrow deeper and deeper.
I have found that rhizomes of most Phyllostachys species stay within the top approx 12" (30cm) of soil in a clay loam soil.
Semiarundinaria species can burrow a little deeper, sometimes just past the end of a straight edge digging spade. ;)

However here on our steep slope and cliff edge some rhizomes make an extra effort to dive over the edge with hopes of finding solid ground below.
In a very rainy year like this year they extend their rhizomes more, and in normal dry years the rhizome leader might abort or instead curve upward and sprout leaves.

Downward curving rhizomes of Phyllostachys aurea
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070726-9851.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4442) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070726-9849.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4441) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070724-9804.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4440)

Mark

[cngodles]

I have a few of those ankle busters. I hope they are not too far out of the ground to be protected from the PA Winters.

[Mark Meckes]

Usually after the portion above ground of the rhizome has been exposed to light for a while, the above ground portion loses the cabability to grow roots and justs serves as a nutrient transporter.
They make excellent handbag or teapot, gate or door handles etc. :)

See how this P. aurea rhizome arched over, then headed down vertically like an olympic diver. :eek:
http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/503/thumbs/PaurAuTX070725-9820.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4444)
There must have been some 'real goodies' buried under that patch of soil!
The Missus takes our kitchen vegetable scraps out to the grove each day with trowel in hand, burying them under the leaf litter.
Little does she know that the rhizomes are following her every move around the grove. ;)

[cngodles]

Rhyzomes just dominting now. Have caught 5 escapers already. And many places I just didn't expect to see them. I love it!

Also, lots of my heteroclada pots are showing bulging sides, where the runners are twisting around the pot.

[Mark Meckes]

LOL I think you've graduated from .. "First year they sleep .. second year they creep" .. in preparation for the third year when you can exclaim ...

^^^^^ Leaping lizards!!! ^^^^^

I think you had mentioned that some parts of your garden once had paving or had a rocky substrate or something which was covered over with dirt, and this would make some of your rhizomes leap around like fish swimming in shallow water.

Mark

[cngodles]

Would you say, that the diameter will keep increasing?

[Mark Meckes]

Just like culms, rhizomes don't increase in size with age.
Larger mature groves will produce larger rhizomes,
In reference to Phyllostachys species, their size remains proportionally much smaller than the culms.
Most Phyllostachys species rhizomes don't exceed much more than an inch (2.5cm) in diameter, though a few of the more robust sized species step it up a notch.

Here's a Phyllostachys edulis - Moso rhizome - a portion that had surfaced, growing in Louisiana ...

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/528/thumbs/PedulisRhizomeAvLA-9970.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4860) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/528/thumbs/PedulisRhizomeAvLA-9972.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=4859)

It's diameter at the widest point is 1 3/4" (4.5cm)

Note that there were some 6 inch (15cm) diameter Moso culms growing from rhizomes of this size. :eek:

[cngodles]

Looks like a scary catapillar from a horror movie.

Actualy, I was wondering if I should see a significant culm size increase this coming year.

[Mark Meckes]

This is a good time of year to be optimistic. Ignoring any thoughts of what winter might have in store for you I'll say that you should have some larger culms next year.
Usually when bamboo is in it's juvenile state of growth it's propensity to direct a lot of energy into rhizome growth can result in a lot of new but smaller diameter culms in the following year, versus fewer in number, but larger diameter culms as a planting matures.
It seems that as a planting grows into a dense thicket and begins to form a grove, as less sunlight reaches the ground, fewer but larger culms are produced.
Likewise a young planting growing in full exposure to sunlight may produce many, but initially smaller culms, whereas a planting growing with more shade may produce less numbers of culms, though if it was able to develop a sufficient rhizome system the culms may be larger.
If the planting suffers from major winter leaf loss and culm dieback it can have a tendency to kick back into juvenile vigor by producing smaller shoots.

Mark

[cngodles]

This year it has definatly grown lots of new smaller culms. My best plantings each had well over 15 new culms each. They also have large rhyzomes everywhere. I posted a picture of where all the rhyzomes were at, and now you can't see any of it. It's totally shaded that area. And the leaves, even new culms overweighed themselves with new leaves.

I am hopefull that I'll get larger culms. This year, the largest made it to about 10-12 feet tall. Lots of 5-8 footers too.

Here's hoping.

Also, most of the leaves look heavily waxier than last year.

[ShmuBamboo]

Rhizome season is upon us! Snakes on a Plane, Worms on the Planet Arakis (Dune), or Tremors '07... I seem to have many rhizomes on the run now. Poppin out of pots, looping and diving back under like the worms of Dune, or growing at a 45 degree angle and turning into rhizo-culms(c).

I am also getting some more true shooting now, on my Phy.: aureas, nuda, and aureosulcatas, as well as on Candy Stripe and Alphonse Karr. I am also noticing that some of the oldest leaves in clusters are turning yellow. So I am wondering if this is just late summer leaf fall, or if it is high nitrogen demand during rhizome season and the boos are moving it from the old leaves into the Tremor growth, and sacrificing the old leaves in the process. Nitorgen is highly mobile in plants. I am feeding some of them with urea grass fertilizer (high nitrogen) in a test this week. It is nice and cool now after 2 days of rain here.