When and what to fertilize bamboo?

[Versatile]

I live in Kansas City. Planted in composted cow manure in April. Should i now fertilize and what should i use and how much? thanks in advance

[Dean W.]

Versatile,

I think the composted cow manure should be good enough for now. Maybe someone else can give you suggestions when you should add more compost and or fertilizer.

It also depends on size and age of plants/ grove.

Dean

[Dean W.]

What fertilizer do the professionals use?

[cngodles]

I used weekly Miracle Grow last year. Plants had more leaves than ever last year. Even to the point of overbearing.

[Dean W.]

I've been applying organic lawn fertilizer on mine 8-2-4. I just figured someone might have some secret to the number combination. I want some fast growth in some I just potted up.

Dean

[TexasGrower]

Go organic.

[ShmuBamboo]

What fertilizer do the professionals use?

Most pro boo plantations in the west use urea, and a lot of it in late winter to early spring. Any high nitrogen grass fertilizer should do fine. I use a mix chem and natural fertilizers here. The plants do not notice any difference. I use steer manure in my potting soils. I also dump on sheep poop on my bamboo groves in the ground. I mound it on in late winter. And in the later spring and summer, I douse them a few times with half strength Miricle Gro type fertilizers (basically anything that is on sale). Bamboos are not picky about what they eat.

I used to fertilize more in spring, but of late I have been doing more fertilizing during rhizome running season in the early fall, with good results. I use half strength full balanced fertilizer then (Miricle Gro type mixed with water). I also add chelated iron, and superphosphate here, as we have a weird mix of some acid and some alkaline soils. Of late (this past year) I have had very good results with their new higher fertilizer diet. Bigger culms, and more of them. All around happier plants.

[CaroleMeckes]

Mark used Miracle Grow and he also sometimes used a regular lawn fertilizer.
I have not used anything yet although I have a new box of Miracle Grow in the garage.

ShmuBamboo - I may take your suggestion and try some Miracle Grow on the hillside in the fall. I'm hesitant to fertilize anywhere else - as I already wonder what my place will look like in 12 years from now....
Carole

[ShmuBamboo]

Heh heh heh.... yes, if you do not want your bamboos to develop more than they are now, do not feed them too much. I would still give them a helping of half strength Miracle Grow once in the spring and once in the fall to give them a minimum of what they cannot get from the soil though, particularly iron in alkaline soil, and phosphate in acid soil. ;)

[CaroleMeckes]

The daytime weather has been really warm here in central Texas (even though it is early February) - today was in the 70's. At night the temps go down to the 30s. In addition it has been very dry this year.

Today I bought a cubic yard of hardwood mulch (my first cubic yard on my own...) and have been spreading it on my bamboo hill side.

It may rain in a few days. Parts of the hill are just hard clay soil and the rhizomes need some soft soil to encourage them to grow.

One good thing about having a hillside of bamboo - is that I can encourage it to grow as much as possible on the hillside.

I have a different approach, however, to the bamboo in the front yard.

I dug out a Robert Young (Phylllostachys viridis 'Robert Young) rhizome a few weeks ago that was heading straight to my house. I could not dig into the pathway soil at all with a shovel or with a spade fork, so after thinking about it for a while, I found the 'pick' that Mark would always use and was able to dig out the rhizome.

http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/655/thumbs/DSCN4108diggingrhizomeRY.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5272) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/655/thumbs/DSCN4110diggingrhizomeRY.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5271) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/655/thumbs/DSCN4111rhizomejointRY.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5270) http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/data/655/thumbs/DSCN4113diggingrhizomeRY.jpg (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showphoto.php?photo=5269)

Carole

[ghmerrill]

Hi Carole!

if that ill mannered Rhizome needs a new home, it can come to Oregon!

Gene

[CaroleMeckes]

Sorry - I cut it into pieces and sent it to Tikiskip for craft projects.
http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3692

It did not have the Robert Young coloring that I've noticed on other RY rhizomes. I think it was a "young" Robert Young rhizome.

Carole

[CaroleMeckes]

I consider mulch a form of fertilization.
Carole

[ghmerrill]

AHHHHHH!!! the sacralige!!!! Poor, Poor Robert! :eek:

:)

day late, two bamboo short!

Those lamps are amazing though!

[R e x]

Heheh. Good thing bamboo is so renewable :rolleyes:.

Hey what do you guys think of Robert Young? I've heard very positive things about this kind of bamboo from others.

[ghmerrill]

it should do very well in your area.

[soccerdude]

I use horse manure and WOW! It works good on my yellow groove bamboo. I made a forum on it ( http://www.bamboocraft.net/forums/showthread.php?t=3223 )and keeping track of the growth of the bamboo. I cant wait till the new shoots come up!

[CaroleMeckes]

I bought a 30 pound bag of 15-5-10 Turf Fertilizer and sprinkled it yesterday evening on my bamboo hillside - mostly up at the top part of the hill - but also around other special places. It is supposed to rain in the early morning - so I am hoping for Mother Nature to water it in for me.

I've never done this before - so I'll let y'all know if I see different growth patterns this summer....

Carole

[ShmuBamboo]

Heheh. Good thing bamboo is so renewable :rolleyes:.

Hey what do you guys think of Robert Young? I've heard very positive things about this kind of bamboo from others.

Bobby Young is a good bamboo, but it is a slow grower. If you get a good one they can be quite spectacular in culm color and variation. They seem to vary in their variation though, and some are not as vivid or varied as others are.