grooming a grove of bamboo

[hdesousa]

I have a 5 year old grove of an all green variety of Phyllostachys. (I'm going to try and identifying it this spring from culm sheaths). Last year it just about doubled in area to about 35ft X 25 ft. Largest culms are about 3/4" thick and 15+ ft tall. I would like to easily walk through the grove - is there any harm in cutting out most the lesser culms that are probably 2-3 years old and 6 -10 feet? Also, is there a downside to cutting out rhizomes which arch out of the ground within the grove? Thanks.
Hansel

[CaroleMeckes]

Hi Hansel,
It should be fine to go ahead and cut out some of the smaller culms.
That may very well stimulate the rhizomes and encourage new shoots to rise up in the springtime.

Mark would always cut out the smaller shoots in our grove because he said they would never have a good chance to develop well, since the taller canes were blocking out the light.

re: cutting off the rhizomes which arch out of the ground within the grove?
These sound like they are the ends of the rhizomes which found their way out of the earth - I would be ok to cut them if they bother you.

Does your bamboo resemble the bamboo in any of these pictures? Phyllostachys aureosulcata (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=520)

Carole

[hdesousa]

Hi Carole,

Thanks for the info. I did cut out a lot of the smaller culms, but even without getting much direct sunlight, they still had quite a lot of greenery, and I was wondering if they still contributed to the plant's vigor.

The rhizomes "arching" out of the ground in the middle of the grove are not cut ends. I'll try to attach a pic. Perhaps "arch" is a bit strong. They kind of hump just above the soil, enough to stub your foot if you're shuffling through.

I know that cutting a rhizome at the edge of the grove in spring will cause the more proximal part of that rhizome to produce lots more culms, and perhaps smaller culms than the fewer that would have come up had that rhizome not been cut. Do you know for sure, if cutting rhizomes promotes growth of *smaller* culms?

Thanks for the link to the pics of P. Aureosulcata. Nice pics! I do have some of that species, but the culms I'm inquiring about are all green. I'll post some pics later.

regards, Hansel

[CaroleMeckes]

Hello Hansel,
Thanks for sending the attachment of the rhizomes that are "arching" in the middle of the grove.

This is normal and do not cut those rhizomes - very often the rhizome surfaces and just goes back down into the earth when it realizes that it is 'still a rhizome.' That is a good sign that there is new rhizome activity in the center of your grove.
Carole