charndannio
3rd January 2008, 11:15 PM
I have fell in love with Bamboo. I think about it all the time and every time I look at something I say to myself, I can make that out of Bamboo. I have currently secured several good size grooves and am looking at a few more. I don't know yet what I am going to do with all of it but I have it. I need some help in finding different types of Bamboo. I would like a plant of every kind that is common here in the states. I would like to have a collection of sorts. You know, like someone who has a collection of Hummels. Can anyone give me some advice on how I would go about this without having to spend a fortune. I have plenty of Phyllostachys Bambusoides, I think. I could trade for something else, or something like that. Has anyone else caught this fever or is it just me? Thanks, Danny
ghmerrill
5th January 2008, 11:18 AM
Danny,
well, welcome to your first introduction to the bamboo bug! it is definiely a hobby for the long term, as well as for those with room to allow things to grow- hard to get the impressive sizes that some of the boos get, if you are trying to grow in pots! As far as how to build your collection, that depends on you, and what are you willing to spend, and what you are looking for in plants- if you want some of the more common runners, you would be amazed at what you can collect by just keeping your eyes peeled, and asking permission to dig a start from someone who has it already growing. this works well for the running boos, however if you want the clumpers, be prepared with deep pockets, as those are harder to propagate, have not been in cultivation for as long as many of the runners, and tend to be specialty items you get from other bambooholics or specialty nurserys. I have build a collection of about 45 species by buying a few, digging a few, and trading a few, with less than $300 spent in total... compare that to buying plants from nurserys, even small ones, and you can look at several thousand, depending on the plants, and how rare they are!
if you are in to other types of gardening, as many bamboophiles are, you might consider offering trades of other plants for bamboo starts- you problaby are not going to get anything super rare that way, but that, and keeping eyes peeled as you drive around your area, could get your collection off the ground!
best of luck!
Gene