Seed Plantings or Planting the whole Plant

[charndannio]

I have read it over and over on this site that it will take much longer to get a Grove established to plant from seed verses planting the whole plant. Can anyone give me the time difference there would be starting from seed verses planting the stalk. Also how long does it take to grow from seed to say 2 feet tall. I thought bamboo grew to most of it's height the first year? I don't understand this part and if someone would explain it to me it would very much be appreciated. thanks, charndannio

[ghmerrill]

Danny,

I have never grown boo from seed, but from what I have read, it sounds like it would take many more years- just because a bamboo grows to two feet tall, from seed, does not mean it has the rhizome growth to put up measurably larger shoots the next spring. some of my plants that started in large pots are finally starting to show more mature growth habit after 4 years in the ground, and I think that is reasonable. I would imagine a seed started would take nearly twice that long, not to mention the fact that boo seedlings are notoriously hard to get going, even in greenhouse conditions.
as far as boo growth goes, think of it as a two stage process.... step one is underground growth- at first the plant has to put out roots to feed the plant, and take in water, then it can put out rhizome growth to cover ground and store food. the second stage of growth is above ground growth, as evidenced by the shoots emerging from the ground. when the time is right for a boo to start shooting, the individual stalk grows to whatever highth it is going to get, and that depends on the growth of the plant. I think that a plant will probably put up shoots that are about 1/3 higher each season, provided things are right for growth, until max height is achieved. After each shoot has reached the highest it is going to get, branches, then leaves develop. Each individual shoot therefore does not grow thicker or taller each season- think of each bamboo stalk as a blade of grass, just part of a larger whole, that is, the bamboo grove. Each stalk will continue to grow more branchlets and leaves each year, so all growth does not stop the first season.

hope that helps,

Gene

[charndannio]

Thanks, you have answered many of my questions. I have one more you could possibly answer. I am leasing Bamboo Groves in my area. There was this one grove that was really beautiful. I went back to look at it and to talk with the owner about leasing it and to my surprise he had cut all the bamboo down!! The whole grove was flat and it really made me sad. I went to the owner of the grove and asked him why? He said he just got tired of looking at it. My questions is, since the root systems are already in place how long will it take this grove (on average) to get established again? I know you can cut a sycamore tree down and it will grow to it's same height in less than half the time it took to grow before because the root system is already there. I feel that this bamboo grove will not take but just a couple of years to get back to it's original glory. Do you agree or disagree.

[CaroleMeckes]

Clear cut bamboo will rebound - but it will take a few years or more to get back to its glory.

I've seen some lots clear cut in Austin and watched them grow back.
It is all aurea that I've seen cut back - it grows right back but the first growth is very short and bushy and the next few years the culms still seem fairly thin.

Of course, these are bamboo that seem to get no other care, like watering, mulching or proper thinning and grooming.

Carole

[nancie]

Someone let me get new roots to plant from their property.
I dug up about 14 plants with roots about 8-12 inches in length. Most had small bushy stalks with many leaves. I don't know if I should cut back those bushy leaves or let them alone. Seems like they would sap the energy from the roots if I leave them, yet, will the Bamboo stalks be ruined if I cut them back ? Need some help, Thank you kindly.

[sasa fool]

Every leaf is important to young plants/new divisions so don't cut them back, it may well sap them to cut them back. An exception would be if the rootball is too small to support the amount of foliage then the leaves will show this condition by curling up due to the imbalance between rootmass & leaf mass - the curling shows that not enough water is being 'provided' to the leaves. So if they look good, leave 'em and enjoy 'em! If you see the imbalance via leaf curl, then selectively prune back a few branches but try not to over do it.

Short story version, no leaf curl, leave the leaves...leaf curl, prune back a few until the curl stops.