question about my moso bamboo

[m-192]

I started with 20 seeds about 5 months ago. I didnt know to germinate i had them indoors for about 5 weeks and i had one sprout about 5 inches tall so i kept it indoors and put the rest outside about 3 week later i had about 8 sprout with one leaf apiece so i decided to move my 5 inch sprout outside and it died the very next day i realized i fryed it but then all but two died so i planted in the dirt out side my house till yesterday they are only 4 inches tall i decided they would not survive the PA winter so now they are inside they seem ok but in 4 months of growing time they are only 4 inches tall but one has a little sprout off the base. why are they still so small

[stevelau1911]

It is very hard to start moso seeds in zone 6. I tried doing it a few months ago, a few sprouted, but they all ended up dying, but my 1 gallon plant is making slow gains.

It's better to try buying a bamboo plant instead of trying to grow them from seed. It also takes moso many years to get to a decent size.

[R e x]

Hi there m-192. Well, the only thing I can think of that's slowing the growth of your seedlings is probably the weather. Here in Seattle (USDA Zone 8), it takes about 1 month for seeds to germinate and grow into 4" seedlings. Maybe you keep growing them inside to see if they improve.

[m-192]

UPDATE

of my 2 moso seedlings the one seems to have stablized and the others leaves all are dead and curled up and the sprout off it seems to have died as well

http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/th_bamboo.jpg (http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/bamboo.jpg)
http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/th_bamboo3.jpg (http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/bamboo3.jpg)
http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/th_bamboo2.jpg (http://i402.photobucket.com/albums/pp109/m-192/bamboo2.jpg)

[stevelau1911]

I read that moso needs a dormant stage for it to recuperate, but I'm not sure if it means putting it somewhere cooler for a small amount of time.

[Dean W.]

Well, you would need to harden them off and slowly acclimate them to outdoor conditions. Since it so close to Winter I wouldn't put them out, yet either.

Dean