My way of protecting bamboos over winter

[stevelau1911]

Here is a picture of how I protect my bamboos over winter in zone 6 where I can expect temperatures to get down around 0F.

I use about 3 inches of manure on the bottum, 3 inches of wood mulch and all my tree leaves in order to raise the temperature of the rhizome area.
I use 3 sticks and burlap to provide wind protection for the culms.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3181/3043726047_650b8e8de1_b.jpg

[stevelau1911]

So far with temperatures down to 14F lowest, the aerosulcata is showing no damage while still growing more leaves, the Vivax outside the burlap wrap is showing leaf curl with now damage while inside the burlap, it is still growing leaves.
The moso with the one culm outside the burlap is showing about 50% leaf burn while inside it doesn't look like there's any damage.

My fargesia nitida is getting some leaves that turn yellow and drop, but doesn't really show any cold damage.

So far it looks like they will all make it and burlap does make a big difference when protecting the leaves.

[Underbrush]

Nice (now I'll know this for next winter) One thing I couldn't quite tell from your picture, is the bamboo covered on top also? If so do you take it off during the day for sunlight?

[stevelau1911]

Some of my bamboos got leaf burn, but nothing topkilled with burlapping 2 layers. Some of the plants are completely green beneath the burlap since it provides a few degrees of insulation and negates the windchill .I do have 1 layer of burlap on the top so that some sunlight can get through, but all the burlap is off my plants now that it doesn't look like it will even dip down in the teens anymore.

I will post more pictures of my bamboos once they start shooting maybe in the middle of April.

Most of my bamboos are untouched so I probably don't even need to burlap them next year. There were never subzero temperatures this winter.

[stevelau1911]

This is another winter protection theory I have yet to test.

If all the culms in the clump of moso bamboo are wrapped together in burlap.After that get another insulator such as wall insulator or anything that traps heat , then put another layer of burlap to wrap that, then use something on the side of it to block the wind such as plastic, leaf burn should be minimized. It should work well for fargesias or anything else that makes culms close together.

The only worry I have about this is if the tight insulation will rot the leaves due to exposure to moisture or other factors, but its only a 2 1/2 month time period when theres really a threat of cold damage here.

I still have to think about what to do for species that run.