Containing bamboo: affect on size/growth?

[Tuwamare]

Hi... I'm new to growing bamboo, though I have always been interested in it. I have three very small baby plants (1 Golden, 1 Black, and 1 they called Sweet Dragon). I know two are running varieties. I have read that they should have a 25 x 25 space, but my yard is small, and must be shared with kids, vegetable gardens, and my rabbit tent. Can they still grow happily if I contain them smaller? Right now they are in 8" pots, as they are extremely small, so I do have plenty of time to plan. :) Thank you for your advice in advance!

[jtkach]

I have grown 3 golden bamboo plants in 5 gal. pots for the last few years. They did great the first couple of years but last year they started to look haggard. This winter I put them in the ground, all were root bound. Here is a link to an image of one of the plants after I took it out of the pot.
root bound golden bamboo (http://www.hexstream.com/jt/bamboo/rootbound.jpg)
The plants I potted up were from established rhizomes, so if your plants, at least the phyllostachys, are seedlings you probably will be able to keep it in a pot for some time.

Hope this helps.

[Tuwamare]

Thank you JT... my seedlings are looking a bit peaked right now... I'm hoping that with the full flush of spring they'll start putting out new leaves. If not, I guess I'll be looking at bigger bamboo plants next month at the Bamboo Society's display at the home show. I hope these little ones make it... they were a bit smaller than I anticipated.

Thank you for your reply and the photo you posted. :)

[Plantenman]

Hi... I'm new to growing bamboo, though I have always been interested in it. I have three very small baby plants (1 Golden, 1 Black, and 1 they called Sweet Dragon). I know two are running varieties. I have read that they should have a 25 x 25 space, but my yard is small, and must be shared with kids, vegetable gardens, and my rabbit tent. Can they still grow happily if I contain them smaller? Right now they are in 8" pots, as they are extremely small, so I do have plenty of time to plan. :) Thank you for your advice in advance!

Hi, In your climate I recommend growing Fargesias. Some of the Fargesias can stand a temperature below 0 and they are clumpers. I have a F. nitida, but that one does not like our hot summers here in the San Joaquin Valley. I would not recommend Phyllostachys aurea (Golden Bamboo), that is the worst runner and even in a large pot it will try to escape.
Good luck,
Martin Berghuis
Exeter, California

[Tuwamare]

Hi, In your climate I recommend growing Fargesias. Some of the Fargesias can stand a temperature below 0 and they are clumpers. I have a F. nitida, but that one does not like our hot summers here in the San Joaquin Valley. I would not recommend Phyllostachys aurea (Golden Bamboo), that is the worst runner and even in a large pot it will try to escape.
Good luck,
Martin Berghuis
Exeter, California


Thank you, Martin. :) I'm in the Willamette valley of Oregon... we rarely have winters below 20 degrees. Currently, it is debatable whether my three bamboos are even alive. :( Just have to wait and see. I plan to visit the Oregon Bamboo Society at the local home show this month... and ask LOTS of questions! :) Thanks for your reply!