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Reverting bamboo

I have grown a black stemmed bamboo in a container for several years. It has increased very slowly with no major problems, other than suffering from wind burn. 
This winter the storms stripped it of most of its foliage but it has begun to form new leaves and is beginning to look happier.
Yesterday I noticed a very strong cane, thick with leaves, growing much taller than the rest. Initially, I was excited but on close inspection see it does not have a black stem. I have decided to remove it close to the base as we have bamboos growing wild around here. 
I had never thought bamboos were grafted but I suppose it could be a straightforward "reversion" or even a wild seedling.
Has anyone else had to deal with this problem with a bamboo?

Posts

  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Joyce Goldenlily Think the culms will darken with age. I would leave it for now and see.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I agree with the above, the new canes darken as they mature and the new growth will be taller than the previous years. 
  •   GardenerSuze said:
    @Joyce Goldenlily Think the culms will darken with age. I would leave it for now and see.
    Thank you. I will wait awhile, it will save me wrestling with a root ball right now.
    I had to wait some time before finding a specimen to buy with good solid black stems as many of the plants in GC's seem to have speckled stems. Perhaps they were just young.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    edited June 2022
    Young bamboo canes often appear pale in colour and then darken with age, depending on the species.  Bamboos are not grafted, they are grasses which grow with multiple rhizomes which produce new shoots/canes/culms.  Don't worry, your plant is only doing what it does naturally.  If you'd like to encourage your bamboo to produce more new canes, you could try repotting it in a wider pot - they need lateral space rather than depth to produce new canes.  
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • Thank you. I have a pot of a supposed black bamboo which I have had for many years. The canes have remained very pale and skinny so I have always thought it was just a weak example. I then started a hunt for a better specimen which is definitely a much better colour but not a very strong grower. This I do not mind as it was the coloured stems I wanted.
    I know there are always going to be variations within a variety as well as different constitutions. I do wonder if the new stem which has appeared might be because this year, for a change, I gave my containers a feed of Fish, Blood and Bone instead of the usual Growmore. They all seem to have enjoyed the change of diet.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Joyce Goldenlily I have recently bought a bamboo, I do know that the fallen leaves feed the plant. I also recall that @Plantminded helped me, advice was to avoid feed with salt such as anything Seaweed based .
    My new plant is Fargesia Jiuzhaigou 1 [I think!] it is doing well new culms are developing. I haven't removed any of the lower leaves, thought it best to wait a year and let it settle.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    They do respond well to Blood, Fish and Bone @Joyce Goldenlily. I give my bamboos in the ground a few handfuls in late February and again in July.  I have thin, sandy soil so it helps to get their cane production off to a good start.  Black bamboo can be slow to darken, I've seen the speckled canes which you describe and they are not very attractive! 

    In July every year I inspect my bamboo and remove all the spindly and discoloured/unattractive canes, leaving only the wider, taller ones.  I also remove all the leaves and stalks from the bottom third of each cane to reveal the cane colour and markings better and give the plants more stature.  

    It's probably a good idea to leave your bamboo to settle in this year as your are doing @GardenerSuze, I'm glad it's doing well for you!


    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    edited June 2022
    @Plantminded  Thankyou again for all your help. I shall feed mine as you suggest.
    I think like most things you get what you pay for, a friend paid alot of money for a Black Bamboo. The stems were beautiful really, black with no colour break. That was another reason why I had wanted to replace mine.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • I have never removed the lower leaves on my plant as I felt the plant needed the nourishment given by the leaves and because it was growing in a pot, needed nourishment. 
    I must admit I have been teetering on the edge of trying a trim now that it is more established. I might give it a go this year.
    I love bamboos but down here in Cornwall they can really take off and invade a garden. There are a lot growing wild around my garden and I do not want them moving in with me!
    I love the golden stemmed varieties but the ones I have seen down here grow to huge height and thickness of stem so I have not ventured to buy one. They seem very vigorous to me. I do not fancy starving/restricting one in a container.
    The skinny one I have flowered profusely last year so most of it had died back although I did check it yesterday and there are a few stems still alive. I might sort it out and feed it up to see if it improves, if not I think it might well be grist to the next bonfire I have.
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