Planting tips
Important rules
Planting time: From the time the soil stops
freezing over (usually late February) until late autumn for the hardier
species. The plants are supplied in pots en can be planted any time during
the growing season. When planted late however, do provide some extra cover
against the cold with leaves or straw on the ground.
Place to
plant: The best place for a bamboo is a spot sheltered against winds from
the north and east in a well-drained, rich soil, not too dry, but not too
wet however.
Planting and watering:
Before planting out, the roots should be soaked in water for some time,
and after planting it is important that the plant is watered well.
Especially during dry periods watering should be done often until the
roots make contact with the surrounding soil. Abundant watering from time
to time is better than a little water every day. The roots should not dry
out and need some time to expand into the soil, but once the plant has
rooted well it is much less vulnerable, although it still likes to be
watered regularly. Plants that leave the nursery green and healthy and
then turn brown within a couple of weeks have nearly always suffered from
dehydration. The nursery does not take any responsibility for
this.
Root control (Rhizome barrier):
In most gardens a barrier is necessary against the rootstocks
of running bamboos. This material is for sale at the nursery (see 'rhizome
barrier' further down).
Trimming: Cutting off thin, weak and old culms
stimulates growth and gives more light to the undergrowth. Best time for
thinning out is February/March. (See article about thinning).
Fertilising: Bamboo likes a rich, humus soil.
Before planting the soil should be prepared well, for example with
homemade compost, old horse manure or compost from the garden centre.
Especially on poor soils when you want huge growth these fertilisers may
be mixed through the soil in large quantities.
After planting the
easiest way to fertilise the bamboos is with granular fertiliser like
Culterra.
Most bamboo species have new shoots emerging from April to July and these shoots already have the same girth as they will have two months later when they have grown out to mature culms with full height. Depending on the species these culms reach from 30 centimetres in the case of Pleioblastus pygmaeus up to over 10 meters with Phyllostachys vivax. After growing to full height, the culms develop branches and leaves but don't increase in girth or height. Next year's culms can grow higher and thicker until the plant reaches maturity.
Many species have an aftergrowth in autumn, but these culms are mostly thin and crooked and can be cut away immediately.
Running bamboos start growing their horizontal rootstocks, or rhizomes, in late summer.
In Holland the height of bamboo can vary between 30 centimetres and 12 meters, but in the south of France some species easily reach 20 meters. The culm starts out with its final girth and grows to maximum length within two to four months while the maximum height of the species will be achieved in 3 to 10 years. (See article 'Summer')
The minimum temperature at which a bamboo keeps its leaves and buds is different for various species. Some are wintergreen to minus 15 degrees centigrade (+5°F) but freeze at minus 18. Others like Fargesia nitida and Fargesia species Jiuzhaigou are only partly wintergreen and curl up their leaves with frost, direct sunlight and low air humidity, but they are hardy to minus 20 degrees centigrade (-4°F) and more. Fargesia murieliae, Fargesia denudata and Fargesia 'Rufa' are usually greener in winter. There are even deciduous yet very hardy species. Some lower bamboos have frost-sensitive foliage, which can be cut off in spring to stimulate fresh new growth. Higher bamboos react similar to cold as do woody plants. To grow to maturity the aboveground part of a plant has to withstand our winters. Not winter-hardy are species that can only survive temperatures at or just below freezing (0 to -8°C / 32 to 18°F)
Moderate hardy species can stand -8 °C tot -15°C (18 to 5°F) for short periods.
Hardy we call those species that survive aboveground with or without damage to the leaves at temperatures from -15 to -20°C (5 to -4°F).
Very hardy species survive temperatures aboveground between -20 and -25°C (-4 to -13°F). Usually the foliage can't withstand these temperatures.
Fargesia murieliae.
Bamboo is particularly suited for wintergreen hedges and plantations to hide from view ugly buildings or neighbours all year round. There is a wide choice of heights and varieties.
The easiest group for medium height hedges is the non-running Fargesia that ranges from one to four meters (3 to 13 feet), depending on the variety. Without barriers a width of one meter or three feet is to be reckoned with. Some varieties tolerate full sun, but most prefer shadow or half shadow.
Fast growing higher hedges can be made with the most hardy Phyllostachys and Semiarundinaria species. For smaller spaces we recommend rhizome barrier. One should consider one meter or three feet as the minimum width for a hedge. Every few years the poor and old culms should be cut away.
For a good advice and fitting plants choice you better contact the nursery. We never recommend the not so hardy Phyllostachys aurea!
Once a bamboo starts flowering, it enters a difficult period. For the non-running species this means the end for the plant, but running species can survive flowering.
The flowering cycle ranges per species from several years to over 120 years and all individuals from a species start flowering within a relatively short space of time. An exception is the so-called sporadic flowering, in which case the flowering is limited to a few culms or plants, but the plants survive.
The flowering of Fargesia murieliae is now over and the seedlings from the new generation that are offered today under various fancy names are very diverse in height and vitality. Therefore the species is represented at the nursery only by a few selected seedlings with proven qualities, and we assume that these new bamboos will not flower for the next 80 to 100 years.
Due to the upcoming flowering of Fargesia nitida and its varieties we stopped selling these, but we have a fine replacement in the form of the similar Fargesia sp. Jiuzhaigou, good seedlings of Fargesia murieliae and forms of Fargesia denudata. (See article: flowering Fargesia nitida)
The selection of Fargesia murieliae 'Kranich' has been mixed with the old generation so we have stopped selling this variety. Certain types we guarantee against flowering, but unpredictable flowering is at the buyer's risk.
There are two types of hardy bamboo, running and non-running species. Non-running or clump-forming types stay at the spot without runners and so they are no threat to ponds, pavement or neighbours. Among the hardy bamboos this type is only found in the genus Fargesia. These bamboos from the mountains of Central China are usually recognised by the thin culms and the delicate leaves. The new shoots always come out close to the plant, so this is the best choice for small gardens, near ponds and for wintergreen hedges.
Hardy wintergreen species form underground runners and one must expect a more or less aggressive underground expansion. This type includes all bamboos with big canes like Phyllostachys and Semiarundinaria, all big-leafed species like Indocalamus, Pseudosasa, Sasa, Sasaella, and all lower forms like Pleioblastus.
Video: running Bamboo
At the nursery we sell rhizome barrier 55 centimetres wide. For some types like Sasa palmata we recommend a width of 65 centimetres. This one millimetre thick polyethylene sheet material is impenetrable to the rootstocks, yet pliable and weather-resistant.
For a 4 to 7 meters high bamboo we recommend at least two square meters of rich soil, for the real big ones you will need three to five times this size.
55 centimetres wide: 2,75 Euro per meter.
65 centimetres wide: 3,25 Euro per meter.
(Prices inclusive 19% VAT)