Bamboo diary: Fargesia scabrida 'Asian Wonder'

I have a new bamboo. 

In the beginning of March, I went to an opening of a new 'home and garden' center, that was opened near my village, just to see if they have anything interesting there. Of course, I only checked out the garden part. The croud was enourmus. But I finally managed to come to the plants section, where I saw some bamboos. Of course I madly flew there.

They were all Fargesias, and at first I was a little disappointed, because I’m more of a runner lover. But I checked their labels anyway. There was a lot of plants in every size of Fargesia murileae ‘Super Jumbo’. This bamboo would be perfect for me, because it’s one of the hardiest Fargesia bamboos, but I wasn't realy excited about it (but my friends mom both this one the next day for screen, so in a two or three years, I’ll get this one two).

I was about to leave, when I luckily went a little further, to some shrubs, and there I saw four pieces of some more bamboo plants. I looked at their labels, and I was surprised. It was Fargesia scabrida ‘Asian Wonder’. Because I hadn't known this bamboo then, I had to take my phone and I went online to see if this plant is hardy enough for me, and how it looked like, because label was a little bit suspicious. The bamboo on the picture was just way too red.

When I checked out the general information, I decided to buy it. But then when I took a better look at it, I saw that it was wattered way too much, because the leaves allready had brown spots on them, and the top of the bamboos leaves were all rolled up. 

Leaves are in really bad shape.

Then I took the bamboo out of the pot, to see the roots and rizomes, which were in a really good shape. I thought for a bit, if I should buy it or not: Well the price was not too high, and the roots and risomes are good, and probably these bamboo plants were just in a greenhouse being spoiled, and were later on put out on cold without adjustments, so they got all the curly leaves and I could dry of the weather… What the heck, I’ll buy it! 

So, I brought it home, had it indoors for a while, to see if the leaves would go any better, but then all were curled up. 

After a few days, I noticed that some new branches were emerging from the nodes.

While this bamboo was waiting to be transplanted in a bigger pot and put outside, I had to do some more research about this bamboo online and with my books.

First, I learned that this bamboo is pretty rare. But my joy was too early. It’s pretty rare to get the division of an original plant. A lot of those on market are tissue cultivated. In my book 'Practical Bamboos of Paul Whittaker' I read that the author said that he saw a Farsegia scabrida cultivar ‘Asian Wonder’, and he assured that this cultivar was identical to the real spieces and that ‘Asian Wonder’ is just a trademark given by the producer. So, I’m asuming that this is highly posibily, and that the plants with this trade mark are the ones that are tissue cultivated. Still, I hope I’m wrong.

The second thing I like on this plant is the color of clums. But again, here comes a dillema. Some sources say that new clumes are purple-green color and dark orange sheaths, and at the end of vegetatinon clumes become green and sheaths strawis pale yellow. The other sources say that clumes get their colors at the end of vegetation, with sun exposure. I would probably go with the first option, according to my plant, which is completely green.

Anyway, yesterday I transplanted it in the big pot, so it can be satisfied for a few years. I used the Compo Sana soil for planting, because it’s one of the best soils on the market, at least in my opinion, and also I used Compo Sana fritilizer for ornamental grasses and bamboos (also tested).

First, I used small fraction sand for drinage.

Then the fritilizer, which I put in four layers. First layer was, when I put the plant in and then soil, again a layer of fritilizer, and soil, and again firtiliser. The last layer came on top, and was coved with a thin layer of soil again. Then, of course, I wattered it and put it next to my P. nigra, where it will have morning sun for about 5 or 6 hours or so, and a shade in the afternoon, wihch is supposed to be the best for this bamboo.

Now, I hope that it gets new leaves as soon as posible, and hopefully I’ll se some new shoots soon as well.

And here I give you a link to some other blog, where you can read the 5 reasons about why you should own this bamboo.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Bamboo diary: Light for Moso

My moso seedlings have been in a bad shape lately. They seem to be wilted. One of them especially. I figured that it must be the lack of light, since it’s winter here and the days are shorter. So, I’ve been carrying them around the house every day to get them as much sun as I can. But last night, I didn't take them back to the room, so my mom almost stepped on them, because they were in her room at the balcony door. And then I had enough.

Only 8 (out of 10) of seedlengs has survived so far.

The oldest seedling is probably suffering, with chlorosis, that is.

 And the bright one is at the worst for now.

Bambos are accopanied by a Dracena drako seedling, I got the seed at Tenerife islands this summer, where I went on vacation.

Today I bought them a lamp (Megaman plant lamp BRO515P). It was a bit more on the expensive side, but I think it should do, for I want what's best for my plants. I was looking for it at almost every specialized store there is, that I've known of, but they only kept neon lamps, and I don't have a fitting lamp for such bulbs. So, I almost gave up. But then, in the last store I went to, I found the right one. It was just right for my old table lamp.

So this is how I did it:

I fixed the lamp on the table, which I refer to as the 'table lamp', and because the thing is old, the screws that should hold the lamp in position that you had set, didn’t do their job, I had to block it with a wooden stick. And then of course, put the bulb in.

I set the light on timer for 12 hours (from 6am to 6 pm), and so turned the light on. I hope that now my little mosos will be all right. I just wonder, if I should give some fertilizer to seedlings.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Bamboo diary: Autumn update

Finally the autumn has come. Everything was still green and warm  only a week ago . It seemed then, that the summer just didn’t want to go. But then, in just a few days of rain the temperatures dropped rapidly, and the trees changed their leaves from green to yellow, like if you would turn a switch on.

Well, with the cold my P. nigra came at risk. Of course, this bamboo can hold on even to -15°C, but I don’t want to take any risks, for the plant to get frost damage. Well, if it was only for the cold and snow, it would have been ok, but the problem is: where my bamboo grows it doesn't have enough shelter, so It’s pretty windy, what is usually the main cause for winter drought. 

  

What I have done is, that I have “protected” my bamboo against winter. And here is, how I had done it:

First, I tied the bamboo up, on several places from bottom to top, so that the plant itself is protected by it’s leaves, and because it is easier to do the next steps, where the branches could be damaged during the process.

Second, I put a net for defense (which was a leftover form when we put the fence on) around the bamboo and stuffed it with straw, which will protect the lower and underground parts of the plant. Last year, when I also did it this way, I stuffed it with straw a little to much, so the water didn’t drain as it should, and because of that, I found a few rotten leaves on culms above ground, therefore this year I didn't go so tuff on stuffing.

Then I put a 1,60m long stick next to the plant, and tied up the upper parts of bamboo on it, for stability.

And as the third part, I put the so-called winter felt around it. First on the lower part, and then on upper. I have fixed the whole lower part with stones, and then did the same with the upper one, just that I didn’t use straw there. I tied up everything with a rope, so that the wind wouldn’t get any funny ideas.

When I was preparing the bamboo for the winter, I also removed one of the rhizomes, that came up the same as some others, of which I have already written about in post: 'Dividing Phyllostachys nigra'. At first, I wanted to throw it away, but then I noticed it had already had roots on it, and I saw some sleeping buds on it as well.

So, I planted it, and what will happen will happen.

I also have to tell you, that only one of  the small plants has survived; the one with more roots. It has already made its first shoot.

And now, the final part of my Autumn update are moso sprouts. I’m quite happy with the results. Out of 30 seeds, 10 of them sprouted. So, I had 33,3% germination rate. But, of course, not all of them will survive. Three of the them are quite in a bad shape; they just don’t want to develop. But I also have two different from the others.

One of them has yellow stripes on its leaves, so I assume, that this one could be P. e. ‘Bicolor’.

And the other is much lighter than the others, so the leaves as the stem. At first, I thought that it’s because of soil; that it didn’t get enough nutrients; but it had the same soil as the others, as well as other conditions as light, water, temperature, … So, I hope, it’s a different variety. If you have any clue about this, as of which it could be, please le me know.

You probably remember, that I have sown F.nitida seeds. Sadly nothing has come out yet, and I’m start to lose hope, that anything will happen.

So, read you next time.

Uroš  

Bamboo diary: Moso sprouts

Today, I just returned from a week-long holiday on a Tenerife island, and I was really happy when I saw my first bamboo sprouts. The seeds of Phyllostachys edulis – Moso - have sprouted. While I was gone, I kept my grandma busy, I told her to keep an eye on them, and to write down the dates of emerged seeds. When I came home, she happily told me: ”You have three small bamboos there, and I had to look very closely, so that I could see them.” These were the first three Mosos (11.9.2011), which came out just 14 days after the sowing. Then the next day there were two more sprouts, and today another two, again. Gosh, I’m happy, seven out of thirty. I really do hope, that they will all survive. Oh, and I almost forgot. It looks like, there is no difference between the seeds, which have been soaked through the night, and those which weren’t.

I am surprised that, again, none of the Fargesia nitida seeds have come out, even though they were fresh, and the Moso seeds against them, were over a year old. It probably happened because I hadn’t put them in the fridge for stratification, and it will, therefore, take them a little bit longer to sprout.


Here you have some pictures of the little ones:

sprouted on 11.9.2011

sprouted on 12.9.2011

sprouted on 13.9.2011

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Bamboo diary: Dividing Phyllostachys nigra

Last summer I bought my first bamboo. Of course, in our garden centers you don’t have much choice of what to buy. Usually you can find only Phyllostachys aurea or Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. aureocaulis, and of course Phyllostachys nigra. Sometimes you can also find some Fargesia. I decided for P.nigra, because of its dark black canes and light small green leaves.

I planted it in a rain container, from which I had cut of the bottom first. It is 70 cm tall, so that the bamboo wouldn’t escape. I buried the container into the ground, and left the upper edge just a little above the ground surface, so that I could see if I had got any running rhizomes. 

The buried contanier with bamboo.

In one year the bamboo has grown well and it has established quite nicely.

But some of the rhizomes have come out, and instead of finding their way back to the soil, they have shoot out their culms.

This spring I cut them down, and it looks like, that from these rhizomes, or - more likely - from their sleeping buds, new shoots have emerged. Today I dug around them, to see if they have their own roots yet. And they did. I took out two small plants and transplanted them. They didn’t have enough roots, so I had to shorten the culms, because of the balance between roots and leaves. For planting I used mixture of light humus, compost, and quartz sand, so that it wouldn’t get to sift when watering, and growing of the new roots would be easier. I put the young plant indoor, because of the hot sun outside, which would harm the just transplanted plants.

Now that the plants have been potted i have to cut some of their culms.

So, read you next time!

Uroš

Bamboo diary: Sowing Phyllostachys edulis

On Monday (29.8.2011) I sowed seeds of Phyllostachys edulis. I bought them a year ago, from some German on-line company that sells seeds of rare plants. I would had sowed them before, but I was in a student residence hall during the week, so I wasn’t at home enough, to keep an eye on them, if they would had sprouted. So now I have almost finished my studying, and I’ll be staying home for at least a year, and it’s perfect timing for me to grow bamboo. Yes, I know I’m very, very late with these seeds and their germination rate is probably 0%, but still I had to try.

Seeds of Phyllostachy edulis. 6 of them were too dry.

I used the same technique I used with Fargesia nitida,which I sowed the other day. I’ve had 36 seeds and 6 of them were completely dry. I potted 15 as they were and the other 15 with those 6 dry ones, I soaked them in water through the night and sowed them the next day (30.8.2011). The 6 dry ones didn’t get better, so I threw them away. And now, I'm waiting again. It’s probably just gambling with luck anyway.

So, read you next time!

Uroš   

Bamboo diary: Fargesia nitida seeds

Today I have sowed my first bamboo seeds of Fargesia nitida. I brought them form Scotland, from Castle Kennedy Gardens, to be exact (on 29.6.2011). I got them totally by coincidence, when I went to see the gardens. The dying bamboo was visible from far away, and I knew it at that very moment, that this had to be a flowering bamboo. First I took some photos of it’s flowers and habitus, then I took some samples for herbarium, for my collection and after, I also took some flowers, which were already producing seeds, so I was hoping that I would get some seeds from them.

Flowers were already produceing seeds.

Dying clumps with last leafs.

I put them in a paper bag with silca gel, so that it wouldn’t get rotten or moldy . They were stored like that til now. Because the germination rate of bamboo seed falls rapidly, I just hope that I was not to late. I got 10 seeds out of 20 collected flowers. Their size was around 5 mm.

Bamboo seeds look like grain.

To sown them I have used a technique from David Crompton book Ornamental Bamboos.

So let’s see what I have done:

First I put peat-based light compost and filled the pots so, that compost was 2,5cm under the upper edge of the pot. I used mix of two bought composts for seedlings (Brill and Valentin). Then I sprayed the compost with water, so I could put the seed on a wet base.

So, I put 3 or 2 seeds per pot, covered them with 1 cm of compost and sprayed the compost again. I placed the pots in a room with a constantly warm temperature (20°C+), and is very bright, but not a direct sunlight.

Now I’m hoping for the best, which is that at the least 2 or 3 seeds will sprout. Based on the theory by Ted Jordan Meredith (Bamboo for Gardens), it should be from 2 to 3 weeks. I’ll keep you posted.

So, read you next time.

Uroš