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: 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