While rowing in the lake, I took a couple pictures of some mature Oldhamii's along the shore. The best way to really appreciate the tall, elegant profile of Giant Timber, it is view it from a distance.
and below a close up shot of the same bamboo..
Notice how straight, Giant Timber (Oldhamii) grows. This bamboo is 8 years old but it has looked very much the same for the past 5 years. It normally takes about 3 years for a bamboo to mature. After that the culms continue to increase in diameter and grow taller but most of the dramatic growth occurs in the early years when cane height and culm diameter more than doubles in size over a relatively short period of time.
Below are two pictures of young Oldhamii shoots emerging around existing canes from previous years. Like all clumping bamboos, Oldhamii begins sending up new shoots in late spring when the weather warms and continues shooting throughout the summer and into the fall.
Below is an example of two 7-gal Oldhamiis - tall plants in our nursery with 1-3 canes each.
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| Our son Toby stands inside a large clump of Giant Timber. Toby is now much bigger and the bamboo is too! |
Below is a line of 15-gal plants in our nursery. The 15-gal plants are much taller and fuller than those in the 7-gal containers because they can support larger root systems. In all bamboos it is the size of the root system that determines not only how many canes are produced each year but also their height and diameter.
Below, a sandhill crane struts past a mature stand of Oldhamii bamboo.
Hi there. I really love what you guys have done with your blog. I help manage a bamboo nursery here in Sacramento, CA. Keep posting the awesome pictures. I added you to my blogroll.
ReplyDeletethanks, jeff. glad to meet another person passionate about bamboo!
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Moved to a home with too much bamboo. It is a beautiful treasure but we need more backyard space. How do I remove it?
ReplyDeleteMimi - It won't be easy. The root system on running bamboo is completely different that the root system on clumping bamboo. If you have running bamboos, which send out a broad network of underground rhizomes, the best you can do is to mow them down regularly to prevent spreading. If you have clumping bamboos, you might be able to hire someone to come in and dig them out but that will depend on how big they are and how many you have.
DeleteI love the look of this bamboo and want to plant it for a privacy shield along a fence, which is a few feet away from my pool. How much (and how frequently) do these plants "litter"? Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteKathleen,
DeleteBamboo do drop some leaves as they push out new growth. Also, through the summer months, you will have the false leaves falling off of the new canes. There should never be a time where they will drop all of their leaves. They would be considered far less messy than many trees.
Does clumping bamboo stay in one place? I really don’t want it to spread.
ReplyDeleteClumping bamboo will send up new shoots through the summer months very close to the existing canes in the plant. You can easily control how big the plant gets by knocking over or mowing these new shoots.
DeleteRunning bamboo is different. These may send up shoots several feet away from the existing canes.
Please feel free to contact us at the nursery for more information 352-429-2425 or jennifer@beautifulbamboo.com