Beautiful Bamboo

Photos of Giant Timber (Bambusa oldhamii)

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:10:00 +0000

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.

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.

Photos of our own Homegrown Bamboo Poles

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Our own homegrown poles are not as straight as either the imported or designer quality polished poles.but they still work well for a variety of projects. Below is a photo of the fence on both sides of our entry gate. It is built out of a number of random diameter poles that were purposely cut at different heights to create a more informal look.

A close up, below, of one section of the entry fence.

An arbor built out of small (1" or less) diameter homegrown bamboo poles.

A simple fence, below, borders a flower garden with a bamboo bird feeder.

Below is a trade show display made out of our homegrown bamboo.

Another trade show booth used some of our freshly cut, green bamboo poles to create a more natural look.

Below is an orchid planter made from a short piece of our homegrown bamboo.

Photos of Black Bamboo Poles

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:25:00 +0000

Black bamboo poles tend to run slightly smaller than their named diameters. Shown above are several 1.75" diameter poles and although the one being measured runs true to size, some of the other poles appear to have somewhat smaller diameters.

We stock black poles in two lengths - 8' and 10' but longer poles are available by special order.

Photos of Imported Bamboo Half-round Poles

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:12:00 +0000

Half-round poles make excellent trim for both outdoor use (above) and indoor (below) applications.

Below, an entire interior wall is faced with half-round bamboo.

Below are a few samples of birdhouses, bird feeders and even a windowbox made out of bamboo half-rounds and imported bamboo poles.

Robbie Taylor, who built many of the bamboo structures at Beautiful Bamboo, adds some finishing touches to the door to the Art Gallery at our nursery.

Photos of Designer Quality Polished Bamboo Poles

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:48:00 +0000

These honey-colored domestic-grown bamboo poles are available in four sizes. The sizes (from the left) are: 2" diameter, 2.5" diameter, 3" diameter and 4"-6" diameter. As can be seen in the above photo, the culm section at the base of the larger size poles are spaced very close together but the farther up the pole you look (see picture below), the wider apart the culm sections become. A 10' long pole with a 6" diameter base may

only be 5 inches or less at the top.

The photo below shows the beginning stage of a bamboo gazebo. The upright posts are Designer Quality Polished Bamboo Poles while the roof rafters and cross pieces are made out of Imported Bamboo Poles.

Photos of Imported Bamboo Poles

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:23:00 +0000

An end view of 3" diameter x 10' long Imported Bamboo Poles. As you can see in the photos, there is considerable variation in both the diameters and the thickness of the bamboo walls.

There's also a certain amount of variation in the color of all bamboo canes. In the Imported Bamboo, the canes tend to be shades of tan. On the left is the 1.25" x 6' pole followed by a 1.5" x 10, a 2" x 10 and a 3" x 10 pole.

Building a wedding arbor or "chuppah" is a popular use of Imported Bamboo poles.

Photos of Reed Fencing

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Reed Fencing provides a lightweight, inexpensive means to transform an area from a blah to beautiful. The roll comes in 6' tall x 15' lengths. The pencil-thin reeds are woven together with wire and are easily cut to with a scissor. The Reed Fencing works well for both indoor and outdoor projects.

Below are a few pictures of outdoor setting in which Reed Fencing has been used.

A customer covered a chain link fence with Reed Fencing before planting a hedge of clumping bamboo in order to form an immediate privacy screen with a tropical look. One year later, the Reed Fencing is almost completely hidden behind the live plants.

Here at Beautiful Bamboo, the double doors on our barn are faced with Reed Fencing.

Below shows the same door two years later after the fencing has weathered a beautiful silver gray (and a clump of Angel Mist bamboo has grown in the space between the barn doors and the entrance to the art gallery).

Here are samples of some indoor applications.

Reed Fencing used to provide a tropical look to a spa room as seen from the outside (above) as well as from the inside (below).

And the same room from a different angle.

Below:

The interior walls of the Art Gallery at Beautiful Bamboo are covered with Reed Fencing and trimmed with half-rounds of imported bamboo poles.

Two different sizes of Bamboo Fencing

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:39:00 +0000

On the left, 4' tall x 8' long Bamboo Fencing.

On the right, 6' tall x 8' long Bamboo Fencing.

Both fences are made from 3/8" to 1/2" diameter pieces of bamboo woven together with coated wire. The fencing can be cut into shorter lengths and heights or used as is to form attractive walls for both inside and outside use.

In the above photo, a customer used the 6' long Bamboo Fencing to provide filtered shade in a pergola. Below is a closeup view of a roofing section.

Photos of Split Bamboo Fencing

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Here's a close up look at both sides of the 6' tall x 12' long Split Bamboo Fencing. On the left, is the "back" of the fencing and on the right side of the picture you can see the fence's "front" side. Below are two longer views of the same roll of fencing.

Photos of Hawaiian Gold Timber Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris vittata)

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:56:00 +0000

Jenny stands next to a mature stand of Hawaiian Gold

New shoots emerge from the ground the same diameter that they will be when mature. No matter what size cane emerges, it will grow to its full height in less than two months. That's fast enough to measure the growth day-by-day

Photos of Angel Mist Timber Bamboo (Dendrocalamus minor amoenus)

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:47:00 +0000

Our daughter, Jenny, peaks through a 3-year-old

stand of Angel Mist.

(Photo above and below)

Angel Mist culms surrounded by a groundcover of wandering jew and fallen culm covers

Below: A close up of a "young" Angel Mist cane

New shoots appear from May through October

Our son, Toby, stands next to a 2-year-old Angel Mist

What kind of bugs are on my bamboo?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:43:00 +0000

A Florida-based customer wrote:

I bought several bamboo's from you a couple months ago,,,,3 graceful's and an Asian lemon. They are all doing well and already growing like crazy. However, the Asian lemon had a new shoot on it when we got it (of course now it is getting very tall), but I noticed in the last week or so that under the leaf that hugs the stalk, there are white web-like insect egg casings and when you peel it back, there are small oval shaped insects (kind of pinkish color) about 200 microns across or the thickness of 2 hairs (very small). Is this something I should be concerned about? So far, I've only noticed it in a couple areas. I have Sevin insecticide that I've used to kill aphids and caterpillars. Should I use this or do you have a better solution?

My response:

The bug you've noticed is called mealy bug and it likes to suck the juices from tender new shoots. It may look nasty but on bamboo it seldom does any permanent damage. Mealy bugs only like the young shoots and bamboo grows so fast that it outgrows the bugs before they can do any damage. If it really bothers you, you can spray the shoots with a formula called Bayer Tree and Shrub found at most garden centers. On our property we try to minimize chemical use so we usually just let the bamboo do its thing - quickly outgrow the bugs.

Mealy bugs attack a young Bambusa oldhamii shoot that will soon outgrow the pests.

The customer wrote back to say:

Yes yes...I pulled up a picture of a mealy bug and that is exactly what it is!!

Thank you sooo much. We love our bamboo!!

How do I divide off a section of a clumping bamboo?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:06:00 +0000

A customer writes:
Hi, Sherry. I've been missing your column in the "Slantinel". They've been making so many changes in the last few months. Did you ever get a book published?

I have a question. I've got to move some of my bamboo; I made the mistake of putting some of it too close to other plants, and now I've got to make some room. I can see from your FAQ that now seems to be an okay time to do it, but what do I do, just dig it up and replant it? I was thinking of moving only half a clump to a new spot. Can I just slice down the middle, dig out what I want to transplant, and replant, or do I have to cut it back?

Thanks for any info you and Ralph can give me. All the bamboo I got from you is doing absolutely fantastic, especially with all this rain, and the seabreeze my daughter, Emily, put in has almost completely obscured the house next door.

Regards,
Dave

My response:
Hi Dave - My column only runs in the Lake County edition of the Orlando Sentinel now but you can read it online on my SIMPLY LIVING blog where I post new columns each Monday (you can sign up to be a FOLLOWER and receive automatic updates). I haven't gotten my book published yet but it is in the works.

You can certainly divide off a section of your existing clump but be forewarned: It ain't easy! Also, if you don't have to do it right now, it would be a little better if you waited until all the new shoots stopped growing and leafing out because any new shoots that haven't leafed out may not survive transplanting. Dividing during the late winter or early spring (before the new shoots emerge) is the ideal time to make divisions. Whenever you do it, it helps to use a sawsall to cut through the roots and to top the plants so only about a third of the top growth is left on the part you want to divide off. If you wet the ground down thoroughly before digging, it will make your job less difficult. After the section is divided off, make sure it is potted up and set in a shady place where it gets frequent watering to recuperate fully before setting back out into the ground.

I love getting letters from happy customers!

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 23:05:00 +0000

A customer wrote to say:
My father and I came to your nursery a couple times to pick up some bamboo and we found you to be very helpful. He had purchased bamboo from Kanapaha yearly sale and although that bamboo is doing well, the bamboo he bought from you is really sprouting shoots this year. Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for all your help and to let you know that your bamboo is very healthy. My father has purchased the Giant Timber, Dwarf Buddha, Blue, and Angel mist from you and they all have done extremely well this summer! See ya next year!!!

My response:
Thanks for writing! We're always happy to hear that our bamboo babies have found such a happy home. Although it sounds like your plants are doing just fine, it never hurts to add a top dressing of organic matter around the base of your bamboos. You can use any of a number of materials: compost, manure, grass clippings, peat, leaves, our bamboo booster mix or any combination of those materials. Unlike trees, which don't like to have soil supplements right up against their trunks, bamboos don't mind at all if the canes are surrounded by additions of organic matter. The nutrients from those materials will leach into the soil and feed the roots. The result will be more explosive growth and even healthier plants.

Is it okay to plant a ground cover under my bamboos?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:41:00 +0000

A customer from the Tampa area recently wrote:
Sherry, my wife and I recently (June) made the drive from Tampa and purchased 18 Asian Lemon bamboo from your farm. We have been EXTREMELY pleased. We started off with a total of 20 shoots in each of the 18 3-gal containers. We now have over 90 shoots in the entire planting. Absolutely love it!

We are now looking to add some ground cover for weed control. I do not want to smother out new shoots or plant anything the will "compete" with the bamboo. Our planting beds are approx 4 feet wide by 60 feet long. We were thinking about lantana. do you have any thoughts or opinions or recommendations?

My response:
I'm glad to hear the bamboos are doing so well. Lantana would work fine as a ground cover. At the nursery we've used three different plants as ground covers around the bamboos - Wandering Jew, Ruella and Wedelia - but other plants will work fine too. You don't have to worry that the ground covers will smother or compete with the bamboos. New shoots will have no difficulty growing up through them. I'm sure Lantana in any of its many colors will look lovely again the yellow with green-striped canes of Asian Lemon.

Ruella coexisting happily beneath a grove of Vivax running bamboo.

Wandering Jew beneath a clump of Angel Mist

Is green bamboo good for building?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:37:00 +0000

A visitor to our website wrote:
I love your website! I have a question. You mention that you have green, just cut, bamboo. Can you actually make fences, etc from green bamboo or do you have to wait for it to dry out? I’m just thinking that if I buy and plant bamboo, I’d like to know whether I could build furniture with it as soon as it’s tall enough. Thanks!

My response:
Freshly cut bamboo will turn tan as it dries and it dries rather quickly, usually within a few months. It can certainly be used for building when green but, like any wood, as it dries, there is shrinkage. If you use freshly cut bamboo canes you'll need to factor that into your calculations.

Bamboo orchid hangers

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:36:00 +0000

A customer in Florida wrote:
Thank you so much for the nice bamboo poles which I received today, and for the two extra poles especially. They are just perfect for my needs!

As I promised, I will take pictures of completed orchid hangers and email them to you.

I am glad that I found your business through Google.

Customers Share Bamboo Project Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Bamboo poles are frequently used to build wedding arches, trellises and tiki huts but that's not all they're good for. Below are a few of the many creations built by our customers. If you have a bamboo creation you'd like to share, email me a few pictures and description of your project and I'll add it to the blog.

Beautiful Bamboo customer Robert Peterson emailed three photos of his recent bamboo projects. In the below two pictures, he used half-round 2" bamboo poles to trim both an exterior and interior door.

Peterson also used half-rounds together with smaller diameter poles to create a tropical looking wainscoting.

Nadine from Custom Costumes & Entertainment Productions in Rhode Island used our homegrown bamboo poles to create an unusual promotional display:

Thanks again for you help in making this happen.. It was a big hit the car show.. It seems people still love Planet of the Apes.. As much as we do..

Natalia, an orchid-loving customer from Wesley Chaple, FL, used bamboo as a base for her plants:

For mounting orchids I drilled the poles and put 16 gauge galvanized wire. I formed hooks by myself. Then I used thread (cotton) to fix orchid moss and coconut fibers. That was it. As you see, this is a very simple construction.

Dave Schmid, carpentry foreman for the Freeman Company, emailed photos of a booth commissioned by Tata Consultancy Services that included a number of our freshly cut bamboo poles:

Amelia Island customers, Chris and Dick Modie, emailed to say:

We thought you would like to see our handy work!! The live bamboo is doing great too.

Below are photos of the beautiful outdoor shade room Dick and Chris constructed from a combination of bamboo poles, 1/2" diameter bamboo roll fencing and reed fencing.

Two views of the shade room as viewed from the front.

The roof was made out of two different lengths of 1/2" bamboo roll fencing (4' x 6' and 4' x 8') supported by a framework of 2" and 3" diameter poles.

The end view showcases the reed fencing stretched and supported by 2" and 3" diameter bamboo poles.

Another customer, Fred Partin writes:

I thought you would like to see how we used your bamboo (2" half rounds) to go with our new Chinese chairs in living room.

David Marshak constructed a wedding chuppah out of 3" uprights and 2" horizontal poles:

Greg Lorentz built this tiki-style bar for his deck:

Michael Ryan creates beautiful cases out of bamboo to hold his handmade seashell flutes. Learn more at his website Seashell Music

This is an upstairs room in our house where we've covered a knee wall with reed fencing and trimmed it out with 2" half-rounds.

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:49:00 +0000

A customer wrote:
Hi Sherry, it was great meeting you and Ralph yesterday. Dianna was so right to get different varieties to plant around the property! The giant timber looks so cool.. I love it. We have a spot for every one of the bamboo we got and planted 3 of them last evening. I dug a huge wide and deep hole to plant the big bamboo and filled it with 2 large wheel barrels of mulch. Here is a pic of it.

I poked out the piece of dry bamboo and made a didgeridoo it sounds good but i think i need to get the tube cleaned out a little better to make it sound louder.

Thanks, Doug and Dianna

My response:
I'm glad it worked out so well. Remember that even after the bamboos are planted, you can always apply top dressings of organic matter (a good use for all of your horse's manure) around the bamboos. You will be seeing lots of new shoots emerge over the next few months so take pictures now when they're relatively small or you won't remember how they looked. Thank you for choosing Beautiful Bamboo and have fun watching your baby 'boos grow!

How fast does bamboo grow?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 02:17:00 +0000

People are always asking us how quickly bamboo grows. Below are photos sent from customers in the Orlando area whose objective was to create a perimeter privacy barrier in front of existing fences. See for yourself how quickly a landscape can change less than a year after planting bamboo.

Green Hedge clumping bamboo (3-gallon size) planted 4' apart in May 2008.

11 months later...where did that fence go?

Same property - another location. Same type of bamboo, same size container planted the same distance apart.

11 months later - after only one growing season - the white fence is beginning to disappear behind a screen of green bamboo.

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:37:00 +0000

A visitor to our website writes:
Hello Sherry, I am working on a project in which the homeowner found your website and loves bamboo. She wants to use it along a chain link fence to block the neighbors unsightly landscape, the width between the chainlink fence and the house is only 6 ft wide, she would still like to use the area as a pathway from the front of the house to the back yard. Which variety do you recommend to use? The length of the fence to cover is 40 ft. How much would you recommend to use for this length as well?

My response:
I would suggest Graceful, a very upright growing clumping bamboo. In a 40' length she would need anywhere from 4 to 10 plants depending on how quickly she wants to form a solid hedge. If she went with 3-gal size plants planted 4' apart in enriched, irrigated soil the fenceline will be completely blocked by the end of the summer. If she went 8' to 10' apart, it would take two to three years worth of growth before a solid hedge formed. Graceful is a delicate looking bamboo with canes a bit over 1" in diameter that will grow about 25' tall at maturity. By the end of summer expect the 3-gal plants, which are now about 6' to 8' tall, to just about double in height.

From our webpage:

After only one growing season, these two Graceful bamboos planted 4' apart are now touching. When first planted, each bamboo only had one cane and were half as tall as they are now.

GRACEFUL BAMBOO Bambusa textilis gracilis
Can grow 20-25 feet with 1¼" diameter canes.

A very handsome plant with few branches on the lower part of mature culms so the beautiful canes are visible without pruning. Graceful Bamboo has a soft, gentle look that is never overpowering. It is an excellent choice for narrow spaces or smaller yards because of its upright growth pattern. Proven to be one of our most popular bamboos, Graceful works well in city as well as country settings.

See for yourself how fast bamboo grows!

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:09:00 +0000

The three Seabreeze clumping bamboos above were planted 5' apart in May 2008 from 3-gal size plants. The hedge is now approximately 14' tall. When the bamboos were first planted in May, each plant was about 6' tall and only had one cane. When they were planted, the three Seabreeze looked similar to the two Seabreeze on either side of the sign pictured below (click on image to make it larger and easier to see):

Keep in mind that the bamboos in the top photo have only gone through one growing season. As the weather warms this spring, summer and fall, many new shoots will emerge growing to be taller and larger diameters than the existing canes. By the winter of 2009 our demonstration hedge will have formed an even more solid wall of green than it already is. By the same time, the bamboos in the photo below (which were planted in January 2009) will have gone through one growing season and will look just like the hedge pictured in the top photo.

How much is too much fertilizer and mulch?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 13:28:00 +0000

A customer in Orlando asks:
I’ve been reluctant to put down a lot of pine bark so as not to interfere with new canes coming up. Am I being too careful? Inasmuch as I planted the bamboo November 1, am I being too careful in waiting til May 1 to apply Dynamite again? I don’t want to over-fertilize.

My response:
About the Dynamite, there's no need to fertilize again until May since the beauty of a time-release formula is that it emits a slow but steady amount of fertilizer over a six month period. As for the mulch, you can place a light mulch around the plants at any time. The new shoots will push through the mulch with no trouble. As the plants mature, you can add a thicker coverage. Mulches help plants retain moisture while reducing competition from weeds and adding some nutrients to the soil.

When will my individual bamboo plants look like a hedge?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:46:00 +0000

A customer writes: Hi Sherry, Back in the fall my husband and I purchased four clumping bamboo plants. We bought two green and two yellow thin stalk kinds that are supposed to grow about 20-30 feet. You said that by the end of the summer we will have our beautiful privacy bamboo fence. I am forwarding you two pictures of the bamboo. The two green ones have grown taller but are very spindly and have not branched out at all. The two yellow ones are full but have hardly grown any taller. None of the plants have had any new canes growing out from their center so there is much space between them. As you will see in the pictures we have a very unattractive view from our side back yard.

My response:
Thanks for the photos. It helps to see what you describe.

The main thing you have to realize is that plants bought in the autumn of 2008 have not yet have gone through their first season of above-ground growth. That's why you haven't seen any new canes yet. All autumn, winter and into the spring they have been establishing their roots in what hopefully was soil enriched with manure, compost, peat or our own Bamboo Booster mixture. From now through summer and into the early fall, the roots will be sending out new shoots. Those shoots will be this year's growth. The canes that emerge over the next few months will grow taller and be a larger diameter than the original canes in your photos. Assuming you irrigate regularly - especially during this very dry period when the bamboos need water to grow - by the end of this summer your bamboos will have many more taller, thicker canes and the area along your fence line will begin to look like the hedge you imagined last autumn.

To encourage more growth this summer now is an excellent time to apply top dressings of any or all of the following: Compost, manure, peat, topsoil. Mulch your plants with leaves, pine needles, wood chips, pine bark or, my favorite mulch - grass clippings. You can also add fertilizer around the plant base - we recommend Dynamite time-release but a regular formula will work too. The important thing is to give your plants food - fertilizer, soil amendments, mulch - so they can eat and grow. If you don't use Dynamite, look for a formula with high nitrogen, the first number, because bamboos are heavy feeders.

Now's also a good time to check your sprinklers to make sure the plants are getting adequate water. And be patient. If you do these things, by the end of summer you're existing bamboos will be surrounded by bunches of new larger, thicker, taller canes.

How do I control running bamboo?

noreply@blogger.com (Sherry) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:09:00 +0000

A visitor to our website writes:
A neighbor has planted a running bamboo along our property line. Is there any way to stop it from coming into my yard?

My answer:
You can control your neighbor's running bamboo in several ways: A) mow down young shoots that spread into your yard and weedwack any shoots that come up by trees or in gardens B) install a bamboo barrier along your border that will prevent the spread of rhizome C) once a year use a sharp blade to chop off any invading rhizomes.

Herbicides and poisons won't kill the bamboo but will harm the environment. Best thing would be to talk with your neighbor and see if he/she will help you with the expense of installing a bamboo barrier on your side of the property line.