Beautiful Bamboo

A bamboo teacup

2012-01-01T17:19:00.000-05:00

What can you do with bamboo? How about making teacups? Here's a photo sent by one of our customer who not only made a set of teacups out of bamboo poles but used a wood burning tool to etch a design into the wood.

Bamboo leafs out from top to bottom

2011-06-29T11:52:00.000-04:00

Gerry, a customer from Islamorada, FL wrote to say:
The hedge bamboo we bought from you is doing great. There are lots of new shoots coming out of the ground and it's getting tall with a lot of full growth on the upper third of the stem. Is it OK to "top off" the tallest ones in order to encourage new leaves near the bottom, or should we wait for it to fill in on its own?

My response:
I would suggest waiting a little while longer, Gerry. New bamboo shoot grow tall quickly then take their time leafing out beginning at the top and working their way down to the bottom. Keep in mind that the above-ground growing season continues until November so you can expect many, many more new shoots to emerge before then. Your clumps will be full and leafy by the end of the year. At that point, if there are any canes that are bare at the bottom but leafy at the top, you can top them to encourage new lower leaf growth. Keep in mind though that once a bamboo cane is topped, that cane will never grow any taller.

New shoots begin to leaf out from the top and work their way down toward the bottom, a process that takes several months to complete.

Handmade bamboo chuppah becomes part of one family's marriage tradition

2011-06-24T10:45:00.001-04:00

Customers who purchased our Designer Quality Bamboo Poles in 2010 to make a wedding arch for their daughter recently wrote to update us on the status of their hand-built chuppah.

Janet writes: Here is the chuppah that my husband, Peter McDonald, made for our daughter's wedding in February 2010. On Sunday, May 29th, her sister-in-law used it for her wedding, also in NYC. This time it had more decorations and it looked absolutely beautiful! It will next be making an appearance on December 3rd for a friend's wedding in New Jersey! So thanks again for providing the beautiful bamboo!

Bamboo is strong and sturdy and makes long-lasting beautiful structures

A marriage begins beneath a Beautiful Bamboo chuppah!

Before and After - Seabreeze

2011-06-24T10:06:00.000-04:00

Jason, a customer from Kissimmee, FL purchased some Seabreeze clumping bamboo in May of 2010. A year and one month later, his small plant has sent up dozens of lush new shoots that are fuller and taller than the previous year's growth.

Seabreeze is one of our most prolific clumping bamboos, sending up more new shoots every year than most other clumpers. In the above picture (on right), you will notice some of this summer's new shoots sticking up above the others. Those are "babies" that haven't leafed out yet. By the time they do leaf out, they will be full and fluffy just like the canes below. And the above-ground growing season has just begun! New shoots will continue to emerge from now until November. Can you imagine how big and full his clump of bamboo will look by then? I've asked Jason to send us follow up pictures at the end of the growing season and when he does I will add them to the blog.

Bamboo with natural handle makes perfect calligraphy brushes

2011-04-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

An artist at the University of Wisconsin needed some small diameter bamboo to use for calligraphy brushes.

She wrote to say: I teach art classes at UWLa Crosse in Wisconsin. Next semester I would like to demonstrate the use of handmade brushes and have the graphic design classes make their own brushes to explore calligraphy and hand designed lettering. It might be a good experience for the students to get away from the computer for a while.

We suggested using the bottom portion of our homegrown Phyllostachy aurea bamboo (Chunky Monkey aka Golden Bamboo or Fishpole Bamboo) because that variety has a natural "handle" created by close, irregularly shaped culm sections.

Chunky Monkey bamboo grows much larger in cold climates than it does in Central Florida's semi-tropical temperatures. The bamboo pictured here is domestically grown but not homegrown. The diameter of our homegrown Phyllostachy aurea about half the diameter - the perfect size for a calligraphy brush project.

We shipped a box filled with the uniquely shaped poles and received an email back from our customer once the project was completed.

Notice the same uniquely shaped nodes as in the larger, domestically grown bamboo of the same species.

Hi Sherry,
I purchased some of your bamboo a while back to make calligraphy brushes. The bamboo is great and I made some wonderful brushes. Here are a few pictures when the bamboo was still green. I wish it would stay that way but it's changing into a beautiful golden color - which I like as well. Thank you for picking out some narly pieces for me. I'll be ready to order more soon. -Stella

Bamboo is an amazing plant. It is so versatile, functional and aesthetically pleasing.

A table full of calligraphy brushes

The finished product...so pretty! Just looking at them makes me wish I could pick one up to just hold in my hand!

Beautiful!

Greening up the outside dining area at Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville

2011-04-29T08:21:00.000-04:00

Black Running Bamboo in a planter at Mellow Mushroom in Jacksonville, FL

Yesterday when Tim was delivering bamboo to customers in northeast Florida, he stopped for dinner at Mellow Mushroom along Rt. A1A. Last year, the Jacksonville location of Mellow Mushroom purchased two kinds of running bamboos from Beautiful Bamboo. Mellow Mushroom is one of our favorite restaurants and ever since the Jacksonville location purchased plants from us, we've been curious about how they looked. Yesterday Tim had an opportunity to find out.

The object was to break up the starkness of the tall wall with some greenery. In just one growing season, Semiarundinaria fastuosa viridis (Green Hedge Running Bamboo) and Phyllostachys nigra (Black Running Bamboo) did the trick!

Running bamboos are not right for everyone because they are invasive. They must be controlled so they don't spread into places where they are not supposed to be. However, when used as a container plant, running bamboos have many advantages. The container prevents them from being invasive and the plants' upright growth pattern works perfectly for narrow spaces. Since running bamboos are also very cold hardy, they are an excellent choice as container plants throughout the United States. They actually grow taller and have larger diameter canes in colder parts of the country than they do in warmer climates.

Another photo of the wooden planters used to contain the running bamboo

Bamboo rainsticks

2011-04-14T15:20:00.000-04:00

Rainsticks made out of our homegrown bamboo poles

Bamboo poles have so many uses but one frequently requested project involves the use of bamboo poles to make rainsticks. A few months ago, Kari, a customer in Kentucky, had that project in mind when she wrote to say:

"Hi! I just found your site on Google. I am looking for bamboo poles for a homeschool group project. We are making rainsticks. Everything I've read says I need at least a 3" diameter by about 2' long. (We can cut them here, but if you all can do that, that would save me work!!) I'm planning on about 25 kids. There are less, but I'd like some practice and some extras!! We live in KY, so there would be shipping. Could you please give me a quote and your best advice? If you have an idea how to cap them off or what to use on the ends, I would appreciate that, too!! Thanks!"

Our son Tim was also homeschooled and has made bamboo rainsticks himself. Tim responded to Kari's letter:

"Bamboo does make a great rainstick. When I've made them, I used a wooden dowel, or the end node of smaller bamboo, to close the ends. 3'' would work well, and we have three different kinds to choose from: our Homegrown poles, imported poles and polished poles. The polished poles are going to look the most beautiful since the natural oils in the bamboo form a glossy look when cured. We can cut the poles into 2' foot sections for a dollar a cut, which would yield you 4 pieces per 8' pole. The shipping will be less with the cuts since the packages will be shorter- but for an exact quote I just need a zip code where they are going in KY."

Kari opted for 2" diameter homegrown poles (easier for little hands to hold) cut into smaller lengths. When the project was completed, she sent the following pictures:

My rainstick!

Enough bamboo poles to make rainsticks for everyone

Rainsticks are for more than making music...they're good to lean on too

New shoots aplenty in the Vivax grove

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

A restful spot in the Vivax grove

The Vivax Timber Running Bamboo (Phyllostachys vivax) began sending out new shoots toward the end of February. In the picture above, a small shoot can be seen in front of the right chair.


Spring is an exciting time of year because it is the beginning of the above-ground growing season for bamboo. Two new shoots are visible in this picture.

Peak into the "office" at Beautiful Bamboo

2011-03-16T19:25:00.001-04:00

The bamboo gazebo at Beautiful Bamboo

After greeting customers who come to Beautiful Bamboo nursery, the first thing we do is head to our outdoor office - a beautiful bamboo gazebo made out of the bamboo poles sold here at the nursery. While sitting beneath the gazebo's thatched roof listening to the music of bamboo wind chimes, we take a few minutes to find out about each customer's individual landscape needs.

Are the customers seeking privacy from obtrusive neighbors or trying to block unsightly objects or buildings? Are they are in the market for ornamental plantings or looking to create a hedge? If they are seeking a living fence, how long an area are they trying to cover and how wide a space can the bamboo fill? Are there any overhead wires we need to know about? Is irrigation in place? The answers to these and other questions help us determine which of the many different varieties of bamboo will work best in their particular situation.

In many ways my son, husband and I are not just bamboo growers but matchmakers trying to put together the perfect union of plant and people. Marriage is for the long term and so are bamboos. It is essential, right from the start, to select the correct bamboos. That's why we start each visit with a free consultation in our lovely outdoor office.

The excitement of seeing new shoots emerge

2011-03-07T10:16:00.000-05:00

It is exciting to watch new shoots emerge and grow taller day by day

A customer who recently purchased some Vivax Running Bamboos and some Seabreeze Clumping Bamboo sent this email:

I was busy most of the weekend so I didn't get out Saturday to check on them. Sunday afternoon I saw these shoots. 2 out of 3 of the Vivax have shoots. 2 on this plant and 3 thinner ones on another. Nothing new on the seabreeze yet, just lots of leaf growth. I saw these exactly 4 weeks after planting. Can't wait to measure them every day. You can tell I'm new to bamboo. Very excited, Michael

Spring is the time of year when all the running bamboos start sending up new shoots while clumpers wait a few months longer until the weather is warmer. It really is exciting to watch those new canes emerge. Not only is it thrilling to see the shoots pop out of the ground but, like Michael is doing, their growth can actually be measured daily and seeing that - especially when you've never grown bamboo before - can be amazing to watch.

Ralph stands next to a young Vivax cane here at Beautiful Bamboo. The new shoot that he's touching is less than a week old!

Graceful Bamboo - Bambusa textilis gracilis

2011-03-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

Bamboo is an instant gratification plant and even 3- or 7-gallon size bamboos will form a solid wall of green in one growing season if planted in a rich soil that is fertilized and watered regularly.

Our son, Toby, stands next to a young clump of Graceful that has had some of its lower leaves clipped off on order to better see the canes. When using Graceful to block off unsightly objects, we often suggest clipping leaves off the front canes and not the back ones. That way you can appreciate Graceful's attractive 1" to 1.25" diameter green canes while still having the blockage you desire.

But sometimes you don't want to wait even one season to block off an unsightly object or create that tropical paradise look. In that case, starting off with a larger plant like those in 15- or 30-gallon containers is the way to go.

In the photo below, Tim is standing next to some of our 15-gallon and 30-gallon Graceful plants. Like all our bamboos, Graceful is also available in 3-gal and 7-gal containers.

Our son Timmy is almost 6' tall. These 15- and 30-gal Graceful Bamboos are between 15' and 18' tall. Graceful can grow 20-25 feet with 1¼" diameter canes.

Graceful is a very handsome plant with 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.

Below are some of the attributes that make Graceful so popular:

It isn't too tall or too short (grows 20-25 feet).
It has the right amount of leaves - not too many or too few.
It is very cold hardy (down to about 18 degrees).
It is an upright grower with a small footprint, which makes it ideal for landscapes with limited planting beds.
New shoots come up very close to the previous year's canes, which gives Graceful a tight, compact appearance.

Below are some posting about Graceful including those sent by customers like Ken (below) who planted Graceful in their yard to provide a quick-growing hedge:

Ken, a customer from Tampa, emailed to say how pleased he is with the screen provided by the 9 Graceful bamboos he installed in August 2009. Eager to create a tall, dense screen to hide a noisy A/C unit and provide privacy from neighbors, Ken decided to purchase 7-gal size Gracefuls instead of 3-gal size plants. Bamboos in larger containers have bigger root systems, which can support more culms as well as larger diameter and taller canes.

Sherry and Ralph,

It has been almost a year since we installed the Graceful bamboo I purchased from you. I have enclosed pictures showing the transformation in just 1 year! We are very pleased with the outcome.

August 2009


Three 7-gal Gracefuls were planted about 4' apart in front of a noisy A/C unit

The remaining six Gracefuls, also planted about 4' apart, bordered the fence. Note the narrow planting bed in both pictures.

One Year Later

July 31, 2010


Where is that annoying A/C unit???

And the fence...What fence? It must be behind there somewhere...

One more view of the entire fence line, including the now-hidden A/C unit

Another customer writes to ask which bamboo would be best to create a screen in a 6' wide space:

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 chain link 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.

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.

Transporting large containers of Graceful:
Customers often wonder how to get the bamboo they want to buy home. Although they have the option of having us deliver their purchases to them, they can often save time and money by fitting the bamboo into their own cars, vans, station wagons, trucks or trailers.

(Remember to bring along some old sheets, blankets and tie-downs when you schedule your visit to Beautiful Bamboo)

Repeat customers Matt and Kelly really wanted an instant look in their landscape and when Kelly saw our selection of 15-gallon Graceful clumping bamboos she knew that was just the plant she was looking for.

Ralph and our grandson Atom pose in front of some 15- and 30-gallon Graceful bamboos

But would a 20+ foot tall, multi-caned plant fit into their station wagon? Not a problem! After a few of the taller shoots were snipped off to a 14' height and all the canes were tied together, the plant was ready to be gently slipped into the back of the wagon.

But at 14', the canes were still too long to fit completely inside the car.

Solution: Open the passenger side window and let the canes stick out.

With leaves secured by blankets and straps and anchored to the front grill work, the bamboo was ready for the 45-minute drive home.

Instant privacy and beauty ready to go!

Amazing 'Before and After' pictures
I received this email from customers in the Orlando area who bought Seabreeze and Graceful clumping bamboos from us in 2008 to shield their backyard from a neighbor's home that was being built right along their fence line.

Sherry,

We are happy with how much our bamboo has grown these past 2 years. It gives us the privacy, beauty and serenity we were looking for.

Attached is a recent photo and another photo from planting 2 years ago along with a photo prior to planting. Such an improvement! Sorry it took so long to send - 3 kids will keep you busy.

We are really enjoying the pool and our view. It is really relaxing and we now spend lots of time outside.

Hope all is well. Happy Mother's Day!

Lisa and Wes

Above: Before planting - a new house is being built next door

Below: Right after planting - the new house is looming larger but the bamboo is in the ground right along the fence line.

Below: Two Years Later - you can't even tell that the neighbor's house is there. The bamboo hedge completely hides the neighboring building while adding beauty and a tropical feel to the backyard.

Another 'Before and After' view of Graceful Bamboo
A customer who bought two different types of clumping bamboo in May wrote to say how well their bamboo is growing:

Aloha Sherry and Ralph - Six months ago I bought a 30 gallon Textilis Mutabilis from your amazing collection. This Emerald has generated 26 new canes already. I enriched the planting bed with 30 bags of Black Kow, peat and organic soils mixed together,fertilized, plus watered faithfully every morning before work.

The two little sisters are Textilis Gracilis (Graceful); these two were only 3 gallon specimens and have produced 17 new canes each in the five month interval since they were planted!

My neighbors are thrilled with the unique tropical beauty of these upright, tight clumpers in our typically small suburban lawns. I'm looking forward to the privacy screen, shade and windblock/ noise barrier this living fence will create.

Thanks for your informative web site and blog. Kind regards, Freddy

After planting in May - One Emerald on the left with two Gracefuls to the right


6 Months Later - the same Emerald with the 2 Gracefuls to the right

The same 6-month-old plants as seen from the opposite side

What kind of running bamboo will grow in NY?

2011-03-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

Running bamboos like cold climates. They will grow taller and have larger diameter canes if grown in cold climates instead of warm ones. Although this stand of Vivax running bamboo is covered in icicles during the winter of 2009, it wasn't damaged at all.

A visitor to our website from NY wrote to ask:

Hi. Do you have bamboos that will withstand NY winters? How many plants do you recommend to start? Thank you.

My response:
All of our running bamboos will grow in your area. Look at the pictures and descriptions on our running bamboo page to find the ones you like best. It is not a problem to plant several types together and let them run into each other.

How many you begin with depends on how quickly you want to form a hedge. We began most of our long hedgerows of running bamboo with one plant but we were willing to wait several years for them to expand sufficiently to form a hedge.

This double hedge of our Green Hedge Running bamboo (Semiarundinaria fastuosa viridis) was initially established on only one side of the path. We started with 3-gal size plants spaced 10 feet apart. It took several years, but eventually the space between the plants filled in and not too long after, shoots began traveling across the path. Today we have a lovely hedge on both sides of a path that we keep clear by mowing.

Running bamboos are easy to divide once the initial plant starts sending out shoots. Once the shoots have grown up and leafed out they can be dug up and relocated into the hedge line. I'd suggest starting with 4-6 plants spaced 5' apart to form a hedge a bit quicker.

These connected young shoots of Red Running Bamboo (Semiarudinaria fastuosa) are ready to be divided and transplanted.

We ship 3-gal plants, 2 plants per 48" x 12" x 12" box. In order to provide you with an accurate quote, we need to how many plants and which varieties you wish to order, your address w/zip code, phone # and whether the parcel will be delivered to a home or business location (it is slightly less expensive to ship to commercial locations). Once we have that information we can send you a quote including shipping. If you decide to go ahead with the order we accept payment by credit card. When the bamboo is shipped we email you a tracking number.

How do I know if I'm watering too much?

2011-02-28T18:21:00.000-05:00

Bamboo leaves that are receiving adequate water are flat and open

While the leaves of the same type of bamboo (in this case, yellow groove running bamboo) getting insufficient water curl inward

I received this email today:

We have had our bamboo in the ground for about 3 weeks now, Seabreeze and Vivax. I have the spray emitters I purchased from you on the 12 Seabreeze and have been watering the Vivax by hand. After reading the internet and your blog I am finding conflicting information on watering. In one of your recent posts it said water as much as possible during daylight hours. Another spot on your site I read 30 min twice daily when new.

Other places on the net vary from every other day to once a week after established. Due to our current schedule, I have been watering with the spray emitters for about an hour a day, sometimes longer in the afternoon and then a good soaking with the hose on the Vivax. I have mulched the plants with leaves and the soil remains damp until the next watering. I am seeing a lot of new growth on the current canes so I assume I am giving enough water.

I think my main concern is over watering since I know they are not getting dried out between waterings. I planted with your bamboo booster as directed and have typical very sandy soil outside of where we replaced with the bamboo booster. Is there much risk of over watering? Is there any harm in watering in the evening or possibly after dark? I know I need to buy a timer, but I am in manual mode for now. Any tips are appreciated.

My response:
Sorry for the confusing information. The bottom line with bamboo in FL is that it is almost impossible to give them too much water. If the bamboo are standing in water that doesn't drain away for more than two weeks, that would be a problem, but that isn't likely to happen in FL. It might happen if you lived in an area where soil drainage is poor with, for instance, pockets of heavy clay. In that case, over-watering would be a concern.

The post where I mentioned watering the bamboo as much as possible refers to recently transplanted large clumps of bamboo like the one pictured in that post. The watering you are doing to your smaller plants is perfectly adequate. The thing to understand with bamboo is that it likes water and sends out more shoots when grown in moist conditions.

That's not to say bamboo won't grow well with less water. It will, just not as vigorously. We tell people to water frequently in the beginning to both help the plants adjust to transplanting and also to encourage growth. After two or three years, your bamboos will have met or exceeded your initial size/height/width expectations. (For examples of bamboo growth, see the 'Before and After' pictures sent by our customers.) At that point you might want to back off watering. You can even stop irrigating completely after a couple years and the bamboo will still do just fine.

The thing to remember is you can slow down or increase the size of your clump by adjusting TWO THINGS: The amount of water the bamboo receives and the frequency of soil amendments in the form of fertilizer and/or top dressings of organic matter like leaves, grass clippings, compost, manure, etc.

More of both = More prolific growth.

Regarding the time of day to water, it is not important when you water. Do it whenever it is convenient for you. The main thing, when your plants are young, is to water them regularly. We recommend using a programmable timer but even if you rely on hand-watering, use the bamboo leaves as indicators of your watering needs. If you see leaves beginning to curl, then you know they need more water. Turn on the sprinklers, the leaves will uncurl and the bamboos will be happy.

It doesn't matter if you use overhead sprinkers, spot spitters or hand-water, the important thing is to water your newly transplanted and young plants regularly

Bamboo flutes

2011-02-26T16:16:00.000-05:00

People have been making musical instruments out of bamboo for thousands of years. The oldest bamboo flute dates back to 433 BC and was discovered in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng at the Suizhou site, Hubei province, China.

Over the ages, people around the world have transformed hollow bamboo tubes into sweet sounding musical instruments. Instrument makers from China, India, Korea, Japan, Polynesia, Cambodian and many other countries have their own unique take on the construction of bamboo flutes.

At Beautiful Bamboo, we receive many inquiries from bamboo flute makers. Recently, Erik the Flutemaker, from Davie, FL stopped by with his associate, Leo.

Erik the Flutemaker plays one of his 'Starry Night' flutes at Beautiful Bamboo

After having read about the different varieties on our website, Erik and Leo came to take a tour of the demonstration gardens and see in person the different clumping bamboos pictured on our website.

Leo serenades us with melodic sounds

When it comes to making flutes, clumping bamboos are better than running varieties because the distance between the culm sections in clumping bamboo is considerably longer than it is in runners. Other consideration include the diameter of the canes, the wall thickness and the coloring of the bamboo exterior.

While Leo watches, Erik (on right) shows Ralph where to drill holes on a Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe' cane. In the background stands a large clump of bamboo of the same type of bamboo.

As we toured the property with Erik and Leo, we looked for bamboos with the specific qualities needed to build the type of flutes Erik and Leo construct.

After choosing an appropriate pole, Erik give it an initial cleaning with a handful of pine needles and bamboo leaves picked up off the ground

Relocating a large clump of Yin-Yang bamboo

2011-02-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

Timmy and Ralph relocate a two-year-old Yin-Yang bamboo

My office window faces a clay wall that we carved out of a hillside years ago in order to build our house. The wall is not particularly attractive and to hide it we have planted bamboos. A couple days ago we transplanted a two-year-old clump of Bambusa emeiensis viridiflavus or Yin-Yang to a spot directly across from my office window.

Timmy lowers the bamboo into a prepared hole filled with a good base of our custom soil mix, Bamboo Booster. When planting bamboo, it is important to replace nutrient poor soil with a rich, light soil mixture and to water the transplanted bamboo during daylight hours for as long as possible.

Now I can look out at Yin-Yang, which is currently my favorite bamboo. It's a large-caned bamboo with an unusual striping pattern. Although the culms (canes) are green, alternating sides of each culm are striped with a series of vertical yellow lines. The culm sections are also banded by a fairly broad horizontal white line that is particularly attractive and distinctive.


Yellow stripes and a broad white band add to Yin-Yang's allure

Yin-Yang also has pretty leaves that grow differently than many other clumpers. It has a very Asian feel to it that makes me think of a zen garden or meditative space. Simply looking at this special bamboo is soothing. That's especially helpful when I'm stressing out over particularly full workload or impending deadlines.

Not sure if a bamboo is a runner or clumper? Exercise caution.

2011-02-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

A customer who bought bamboo from us in January recently went to a local flea market where she purchased a container of bamboo from someone who couldn't say what kind of bamboo it was. The customer then sent us the following picture of the bamboo along with an email asking us to identify the plant for her:

Buying bamboo from someone who isn't certain what kind of bamboo they are selling is risky

Hi, I went to a flea market and stumbled upon a bamboo that almost has a resemblances of a golden goddess, but I am not sure. She didn't even know what it was either. It was claimed as an clumper. Do you think you could identify it? I have the picture.

My response:
It is definitely not Golden Goddess and there's a good chance it is not a clumping bamboo at all. When you buy bamboo from someone who has no idea what plant they are selling - especially if that bamboo is tantalizing inexpensive - you are very likely to be purchasing one of the many varieties of running bamboo, all of which are much easier to propagate than clumping varieties.

Running bamboos are invasive and once established, they are very difficult to remove.

Instead of planting in the ground what might turn out to be an unwanted running bamboo, you might try growing it in a large pot for one growing season. After a year, you will be able to tell by its growth patterns whether it is a clumping or running bamboo.

YIN YANG TIMBER BAMBOO Bambusa emeiensis viridiflavus

2011-02-18T18:27:00.002-05:00

Ralph recently thinned out one of our favorite clumping bamboos, Yin Yang Timber. This 2-year-old line of four plants started out with a single cane from 3-gal containers when they were first planted. Now, 2 yeas later, the four clumps have grown together into a solid wall of green. A little thinning shows off the beautiful canes. Every year, the new shoots that appear during the warm summer months are larger diameter and taller than previous year's growth. In larger-cane bamboos like Yin Yang, we like the way it looks if the smaller, more original canes are removed in order to showcase the more spectacular looking larger diameter new growth. The poles that were removed (shown in the bottom left image) are straight and can be used for building or craft projects.

Should bamboo watering schedule change with the seasons?

2011-02-15T14:12:00.000-05:00

A customer from Winter Park, FL wrote to ask about winter watering needs for bamboo:

Now that winter is still with us, yet changing into something like Spring over the next few days, should we adjust our winter watering schedule? We have restrictions at this time of year: once a week is the city limit. Yet I could go out and give each bamboo clump, say, a gallon or two a day if you advised. Most of the bambusa chungii still have green leaves, but on a number of these leaves the tips are brown. I'm thinking that is a seasonal thing, but maybe you will say more water is needed. I'm also planning to put Black Kow around each clump later this week.

My response:
Soil conditions, fertilizer and water are the 3 key ingredients needed to make large, healthy bamboo plants.

Clumping bamboos send up new shoots during the warm months and those shoots will be a larger diameter and taller if they are growing in rich, well-irrigated soil. Adding compost, manure, grass clippings or any other organic matter as a top dressing around existing plants is always beneficial in any season. As it rains or when the bamboos are watered, the nutrients from the top dressing leaches into the subsoil to be absorbed by the roots.

If water restrictions limits watering to once a week any additional hand watering will help. The more you water, the sooner new shoots will emerge. But don't worry if you can't do that. Bamboos can handle minimal watering, they just grow faster and get bigger sooner if they are more frequently irrigated.

The browning on the tips of the Bambusa chungii (Blue Timber) is, as you suspected, just a natural part of the winter season. Bamboo leaves die and fall to the ground all year long but it seems to happen more so in the winter. The brown tips are not a sign that your plants are lacking in water or are nutrient deficient. It just signals a transition time from one season to the next.

Keep your eyes open for new shoots on the Bambusa chungii. Just within the last few days I've noticed new shoots emerge on the Blue Timber bamboos that we planted last year.

Osprey enjoys the view from Beautiful Bamboo

2011-02-05T16:57:00.002-05:00

Ralph and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time to see this osprey fly in and land on a clump of mature Oldhamii bamboo. He's perched on the thin tip of a cane that lost its leaves in the recent cold spell. Ralph and I might object to a few less leaves on the stand of bamboo but the osprey doesn't mind. He (or she?) finds the leafless cane perfectly suited for his sharp talons to clutch while he surveys the landscape. The clump of oldhammi (Giant Timber) is right next to the lake, an ideal setting for all sorts of predatory fish-eating birds including ospreys.

Customer Comments

2011-01-12T14:43:00.008-05:00

Below are some of the many comments sent by Beautiful Bamboo customers.

Dear Tim and Sherry,

Just wanted to say thank you - the bamboo arrived yesterday in great condition, well-packed and it sprung back right after it got out of the box. It was well watered immediately after unpacking and will be transplanted into a large pot tomorrow per your instructions. Thanks again for the quick response to my questions via email as well.

Jonathan

Philadelphia PA

Just a quick thanks to you and especially Tim. He is finishing up the 6 new bamboo I purchased, and I must say, he is really doing a fantastic job. He is checking and treating and watering, very nice job, very happy. Thanks.
Dr. Bruce
Orlando FL

Tim.....I want to thank you and Sherry for all the courtesies you extended to me in our quest to find the Bamboo just right for us. My assistant Shawn is planting it now and we agree the Asian Lemon will look super between the Oldhamii we have. Thanks again for all the help!

Roland
Jacksonville FL

Hi Sherry,
I purchased some of your bamboo a while back to make calligraphy brushes. The bamboo is great and I made some wonderful brushes. Here are a few pictures when the bamboo was still green. I wish it would stay that way but it's changing into a beautiful golden color - which I like as well. Thank you for picking out some gnarly pieces for me. I'll be ready to order more soon.
Stella
Wisconsin

Hi - Just wanted to express my pleasure with your delivery of the 50 7-gallon Green Hedge bamboo plants. Tim was exceptionally polite and helpful with my questions, just as he was when I ordered on Saturday. He offered several tips and showed me how to dig a proper hole for planting. I should have the remaining few in the ground today. The bamboo are all larger than I expected, and are as big or bigger than the 15-gallon plants I looked at locally. Most are 8-12 ft tall. If you would like I will send you pictures once and I am done planting, and will update you as they grow.

Thanks again for providing an honest and helpful service. It is refreshing to deal with a business that delivers what they promise at a reasonable price.

Bob

Melbourne FL

Hi Sherry & Ralph
We just wanted to thank you for your assistance in this project. Jennifer, James, Jessie, and Daniel were a pleasure to work with and the end result looks great...we know it will take some time for the bamboo to grow/develop, but we are off to a GREAT start...Please thank all your people again for us, as we are very pleased with the work. I'm sure we will be back for more and probably will have some referrals for you as well. Thanks again.
Chili and Deb
Orlando FL

Sherry,
I wanted to thank you again for the bamboo. Both Jennifer and James were very hardworking and conscientious in installing the bamboo. It looks really good and has already helped to relieve the depression from the big house behind us. I didn't realize how big and impressive the Seabreeze would look. We had some palm trees planted today and the yard has a nice tropical look now. Thank you again.
Wes
Orlando FL

Hi Sherry, I just wanted to tell you how much we are enjoying our bamboo! My home office is off the kitchen and at the end of the kitchen is a sliding glass window that looks out onto the backyard. It is very peaceful to look out and see the bamboo swaying in the breeze! I am convinced it has already grown some ... and it likes the drip line hose that Brooks bought for it. Thanks again and I am so glad that Brooks found you!
Susie
Orlando FL

Sherry and Ralph,
I want to thank you for the Bamboo poles that I purchased from you. They worked out perfect. I made a canopy with them for my sisters wedding and I just wanted to say thank you. Thanks again,
David
Deltona FL

Hello all! I just got my order of 3"and 4" poles a couple of days ago and I am really pleased. So, thank you so much!!
Steven
Strafford NH

Hi Sherry! Just had to let you know how wonderfully your, actually, now, my bamboo is doing! I'm blown away! Not only did they spring back unbelievably from their "trip", within a few weeks, they both put up new canes! I had previously bought a couple of specimens from another bamboo company. No comparison. Yours are so vastly superior! Don't want to give you the fat head, just wanted to let you know you're doing a really good job. Your planting instructions were spot-on! The people at the other nursery said, "Just dig a hole and plant 'em. They don't need anything special, not until they're established, and then you might add a little 10-10-10 fertilizer." Well, let me tell you, I believe the cow manure made a huge difference in their progress, along with the obvious superior care they received on your end! If you ever need any testimonial, I'm your guy! Couldn't be happier, can't say enough good things about you and your product.
Fred
Ingleside TX

Hi Sherry,
Just thought you would like to see how well our bamboo is doing. Thank you for the beautiful bamboo. We love it!
Ron
Clermont FL

Hello - We bought a 1gal. Dwarf Buddha’s Belly last year. It had one new shoot .25 inches in diameter, and 18in long that grew to six ft long. This year, so far, it has 4 new shoots averaging about .75 inches diameter. The new growth is at the rate of approximately one inch in 24 hours. It is amazing to watch, it almost explodes out of the pot! Thank you, we’ve enjoyed watching it.
Charley
Sebring FL

Hello Sherry
Just wanted to say thank you for selling me the Bamboo. They all are doing great. Right now I am up to 15 shoots, some are over 6 foot tall already. And one runner, about 19 inches from the clump (Green Hedge).
Andrew
Orlando FL

Sherry: Thank You for assisting Connie and myself this weekend. Our new Oldhamii is in its place of honor. Also please thank your son for his assistance in placing and helping to plant our new addition. He was very helpful and a very good ambassador for your company. The entire experience has been a pleasure. We will be back once we establish our Pool area for more of Beautiful-Bamboo. Thanks again and Regards,
David
Orlando FL

Discounted Prices on Select Bamboos

2011-01-08T20:51:00.008-05:00

Welcome to our Specials Page!

Our goal is to help you complete your project within your budget. Tell us your plans and we will do our best to help you find a beautiful as well as affordable solution to your landscaping needs. Call Tim, Sherry or Ralph at 352-429-2425

-- Please, Cash or Check Only for Sale Items --

Sale

The following bamboos are being offered at a significant discount. Buy now and save a bundle on some of our loveliest clumping bamboos.

Asian Lemon

Bambusa eutuldoides viridi-vittata

PRICES SLASHED

While they last!

7-gal reg $135 - NOW $75 sold out

15-gal reg $225 - NOW $125 sold out

30-gal reg $300 - NOW $195

Sunburst

Bambusa pervariabilis viridistriata

PRICES SLASHED

While they last!

3-gal reg $95 - NOW $25 sold out

7-gal reg $195 - NOW $45 sold out

15-gal reg $250 - NOW $75

Angel Mist

Dendrocalamus minor amoenus

WHILE THEY LAST!

3-gal reg $95 - NOW $25

7-gal reg $195 - NOW $45

15-gal reg $250 - NOW $75

30-gal reg $350 - NOW $125

Hawaiian Gold

Bambusa vulgaris vitatta

While they last!

7-gal reg $75 - NOW $45

15-gal reg $135 - NOW $75

30-gal reg $225 - NOW $125

Giant Bamboo

Bambusa vulgaris

While they last!

3-gal reg $45 - NOW $25

7-gal reg $75 - NOW $45 sold out

15-gal reg $135 - NOW $75 sold out

Is it normal for bamboo leaves to turn brown?

2010-12-22T17:37:00.000-05:00

A customer who bought bamboo from us before the recent cold snap wrote to ask:

Is it normal for the bamboo to brown in the winter? All but the Golden Hedge now have brown leaves, following some rather bitterly cold nights we had last week and the week before. The stalks still look basically the same.

Just wanted to see if something’s gone wrong. I did avoid watering before the coldest nights for fear of freezing the roots, but otherwise they should have received plentiful water.

I replied:

You haven't done anything wrong. The unusually cold weather has "burned" the leaves on many of the bamboos. Those leaves will be falling off in the coming weeks and new leaves will form to take their place. For information on which bamboos are most vulnerable to winter temperatures, please click on this post.

Will the cold snap kill my bamboos?

2010-12-13T19:13:00.000-05:00

Dwarf Buddha Belly leaves are beginning to die after being nipped by last week's freezing temperatures

Many people are worried about their bamboos. People have been calling to ask what they should do to protect their bamboos during tonight's expected freeze. Fortunately, most of the bamboos are going to be fine even if they are not protected at all. All the running bamboos and most of the clumping bamboos can handle chilly weather - even when it dips into the mid to high 20s. Certain ones are vulnerable but even those will rebound when the weather warms back up. It is important to remember that even if the cold weather kills the above ground portions of the plant, it won't kill the roots. The roots will remain viable and will send up new shoots again in the summer.

Here's a list of which plants are vulnerable: all the Textilis bamboos like Emerald and Graceful are extremely hardy and won't be damaged unless temperatures dip into the mid to low teens. That's also true for all the Multiplex bamboos like Golden Hedge, Green Hedge and Golden Goddess and also for Buddha Belly (Bambusa ventricosa). Almost as hardy are Blue Timber, Baby Blue, Seabreeze and Yin Yang - those bamboos might suffer some leaf damage when temperatures dip into the low 20s.

The ones to be concerned about in the current freeze are Dwarf Buddha, Hawaiian Gold, Angel Mist and Black bamboo. To a slightly lesser degree, Ladyfinger, Asian Lemon, Giant Timber and Sunburst are also vulnerable.

A hand built black bamboo bicycle

2010-11-26T09:33:00.000-05:00

Joel, a customer from Knoxville, Tennessee, sent pictures of his hand built bamboo bicycle using our Domestically Grown Designer Quality Polished Bamboo Poles.

Joel's project required poles of very specific diameters : 1", 1 3/8", 1 3/4" and 1 1/4"

Building a bamboo bicycle requires poles of very specific diameters. For most out-of-state customers we select the poles according to their specifications, package them up and ship by FedEx but it is always best if a customer can select the poles in person. That's what Joel chose to do. He drove to our nursery from Tennessee in order to hand-pick the black bamboo poles he wanted. He even brought along a cordless jigsaw and lots of blades to cut the poles down so they'd fit in the trunk of his car.

"I've finished the bamboo bike from the poles I picked out at your wonderful farm," Joel wrote in an email accompanying his photos.

When is the best time to plant bamboo?

2010-11-25T13:07:00.001-05:00

Bamboo can be planted year round

People often ask when they should plant bamboo. An email in today's inbox is typical:

I have a small area where I would like to plant bamboo for privacy purposes...the space is about 20 feet. What is the best time to plant?

My response is that bamboo can be planted year round.

Spring or summer is an immediate-gratification time to plant because you see above-ground growth soon, shortly after installation.

If planted in the fall/winter, you have to wait longer to see above-ground growth because new shoots emerge in the warm summer months. But planting in the fall/winter also has its advantages. It gives the roots a longer time to get established.

With bamboo, it's all about the roots. Well established roots produce taller, larger diameter more plentiful shoots in the summer growing season.

Another Beautiful Bamboo wedding arbor

2010-11-24T07:59:00.000-05:00

I recently received these pictures of an arbor built by one of our customers for their beach wedding:

A long view of the wedding arbor on the beach before the ceremony

Four upright poles, four cross poles plus two additional poles for added support in the back

Plenty of room underneath the arbor for everyone to fit

A patio display of bamboo poles

2010-11-15T16:45:00.000-05:00

Perry, a customer from South Florida, sent the following 4 pictures of his bamboo poles purchased to create a very specific looking patio display.

Because he lived over 3 hours from our nursery, Perry was unable to visit Beautiful Bamboo to pick out the poles himself. Instead, like many of our customers, he selected poles based on our online photos and descriptions. Once the order was finalized, they were shipped to his location.

Perry selected 15 of our 2" diameter Domestically Grown Designer Quality poles to fill 3 large outdoor vases. He had very specific requirements that the poles be honey-colored as described on our webpage.

When the poles first arrived, Perry was disappointed because instead of having the honey-colored tone he expected, they had a slight khaki-colored tint. When he called, I explained that the poles had been freshly cut and then "cooked", which is what brings out their shiny "polished look."

I told Perry that over the next couple weeks the khaki color would change into the honey tones he desired. Sure enough, that's exactly what happened.

Creating a serene wall of privacy

2010-11-14T09:48:00.000-05:00

I received this letter with accompanying photos from Larry, a customer in Orlando who purchased two 3-gal containers of Emerald Clumping Bamboo in November 2008. Larry remembers that when he first bought the bamboo one container had 3 thin canes, the other had 4 and both were only about 4' tall. The plants have certainly grown in the 2 years since they were planted:

Here is how my bamboo looks. It’s a serene wall of privacy. I’m back to watering it every day and will be out to see you for another 6 pounds of fertilizer before the spring!

The secret to my success was following your and Ralph’s instructions to the letter!

· I bought

o your mulch/planting mixture in which to plant the clumps into the ground, and the number of bags you recommended, and

o the fertilizer you sell.

· I watered twice a day every day for an hour until our natural rainy season got underway.

· I fertilize faithfully every six months and still water once or twice daily during the dry season.

We were still in the dry, winter season when the first, new canes began to emerge … about three months ahead of when we expected them to.

The bamboo has grown into a living privacy wall and is a source of serenity, great pleasure, and pride.

Freshly cut green poles

2010-11-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

A repeat customer from CA who is an event planner ordered some freshly cut green bamboo poles of various diameters to be shipped to New Orleans for a convention display. The bamboos had to arrive at a specific date and, because green poles were required, the canes needed to be cut and packaged the morning they were to be picked up by the shipping company. Beautiful Bamboo was happy to accommodate their needs.

Timmy cuts some 2" diameter poles from a mature stand of Bambusa textilis mutabilis (Emerald)

Timber!

The poles are checked for straightness

An assortment of freshly cut bamboo poles is about ready to be packaged and shipped to New Orleans

Look how big bamboo can get in one summer!

2010-10-29T19:25:00.003-04:00

A customer who bought two different types of clumping bamboo in May wrote to say how well their bamboo is growing:

The two little sisters are Textilis Gracilis (Graceful); these two were only 3 gallon specimens and have produced 17 new canes each in the five month interval since they were planted!

Thanks for your informative web site and blog. Kind regards, Freddy

After planting in May - One Emerald on the left with two Gracefuls to the right


6 Months Later - the same Emerald with the 2 Gracefuls to the right

The same 6-month-old plants as seen from the opposite side

Shipping live plants

2010-10-21T21:53:00.000-04:00

This morning Timmy packed up 6 Golden Goddess bamboos to send to a customer in SC.

The plants are all in 3-gal size containers. Before shipping, we enclose the bamboo, which was recently watered, in a plastic bag to maintain moisture during the travel time.

Two 3-gal size plants will fit in each 48" x 12" x 12" box.

The plants are wedged into place with lengths of bamboo poles to prevent them from moving around during shipping.

Lots of crumpled up newspaper - a good way to recycle! - prevents shifting as well.

Included in the box are planting instructions.

Once they are sealed, the boxes are labeled and fragile stickers are added. Then it is off to the FedEx store to send them on their way.

Bamboo Question: Sun or shade?

2010-10-21T21:33:00.000-04:00

Customers often ask if bamboo needs a sunny location or can it grow in shady conditions. We explain that it doesn't make that much difference if the location is sunny or shady. What is important are the soil and water conditions. Bamboos grow best in rich, well-irrigated soil, regardless of whether the location gets a lot of sun or very little.

Below are a couple pictures of some Bambusa textilis growing very nicely in the shade of some tall pine trees.


The pine tree sends shade down while the bamboo grows up...

...right through the pine tree branches!

GOLDEN GODDESS BAMBOO Bambusa multiplex golden goddess

2010-10-21T21:11:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of Golden Goddess in 15-gal and 30-gal containers.

A close-up of the canes to see how full both the 15- and 30-gal containers are

I'm standing on tip toes reaching up toward the top of the plants - 15-gal to the left, 30-gal to the right

30-gal Golden Goddess

A 30-gal is about twice as tall as Timmy, who is 5' 10"

Timmy with a 15-gal plant

Large Poles - Small Car

2010-10-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

A customer who arrived in a mustang convertible purchased several large diameter bamboo poles last week. But how was he going to take the 5" x 10' imported poles home in such a small car? Not a problem!


He rolled the top down and we placed the poles in the car

With the canes pressed close to the floorboards and the tips extending out the back

Scott is ready to take the hour-an-a-half drive home and start working on his beautiful bamboo project!

Two new pictures of wedding arbors sent by customers

2010-10-18T17:56:00.000-04:00

In the past couple days, I receive pictures from two customers who built wedding arbors with Beautiful Bamboo. Here's the first letter and accompanying photo:

My husband and I bought a few pieces of bamboo from you for our son's wedding at the beach, attached is a picture, it turned out really nice. Thank your husband for helping us select such beautiful pieces.

And the second letter/picture:

This is the Arbor we built with the bamboo we bought from your grove last year. I don't know if you remember us we are the ones that showed up on the day it actually snowed in Florida lol we had a great time and this turned out to be perfect. Thank you.

How do you transport tall bamboo plants?

2010-10-05T10:04:00.000-04:00

Although we offer delivery services as well as installation, many of our customers opt to take their bamboo home themselves. In those cases, we put a lot of care into properly wrapping the leaves and securing the plants so they arrive home in good condition. If you want to transport bamboos in your own vehicle, remember to bring along plenty of wrapping material. Tarps, old sheets and even blankets will work. It's also important to have on hand rope, bungee cords, straps or twine to secure that we can use to secure the wrapping material.

This extra-tall 15-gal plant extended far beyond the trailer of a customer from Dade City. Note how the leaves have been wrapped in a tarp and secured with twine.

You don't need a trailer to transport tall bamboos...

The back of an SUV or even a car will do

Even if it means the bamboo will sometimes have to extend out a window and around the front hood...

Tightly wrapped in sheets the bamboo is ready for the ride to its new home.

Asian Lemon - Bambusa eutuldoides viridi-vittata

2010-10-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

If you are seeking a stunning specimen plant that has an upright form and eye-catching coloration, Asian Lemon is an excellent pick. The bright yellow canes are accented by bold green stripes. It's relatively short height enables it to be planted under electric lines yet still be tall enough to block a two-story house. The contrast of Asian Lemon's dark green leaves with the plant's colorful canes makes this a valuable and highly desirable addition to the landscape.

These 30-gal plants are approximately 16' tall with multiple canes including new shoots from the 2010 growing season that have yet to reach their full height.

Close-up views of the canes show how full the pots are with culms ranging from 1/2" to over an inch in diameter.

Pretty Green Anole on Blue Timber bamboo

2010-09-17T17:57:00.000-04:00


A pretty Green Anole poses on a culm of Blue Timber Clumping Bamboo

There are many lizards in Florida including this pretty little Green Anole, the only Florida native of the genus. I love watching these slender bug-eaters. I'm especially fond of seeing them scamper up and down bamboo canes in search of their insect prey.

Is bamboo an option for me? Not always...

2010-09-13T16:36:00.011-04:00

If you want to grow a living fence that will quickly provide a beautiful barrier, bamboo is usually the perfect choice. But not always. There are some situations where it simply won't work. The following email from a person in Missouri describes one such situation:

I am getting ready to move into a mobile home park after living on nearly a 1/4 acre with a huge yard for 15 years. It is a nice mobile home park but I would like to block the sun on the one side of the home and the view of my neighbors as well. I want to plant a hedge of bamboo, we are not allowed to have fences but we can plant trees.

I live in Missouri and I want to cover a length of about 30-40 feet only. I want it to be at least 12-15 feet tall but not 50 to 60, would prefer the height to be no more than 25 or so. We do get cold winters here hitting zero (occasionally below zero) and sometimes the wind chill factor goes below.

I noticed that some of the bamboo survived while being in containers. Can they grow indoors? Will the container bamboo survive cold winters? I definitely do not want to worry about the bamboo overtaking my neighbors or spreading where I do not want it to go.

Is bamboo an option for me?

My response:
I'm sorry, but bamboo really isn't an option for you. It is too cold in Missouri for clumping bamboos, which is non-invasive. The only types of bamboo that will survive your temperatures are the running bamboos and running bamboos are invasive plants. If you plant them in the ground, they will spread throughout the neighborhood. They would not be an appropriate choice for your situation.

What about growing them in pots? Since you are wanting to cover a 30' to 40' span and have plants 15' tall, you would need 5 to 10 plants. If you were to put those bamboo in pots, they'd be cumbersome to move every year from indoors to outdoors. That doesn't seem like a practical solution to your problem either.

I wish I could offer more encouragement but bamboo is not the right choice for every situation. In most of the country, running bamboos are all that grows but because it is invasive, it doesn't work everywhere. Clumping bamboos are non-invasive and grow quickly to form a solid hedge but they only do well in areas where the winter temperature doesn't fall below 15 degrees.

The canes on this stand of Vivax Running Bamboo were bent by a covering of icicles in the winter of 2009 but because it is a running bamboo, the canes were undamaged. As soon as the ice melted, they straightened up and remained green and leafy. Running bamboos like cold weather but because they are invasive plants, they are not appropriate for every situation.

Green Treefrog

2010-09-10T16:11:00.000-04:00

I had just finished helping a customer at Beautiful Bamboo when I looked up at the gazebo roof and noticed this little green treefrog on one of the poles.


Green Treefrog on bamboo pole

I love these small, cute frogs with the white stripe outlining their bright green torsos. The frog in the picture has adopted the bamboo gazebo as its home. Great choice! He's safe and I get to watch him whenever I'm in the nursery. I often see him sitting on a pole patiently waiting for food to fly by. In his own small way, the little green treefrog is helping to keep the biting bugs at bay. Every little bit helps.

Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo - A fast, effective barrier plant

2010-09-01T11:02:00.000-04:00

This one-month-old Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo only had one cane when it was first planted from a 3-gal container. One month later and a new shoot has already emerged with many more shoots to follow over the next few months. See photo below.


This line of one-year-old Green Hedge Clumping Bamboos looked like the top picture when it was first planted. Each bamboo only had a single cane in each 3-gal container. The bamboos are planted 4' apart. After only one growing season, many new shoots emerged to form an 8'-10' tall solid wall of green.

Here's an example of how effectively Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo can provide a sight and sound barrier. The above photo shows a one-year-old line of Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo started from 7-gal plants. Prior to planting, the house below was completely exposed to the noise and traffic on SR 19 in Groveland. One year after planting, the house is no longer visible and you can hardly hear the sound of cars and trucks speeding by

How to care for established bamboo plants

2010-08-05T17:09:00.000-04:00

A customer from Riverview, Florida who purchased several Green Hedge clumping bamboos (Bambusa multiplex 'Silverstripe') emailed to say:

About 4 years ago I bought some bamboo from your lovely property. We love it and it did everything you said it would. It blocked a two story house that had been built behind us and provided a beautiful screen for our viewing pleasure. My question has to do with keeping the bamboo as a smaller clump to fit the area it is in. When new stalks come up do I dig it up or just cut it at ground level? Can I thin it a little from the middle by cutting stalks shorter or will they get new growth on the cut stalk like some plants do? And lastly, since this is such a prolific grower is it really necessary to feed the bamboo or does it need it to keep a green color? And what do you think is the best food for it?

By the way, this bamboo went through those horrible freezes we have had for the last two winters with flying colors. I couldn't be happier. When the rest of my plants and bushes were devastated the bamboo was our shining star.

A 6-year-old clump of Green Hedge bamboo

My response:
The best way to maintain a clumping bamboo once it has reached the size you want is to knock over new shoots when they appear around the perimeter of the clump. Kicking or knocking over the young shoots stops that shoot from growing. During the summer above-ground growing season, other new shoots may still appear but when they do, they can be knocked over as well.

Another way to control the size of a clump is to cut back on watering and fertilizing once the circle of bamboo has gotten as big as you want it to be. A mature clump of bamboo does well even without extra water and fertilizer.

New shoots cannot be dug up and transplanted. First of all, digging through a mature clump of bamboo is extremely difficult since the root system is so dense. If you do manage to cut through with a reciprocal saw, ax or specially designed shovel, you would only want to cut out mature, fully leafed canes. New shoots would have to grow up and leaf out before they can be divided off.

Any time a bamboo culm/cane is topped, it will not grow any taller. It will, however, get leafier below where it has been cut. Cutting out canes from the center of a clump provides a more open appearance. Although new shoots sometimes come up in the middle, their tendency is to appear around the perimeter.

The fertilizer we like best is a 6-month time-release formula (18-6-8) high in nitrogen, which is what bamboos need for optimal growth. We can send you a 1#, 3# or 6# package of fertilizer if you are interested.

Before and After - Graceful

2010-07-31T16:37:00.001-04:00

Sherry and Ralph,

It has been almost a year since we installed the Graceful bamboo I purchased from you. I have enclosed pictures showing the transformation in just 1 year! We are very pleased with the outcome.

August 2009


Three 7-gal Gracefuls were planted about 4' apart in front of a noisy A/C unit

The remaining six Gracefuls, also planted about 4' apart, bordered the fence. Note the narrow planting bed in both pictures.

One Year Later

July 31, 2010


Where is that annoying A/C unit???

And the fence...What fence? It must be behind there somewhere...

One more view of the entire fence line, including the now-hidden A/C unit

Bamboo in large containers

2010-07-28T19:38:00.000-04:00

Bamboo is an instant gratification plant and there's nothing that says "tropical paradise" quicker than installing a large container of clumping bamboo in your landscape. Below are several of our most popular clumping bamboos in 15-, 30- and 50-gallon containers.

Graceful

Our son Timmy is almost 6' tall. These 15- and 30-gal Graceful Bamboos are between 15' and 18' tall

Emerald Timber


Emerald Timber - well established roots, quite tall culms

Two closeup views of a 30-gal Emerald

One more shot of Timmy next to 30-gal Emeralds

Oldhamii (Giant Timber)

Very full, tall Oldhamii - also called Giant Timber - in 30- and 50-gal containers

15-gal Oldhamii

Seabreeze

15-, 30- and 50-gal Seabreeze. All - Very full. Very tall. Very dense.

15-gal Seabreeze

A very full 30-gal Seabreeze - one of many large container bamboos ready to be create an instant tropical paradise in someone's backyard

A lakeside wedding with bamboo arbor

2010-07-27T08:38:00.004-04:00

This morning I received an email from customers who purchased some of our bamboo poles to build a wedding arbor.

Sherry, We just wanted to say thank you so much for the gorgeous bamboo we purchased from you for our wedding arbor. It turned out beautiful and was perfect for our ceremony. As promised I've attached some photos for you. Thanks again!
-Jean & Victor Gonzalez


What a perfect structure for a lakeside service...

Wedding arbors or "chuppahs" remain one of the most popular uses for bamboo poles. Jean and Victor chose a more elaborate design with diagonal cross pieces but even more simply designed arbors add beauty and a natural feel to a beach or lakeside wedding.


Happiness abounds...

And one more view of the wedding arbor against the backdrop of the still water.

Blue Timber Bamboo - A most beautiful clumper

2010-07-22T17:52:00.000-04:00

BLUE TIMBER BAMBOO

Bambusa Chungii
Can grow 30-35 feet with 2" diameter canes. Very Hardy

A powdery coating on both new and mature canes gives Bambusa chungii the alternative name of White Bamboo

Although we call this Blue Timber Bamboo, it is also known as White Bamboo. The name comes from the whitish-blue powder that covers the new canes as they develop. With an upright growth pattern and thin-walled culms, this stunning bamboo contrasts beautifully with the dark green canes of Seabreeze, Oldhamii or the attention-getting bright yellow canes of Sunburst, Asian Lemon or Hawaiian Gold.

The white powder covering the culms comes off when touched

Use it as a centerpiece plant or create an attractive hedge that will mature quickly into an eye-catching focal point.


This 4-year-old stand of Blue Timber started out with just one single cane when it was first planted in 2006. Over the years new shoots appeared on the perimeter but, unlike many other clumping bamboos, Blue Timber shoots come up a bit away from older canes giving the clump a more open, grove-like appearance.

Blue Timber canes are gorgeous! Whenever visitors to our nursery walk through the "tunnel" of Blue Timber bamboo, they are always awed by the plants' exquisite appearance.

Two Blue Timber bamboos form a tunnel. The bamboos were both planted 10' apart in 2006, each from one single cane. Today they form a beautiful shady tropical oasis.


A close up look at the tip of a new Blue shoot

A long view shows of the shape of a four-year-old clump of Blue Timber.

Also available is a shorter clone perfect for smaller gardens called BABY BLUE (Bambusa chungii barbellata) which grows 20 to 25 feet tall with slightly narrower canes and the same striking colors.

Emerald - A bamboo gem

2010-07-22T16:29:00.001-04:00

EMERALD TIMBER BAMBOO

Bambusa textilis mutabilis/Kanapaha
Can grow 30-40 feet with 2" diameter canes. Very Hardy

Emerald - also called Royal Bamboo or Wong Chuk - is a stately and elegant cold-hardy bamboo

I often refer to Emerald as the "big brother" to Graceful bamboo because they are both members of the Textilis family of bamboos.

The new shoots come up fairly close to existing canes, which produces a nice tight clump that will not only look attractive but help to provide a dense privacy screen.

Emerald is one of the cleanest, neatest looking specimens we carry. The tall, straight canes on this timber bamboo have very few side shoots so they rarely need pruning. The space between culm sections is unusually long, which give the bamboo an especially striking appearance.

The new canes have a slight bluish tint

Another striking feature is the slight blue tint that appears on new shoots and remains throughout the first year of growth. After that, the blue changes to an emerald green color, which means at all times the clump has multiple shades of color.

The four clumps of Emerald that I'm standing next to are just 1 year old. Each one started with a single cane planted 4' apart. In only one growing season they have formed a tall, full hedge.

Many people who look at Emerald in our demonstration area say, "This is what bamboo is supposed to look like."

Planted in 2002, this mature specimen of Bambusa textilis Emerald also started out with just one single cane. Look at it now!

GOLDEN GODDESS BAMBOO Bambusa multiplex golden goddess

2010-07-13T15:41:00.001-04:00

This delicate-leafed hedge bamboo is a great choice for a smaller lot. It also works well as a container plant for patios or poolside planting. Golden Goddess can tolerate winter temperatures that dip for short periods of time into the high teens, making it a good choice for people living in Zone 8 - 10.

If planted 4' to 6' apart in rich soil that's watered and fertilized regularly, this semi-dwarf (6' to 12' tall) bamboo with 1/4" to 1/2" canes will form a solid wall of green by the end of its first growing season.

Our daughter Jenny stands in front of a 4-year-old clump of Golden Goddess that shows off the bamboo's distinctively round, fluffy shape.

Even though Golden Goddess tends to grow in what I call a "snowball" shape, it is easily pruned to take the form of whatever shape works best in the landscape. The line of Golden Goddess below demonstrates how nicely Golden Goddess can be pruned to create a short squared off hedge.

We offer Golden Goddess in 3-gal, 7-gal and 15-gal size containers. Even in 3-gal containers, Bambusa multiplex golden goddess is already quite tall and has multiple canes as Ralph demonstrates in the photo below:

A closeup shot shows the size of this bamboo's canes. Golden Goddess culms are small but plentiful. They rarely get larger than 1/2" diameter.

Bambusa multiplex Silverstripe - Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo

2010-07-13T12:44:00.002-04:00

If you are looking for a bamboo that will provide a dense screen, buffer wind, block sound and tolerate winter temperatures that dip into the high teens, Bambusa multiplex Silverstripe is the bamboo for you. This extremely functional bamboo is also one of the least expensive bamboos we stock, which makes it ideal for long fence lines or perimeter plantings.

The clump of multiplex that our daughter Jenny is kneeling next to was planted in 2002 from a 3-gal size plant with only one single cane. Over the years as the root system developed, new shoots appeared around that first cane to form what soon became a leafy, thick cold-hardy clump of sound-, sight- and wind-buffering bamboo. Looking at how it looks now, it's hard to believe that large clump started with just one single cane. But it did!

Multiplex has been a landscape fixture for decades in many southeastern states. It is often found surrounding the perimeter of old homesteads, especially here in Florida. When we first moved to our property, we planted extensive stands of Green Hedge. Those that were planted in rich, peaty soil grew huge while the ones we planted at the same time in sandy, nutrient-poor soil grew about a third as tall as their rich-soil counterparts. The smaller plants are still healthy, they just grew slower due to the less rich soil.

Below are four pictures of multiplex that show how quickly a 3-gal size plant with just one cane can grow into a large verdant clump.

The one-month-old multiplex above started out with just one cane - the smaller one to the left. The cane on the right appeared shortly after it was planted. Below are two more pictures of the same plant after it has been in the ground for one year:

Notice that some of the new shoots are yellow with green stripes. As the culms mature, they lose the yellow color and turn green. However, sometimes a bit of striping remains lower down on the culm. The young leaves are often striped as well, as can be seen in the forefront of the picture below. That's what gives this particular strain of Bambusa multiplex the name "Silverstripe."

The same one-year-old bamboo seen from afar, below:

Below are two pictures of mature fence line plantings of Bambusa multiplex Silverstripe bamboos. Both plantings started with lines of 3-gal size plants spaced 10' apart. The bottom photo was taken when the stand was about 5 years old. The top photo with our son Toby standing next to the bamboo, was taken when the bamboo and Toby were both about 9 years old. They say kids grow up fast but bamboo grows up faster!

Bamboo for interior design

2010-07-08T16:05:00.000-04:00

A customer who ordered assorted sizes of our Domestically Grown Designer Bamboo poles to use as a focal point of their home's interior just emailed pictures of the finished project:

Hi Sherry, As promised, attached are the photos of the installation. Bamboo poles look fantastic! Thanks again for prompt shipment and high quality product.

Now we are thinking to plant some tall thin green plant in front of the bamboo poles. Is there some bamboo species that would fit the space and could live under artificial light?

I replied by saying that Dwarf Buddha Belly, Golden Goddess and Ladyfinger are three clumping bamboos that do especially well as indoor plants. Also, any of our running bamboos would work well as container plants. We especially like the way Green Hedge Running Bamboo, Yellow Groove and Black Running Bamboo work as container plants. If 3-gal plants are purchased and repotted into 15-gal size containers, they will grow nicely, filling the containers in 2-3 years. At that point they will need to be divided and reset into the same and additional pots.

Should I support bamboo canes that lean?

2010-07-07T10:01:00.000-04:00

New shoots of Yin Yang clumping bamboo

A customer writes:
My wife and I visited your farm and bought a stand of yin-yang bamboo back in mid-May. We planted it according to your directions and it seems to be doing well. We've just had 2 strong shoots pop up and they are growing phenomenally. In the last few days, though, one of the mature canes is falling over. As I said, it looks very healthy, maybe too full and healthy! Anyway, I tied the canes together-there are maybe 3 or 4 total mature ones-to keep the one from falling over, but I wonder if by doing that I am jeopardizing the others that have remained upright. The one leaning over is kind of heavy. Any advice?

My response:
I'm glad to hear about all the new shoots! Concerning the leaning mature cane. You have 3 options:

1) you can tie that cane to a stake to help keep it upright
2) you can do as you've done and loosely tie the top heavy cane to other mature canes to keep it from bending over or
3) you can trim the top part of the leaning cane off, which will prevent it from being so top heavy.

If you continue with option 2, you are not hurting the bamboo as long as you don't have the canes tied together too tightly. Within a couple months when the new shoots now emerging grow tall, they (and other yet to emerge new shoots) will support the leaning cane.

If you opt for #3, you don't have to worry that topping the tall shoot will do any damage. That cane will not grow more once it is topped but all the new shoots will grow taller.

YinYang has a "weepy" profile, which means that leaning over canes are part of the plant's natural look. With any bamboo you can modify the look of that clump by selective pruning.

Before and After - Angel Mist and Blue Timber

2010-07-04T14:11:00.000-04:00

I just received some great Before and After shots from Kristin and Ryan of St. Pete. Although St. Pete is not that far away, being closer to the coast provided needed warmth for cold-sensitive plants like Angel Mist.

May 2009 - Two Angel Mist clumping bamboos planted in the foreground, one Blue Timber clumping bamboo planted in front of the door.

May 2010 - the house is hidden behind lush foliage!

The red cylinders by the two Angel Mist bamboos are water devices Ryan developed. He fills the tubes with collected rain water which leaches into the soil via very small holes punctured in the base of the cylinders. Bamboos do better when receiving a constant slow drip instead of an occasional flooding.

A customer shares photos of Angel Mist and Giant Timber Clumping Bamboos

2010-06-05T15:44:00.002-04:00

A customer who bought bamboos from us three years ago returned to pick up four more plants this morning. A few hours later, I received this email from her:

Hi, Sherry,
Many thanks for all your time this morning, walking me round the various specimens and for all your sage advice on which bamboo to choose.

I'm attaching a few pictures I just snapped for you to show you my existing Giant Timber and Angel Mist bamboos. Not a bare cane in sight!

Two Giant Timber bamboos - photo taken when they were 2 years old. When they were first planted, both plants only had 1-3 canes and were just about as tall as the fence.

I have to say that I never thought I'd pay such so much money for such small plants, but what one is actually buying, of course, is the potential and the fun of watching them grow.

When we first bought the Angel Mist about three years ago, I think it was, the children and I had so much fun walking up to the end of the garden every day to see how many new canes had emerged, what diameter they'd be, and how much they'd grown overnight. The second year I gave up looking - I couldn't keep up!

Angel Mist

When my husband first mentioned wanting bamboos in the garden a few years ago I was rather ambivalent to the idea, but now I'm a devotee! Thank you for your wonderful showcase, which makes it so much easier to understand the differences between the different types available. I want a grove of that Vivax one day and when we do move I just might have to get a Ying-Yang to go with me!

Bamboo and Shoe…

2010-05-28T10:45:00.000-04:00

First-time bamboo growers are always excited by the explosive growth of their baby ‘boos. Many send photos to document the plant’s daily increase in size but customer Gary Davids, a wedding photographer in the Orlando area, came up with one of the most creative ways we’ve seen in a long time to measure the emerging bamboo “shoe-ts”…

“Hi Sherry, As promised here is an updated photo showing the Sea Breeze with many new shoots. The shoot on the left of the shoe is only 7 days old while the one on the right is only 3 days old.”

Our Homegrown Green Bamboo Poles Draw Attention at Convention Show

2010-05-27T14:27:00.000-04:00

Bill Overland of Overland Designs recently purchased assorted lengths and diameters of our freshly cut homegrown bamboo poles to use in displays at an Orlando-based convention. He sent us the following email:

“Back from the show which was was very successful. The client loved the bamboo creations and I've attached a picture of one of them for your website.”

Bill’s use of large diameter bamboo poles as a stand-alone decoration has become very popular in home decor. Freshly cut bamboo stays green for several weeks before fading to a warm rice color. Even as dried poles, the bamboo adds beauty and originality to any interior, whether residential or commercial.

A Kissimmee resident takes the first step in creating a living hedge

2010-05-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

Jason, a customer from Kissimmee, wants to block the view of a two-story house from the home he's renovating in downtown Kissimmee. He planted his first bamboo yesterday, a 3-gal Seabreeze, with the intention of adding more bamboos to the landscape as the weeks go by. Below is a photo he sent with his comments:

"hey guys, thank you for all your help yesterday! im excited about my new seabreeze and cant wait to see it take off. here is a pic right after i planted it. thanks again!"

If, like Jason, you're intention is to create a living hedge but time and budget restraints won't permit you to install all the bamboos at once, you can still plant individual plants without worrying that the hedge will look uneven. Bamboo planted at different times will catch up to each other. After three years in the ground, all clumping bamboos will have grown to close to their mature height. New larger diameter canes will keep emerging each summer but after the third year, those new canes will only be a few inches taller than the previous year's growth.

Hello Doli! - Before and After photos of Bambusa dolichomerithalla "Silverstripe"

2010-05-19T12:59:00.001-04:00

These "Before and After" photos just arrived in my inbox from Orlando-area customer, Andy Roy.

Hi, Sherry,

I thought I'd share a couple of pics on the 1-year anniversary of our first bamboo planting. I put these 3 gallon bambusa dolichomerithalla "Silverstripe" in the ground last May. They put up shoots through November, but didn't manage to fill out with leaves until the last month or so. Amazing transformation! If they were just a touch taller, we'd already have all the shade we are looking for. By next year, it will be mission accomplished for sure. So far, no new shoots this spring.

Below: May 2009 from the deck

Below: May 2010 from the deck

Above: May 2009 from the yard

Below: May 2010 from the yard

The bamboo Andy planted, Bambusa dolichomerithalla "Silverstripe", is a clumping variety that we have since phased out of production. Although it forms a lovely stand and is cold hardy, this particular bamboo looks very similar to several of our other cold-hardy clumpers. In our effort to make the selection process simpler for customers, we chose to discontinue propagating this particular cultivar. We still have a limited number of 7-gal and 15-gal "Doli's" available at half their regular price. If you are interested, call or email for more information. Sherry@beautifulbamboo.com

What can you build out of bamboo? How about a beautiful wet bar!

2010-05-19T09:59:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Bamboo customer and local craftsman, Teron June, used our Domestically Grown, Designer Quality Bamboo Poles to construct a wet bar for a client and sent along the following photos of the finished project.

Elephant Leg Bamboo Poles

2010-05-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

The two poles on the right are freshly cut Moso poles that have not been kiln dried or hand torched like the four poles on the left. Green poles are available by special order only.

Notice how the space between the nodes changes from bottom to top. Toward the base, the space between the nodes is only a couple inches wide but toward the top the space is a half-a-foot or more.

Go Wild over our Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles

2010-05-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for a bamboo pole that's not like most poles, take a peek at what we call Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles. Culled from our own groves of Vivax Running Bamboo, The canes of Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles are light colored - almost white - with black spots spaced irregularly throughout their length. These poles make an interesting addition to displays of bamboo canes in large vases or urns. They work well as windchimes or for interior or exterior decoration. Because the poles tend to bend or arch slightly, they are best reserved for projects that don't require straight or uniform poles.

Spotted Leopard Bamboo Poles vary in diameter from about 1" to 2".

'Chunky Monkey' - Bamboo poles with character

2010-05-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

Amazing 'Before and After' photos

2010-05-08T19:37:00.003-04:00

I just received this email from customers in the Orlando area who bought Seabreeze and Graceful clumping bamboos from us in 2008 to shield their backyard from a neighbor's home that was being built right along their fence line.

Sherry,

We are happy with how much our bamboo has grown these past 2 years. It gives us the privacy, beauty and serenity we were looking for.

Attached is a recent photo and another photo from planting 2 years ago along with a photo prior to planting. Such an improvement! Sorry it took so long to send - 3 kids will keep you busy.

We are really enjoying the pool and our view. It is really relaxing and we now spend lots of time outside.

Hope all is well. Happy Mother's Day!

Lisa and Wes

Above: Before planting - a new house is being built next door

Below: Right after planting - the new house is looming larger but the bamboo is in the ground right along the fence line.

Below: Two Years Later - you can't even tell that the neighbor's house is there. The bamboo hedge completely hides the neighboring building while adding beauty and a tropical feel to the backyard.

The excitement of watching bamboo grow!

2010-05-05T19:11:00.001-04:00

I just received this email and photo from Gary, a customer who is growing clumping bamboo for the first time:

Hi Sherry,

We purchased 6 pots of bamboo from you and planted them on 4/1/10. Yesterday morning they looked the same as the day we planted them. Just like you said, here is the first shoot to appear in one day. 6 to 8 inches tall. Thanks.-Gary

Bamboo is an exciting plant to grow, especially if you've never grown it before. When the new shoots begin to emerge in May, they develop so quickly. Just as Gary said, one day you look outside and see no new shoots and the next day a bamboo shoot has popped out of the ground and is already several inches tall. By the end of the week that baby 'boo will be several feet tall and in less than two months it will have reached its full height.

How long do I have to keep watering my bamboo?

2010-05-05T17:14:00.002-04:00

On May 4th I received an email from a customer in Orlando who bought bamboo from us over a year ago:

My neighbor asked if my bamboo will always need to be watered. (The sprinkler is on as I write this.) I told him that when the rainy season has arrived, then I needn’t water, but that during the dry season – even after the bamboo is established – I’ll need to water twice a day. Am I correct?

By the way, the bamboo is finally becoming truly a privacy wall, though, surprisingly, I’ve not yet had any new canes this year. I did fertilize two weeks ago.

My response:

New canes will be appearing soon. May - November is the time to see above-ground growth. About the watering, after a year you can stop watering your plants entirely if you wish but they will grow bigger faster if given regular water as you've been doing. Once the bamboos fill in to a point where you are happy with their look, you can cut back severely on irrigating. We have mature clumps of bamboo all around our property that we never water and they are doing just fine.

In this picture our son Toby (how little he was in 2004!) is standing next to a 10-year-old stand of Bambusa multiplex silverstripe (Green Hedge Clumping Bamboo). We gave the hedge regular water for the first couple years but since then it hasn't been irrigated at all.

How to control weeds in the bamboo

2010-04-29T19:11:00.000-04:00

A customer wrote:

We bought a Vivax and a Blue from you last fall. Both came through the winter with no damage and have already sent up bunches of new canes this spring. They are so pretty and so much fun. Every day, we go look just to see what's new!

What do you recommend for weed control around the bases of bamboo?

I recall that you planted ground cover plants around some of your clumps. What plants work well?

But I think most of your clumps were weed-free without a ground cover. Do you use a herbicide?

Would a 0.5-1% glyphosate spray hurt them if I removed the leaves that might get spray on them first? I would have guessed that, being grasses, they'd be sensitive but I gather from reading on the web that it's actually pretty hard to kill them with glyphosate.

I've looked around on your web site but didn't find any discussion of weed control. If it's there, please just point me to it.

My response:

I'm glad to hear that your plants are doing so well. If you have time, email me some pictures. I'd love to see them.

For weed control we recommend a heavy mulch. Weed by hand any obvious weeds then apply as deep a mulch as you can around the bamboo. You can use any type of natural mulch - leaves, wood bark, etc. To make the mulch extra impervious to weeds, you can apply a thick layer of newspaper first and then mulch on top of them. Unlike with trees, mulches can go right up around the base of the canes without worry or harm to the plants.

We don't use any herbicides at the nursery and don't recommend using them at home. Bamboo is just a giant grass and although herbicides won't kill the bamboo, it won't do them any good either. If you want to use a ground cover, I've found the following plants work well: wedelia, ruellia and wandering jew. Any other shade-loving ground cover would work as well.

Wedelia growing as a ground cover beneath a grove of Vivax running bamboo

Indocalamus tessellatus - a dwarf running bamboo

2010-04-23T20:06:00.000-04:00

Indocalamus tessellatus is a dwarf running bamboo that we first discovered in Seattle, WA. Like all running bamboos, Indocalamus loves cold weather. Is it freezing outside? No problem. Snow on the ground? Bamboo happy. Here in Florida where it doesn't snow and winter temperatures only occasionally drop into the high teens/low 20s, running bamboos do well but they don't grow as tall or as large a diameter as they will in a colder climate.

At Beautiful Bamboo, we've planted Indocalamus tessellatus around two mulberry trees in our demonstration gardens.

The bamboo creates a beautiful ground cover around the tree. We keep it from spreading by simply mowing around the circle of bamboo. Every spring new shoots appear. In Florida that means new shoots emerge in late February and continue through early April. By now, at the end of April, all of this year's shoots will have already popped out of the ground. From now on they put their energy into growing taller and leafing out.

A new shoot begins to leaf out

And continues to grow bigger...

And bigger

New shoots tend to emerge along the outer edge of the existing bamboos.

Forming an attractive green ground cover around the mulberry tree.

Transporting tall plants - BYOS (Bring your own sheets)

2010-04-23T16:37:00.001-04:00

Ilene (pictured above) and Stephen, customers from Leesburg, purchased two very tall 7-gal Graceful bamboos today but the 20' tall plants wouldn't fit inside their SUV. Not a problem. With a bit of creativity, an open window, several old sheets and some string, we were able to secure the plants for the ride home.

Wrapping tender leaves in a sheet (above) protects them from wind damage

Above: A view inside. Note the old sheets underneath the pots to protect the vehicle's floor from dirt.

Below: Stephen offers a "thumbs up" as the couple leaves the nursery to head back home. Note how the thin tops of the bamboo are wrapped up and secured across the SUV's hood.

Bamboo Q & A

2010-04-18T12:17:00.001-04:00

A customer from the Orlando area who recently purchased and installed several Blue Timber (Bambusa chungii) clumping bamboos wrote with a few questions:

Hi Sherry, How are you? I hope this finds you doing well. I am writing to ask some specific questions about our Bambusa chungii that arose after reading your wonderful blog. I find myself going back to your blog almost daily to look up something or read what you’ve written about a particular topic.

OK. First off, irrigation. As you may recall, we purchased 5 Bambusa chungii from you. They are now integrated into our driveway landscape, placed about 10’ apart. I have redone the irrigation system for this area, using a drip line with two dedicated lines for each plant (well, one has a line and a nearby spray head). I have placed two of these micro-bubbler irrigation heads about an inch from the vertical culm of each bamboo: http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-Irrigation-67110-Micro-Bubbler-Stake/dp/B002R9O4OK. This way when I turn on the sprinkler system, each plant gets a dedicated shower with a specific radius range of about a foot from the base of the vertical culm. I have also added mulch around each plant. We have a lot of oak trees here, so we have leaves galore.

OK, on your blog I read a comment from someone asking about newly planted bamboos and this person mentioned watering each bamboo for 2 hours. Wow, that seems like a lot. I turn on the bamboo zone for 10-12 minutes twice a day, then twice a week in addition that zone is part of our overall watering schedule (in Winter Park you can water two days a week) and the bamboo zone goes on for 25 minutes. All the bambusa chungii now have leaves sprouting from the joints of each culm. On all but one plant the leaves have no yellow; one of the tallest bamboos has some yellow leaves. There are no curling leaves (indicating lack of water). Yet, still I wonder … am I under-watering? Do they need more than this? Please advise.

Next, fertilizing. As you may recall, we got both soil and Dynamite from you which were put into the planting as you direct in your planting instructions sheet. Some bamboos have been in the ground for 3 weeks now, some about a week. So soon (the one-month mark) I was going to add fertilizer. My local hardware store has been having trouble getting Ironite http://www.ironite.com/. They told me that Ironite has re-formulated the mix and it is now hard to get. Not sure when they will have the Ironite. So … I can use something like this: http://www.seedland.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Seedland&Product_Code=FERT-423403-15&Category_Code=FERT-453284.

Should I use both, assuming that Ironite becomes available soon? Can I start fertilizing after the 4-week mark?

Thanks again for all your good information. It’s fun to check in with Beautiful Bamboo by listening to other people’s questions and thoughts. Thanks too for your excellent comments on Metalifestream.

My response:

Hi Barry - I'm glad you are finding my blog helpful. Have you used the "Search this Blog" feature yet? If not, you might find that useful when seeking out information on specific topics. Concerning your questions, let's start with irrigation. From your description of the plants' new leaves, it sounds like you are giving them adequate water. Bamboos like water and it is difficult to give them too much but the amount you are doing seems perfectly fine for plants in a shady, well-mulched location like you've given them. Especially during this year's rather moist springtime.

Concerning the fertilizer, you already applied sufficient fertilizer to last 6 months when you planted the bamboo and used Dynamite, a 6-mo. time release fertilizer that we sell at the nursery. The fertilizer you linked to would be a good choice for the future but not necessary for immediate use. If you use the one you linked to in the future, you can apply it every month since it is not a time release formula but be sure to follow the application directions since regular non-time release formulas do have the potential to "burn" plants if applied incorrectly. What you can always do however, is apply organic material around the existing bamboos. Just like with water, bamboos thrive when given an abundance of organic material such as compost, manure, grass clippings, leaves, etc. So right now, don't apply additional chemical fertilizers but do pile on the organic matter.

Ironite is usually available at Lowes, although I haven't checked recently. Newly planted bamboos usually don't require Ironite applications. Some browning of the leaves is normal, especially following transplanting, and as long as new leaves are forming, don't worry about others leaves that fall off. Focus instead on all the new growth that's just beginning to happen now and will continue to happen through November.

Bamboo: The fastest growing plant on earth!

2010-04-17T09:25:00.000-04:00

Ralph is standing next to a young shoot of Vivax running bamboo. The picture was taken on March 29th when the new shoot was less than a week old. Pay special attention to the smaller yellow-colored cane in the foreground (next to Ralph's left foot) and the white-colored bending cane behind the new shoot. Both of those canes will help you locate the "baby" Ralph was holding in the next picture, below, which was taken on April 8th. In that photo you can see how much the "baby" shoot grew in just 10 days. Not only that, but during those 10 days, another new shoot popped out of the ground right where Ralph was standing. Actually, many more new shoots popped out of the ground during the early days of April and all rapidly grew far taller than Ralph, who is 5' 10".

People often ask, "Does bamboo really grow as fast as I've heard it does?" The answer is "Yes!" Bamboo is truly the fastest growing plant on earth. During the spring, running bamboos like Vivax send out their new shoots and in the summer all the clumping bamboos do the same. It doesn't matter what variety or type of bamboo you are talking about, all bamboo grow from the tiniest new shoot into tall beautiful canes in less than 2 months. It's an amazing and exciting process to watch.

Cedar waxwings perch on bamboo

2010-04-15T08:27:00.000-04:00

I was helping customers in the nursery yesterday afternoon when a sudden noise caught my attention. I turned toward the loud thud to see what it was and noticed about 200 cedar waxwings perched on the bare canes on top of a stand of cold-damaged Angel Mist bamboo. The noise came from the birds' wings as they rose in unison from a nearby mulberry tree to perch on the bamboo. Cedar waxwings are social birds that travel in flocks from one feeding source to another. They annually visit our property where we have many fruit trees covered with yummy berries. The birds like to perch on nearby branches - in this case on the bamboo canes - in between their berry-devouring feasts. We don't get many berries because of the birds but it is hard to stay angry at such beautiful looking creatures.

Above: Waxwings enjoy a mulberry feast

Below: A flock of waxwings perch on the bare branches of a cold-damaged Angel Mist in between feeding frenzies

Green tree frog (hyla cinerea) and bamboo

2010-04-14T18:25:00.000-04:00

When I went out to the nursery this afternoon, I noticed a tiny green tree frog, Hyla cinerea, hiding between two upright poles in the gazebo. I love little green tree frogs. They're the frogs that make that big noise at nighttime. Click here to hear a recording of the tree frog song. Wildlife love bamboo. Every time I'm out in the nursery I see some bird or frog, a lizard, rabbit, armadillo or other small animal. When people ask if wildlife are attracted to bamboo I always answer, "Yes!"

Yet another wedding arbor made out of Beautiful Bamboo poles

2010-04-13T12:04:00.001-04:00

This wedding arbor was built by Shea Hopely Flowers in Jacksonville, FL for use at beach weddings. The bamboo poles were our Domestically Grown Designer Quality poles in 3" x 8' lengths cut down to a height of 7' 5". Shorter length poles cost less to ship but still provide adequate height for the wedding couple to stand under.

A beachside wedding arbor made from bamboo

2010-04-12T12:03:00.000-04:00

A customer from Orlando sent photos of the wedding arbor he built from poles purchased at Beautiful Bamboo.

"The Arbor turned out great," he wrote. "I attached some pictures like you requested."

The arbor on the beach before added adornments

And after...with sheer white fabric blowing in the breeze - a simple design is transformed into an elegant statement

A beautiful bamboo chest

2010-04-07T11:38:00.000-04:00

A customer from Bradenton, FL sent us these photos of a project he created using poles purchased from Beautiful Bamboo:

Hi Sherry,

I was glad to find a local source of domestic bamboo. As promised, here are some pictures of the small chest built using Home Grown bamboo purchased in February.

The bamboo was caramelized with a high-temp heat gun and treated with paste wax. The rest of the project is a combination of birch plywood and solid aspen.

Thank you again,

Tom

Bradenton, FL

Fitting a tall bamboo in a station wagon

2010-03-21T13:55:00.002-04:00

Customers often wonder how to get the bamboo they want to buy home. Although they have the option of having us deliver their purchases to them, they can often save time and money by fitting the bamboo into their own cars, vans, station wagons, trucks or trailers.

(Remember to bring along some old sheets, blankets and tie-downs when you schedule your visit to Beautiful Bamboo)

Ralph and our grandson Atom pose in front of some 15- and 30-gallon Graceful bamboos

But at 14', the canes were still too long to fit completely inside the car.

Solution: Open the passenger side window and let the canes stick out.

With leaves secured by blankets and straps and anchored to the front grill work, the bamboo was ready for the 45-minute drive home.

Instant privacy and beauty ready to go!

I heart bamboo

2010-03-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

Who loves bamboo? I do!

Slender tan canes that have been heated, bent and fastened into place are a natural way to express your love.

Bamboo hearts are a perfect addition to wedding arches or chuppahs, for interior decors or as a unique way to tell that special someone how much you care.

Garden club tour

2010-03-16T16:26:00.001-04:00

More than 20 members of the Royal Highlands Garden Club visited Beautiful Bamboo this morning for a garden tour. In the photo above we posed together in front of our Emerald Timber Bamboo, one of our many clumping bamboos in the demonstration line at our nursery.

With our gazebo in the background, I explain to the group the difference between clumping and running bamboos.

A garden tour takes about 45 minutes, plenty of time to see all the bamboos, talk about plant care, growth patterns and answer questions. To schedule a time for your own garden club tour, call 352-429-2425 or email sherry@beautifulbamboo.com

Peaking through groves of bamboo

2010-03-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

Yesterday on a walk around the lake, Ralph snapped these photos of me posing with the 'boo.

Above and below I'm standing in a grove of Vivax Timber Running Bamboo (Phyllostachys vivax). Vivax is one of my favorite running bamboos because it forms such an open grove with large, beautiful multi-colored canes.

Below I'm standing in the middle of a grove of Red Running Bamboo (Semiarundinaria fastuosa). Although it is called Red Bamboo, most of the canes are green. Here in Florida, the red color only appears in the winter if it gets cold enough and even then, only some of the canes turn a dark, ruby red. Red bamboo also forms a somewhat open grove, although not as open as Vivax does, and the canes get fairly large but again, not as large as Vivax. It is, however, a far more aggressive (and therefore harder to control) runner than Vivax.