Look how big bamboo can get in one summer!

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

 

Shipping live plants

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?

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

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

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!