The Hἲppy B֎֎mboom Threat

[xilman]

Originally Posted by jvang

how will they do that?



the place we bought em from said not to harvest any until the plants are matured. not sure how much it'd harm the plants to take the shoots right now. culms are still under an inch in diameter so probably a few years until theyre producing larger shoots

Unless your climate is better than mine, it is unlikely that they will produce culms which are markedly larger. Regardless, I'd still leave it 2-3 years before harvesting your first crop and always leave plenty behind to maintain the health of the plant. My bamboo is a rare spring-time delicacy, akin to home-grown asparagus (which I don't grow). Fresh bamboo has enormously better flavour and texture than canned bamboo.

The weeds will be swamped by the density of the culms crowding them out. That's my experience, anyway.

[jvang]

Originally Posted by xilman

Unless your climate is better than mine, it is unlikely that they will produce culms which are markedly larger. Regardless, I'd still leave it 2-3 years before harvesting your first crop and always leave plenty behind to maintain the health of the plant. My bamboo is a rare spring-time delicacy, akin to home-grown asparagus (which I don't grow). Fresh bamboo has enormously better flavour and texture than canned bamboo.

The weeds will be swamped by the density of the culms crowding them out. That's my experience, anyway.

the folks at bamboogarden get ~4 inch culms from their vivax cultivars despite being in the PNW. Here in Arkansas it's always super hot, humid, wet, and sunny which is supposed to be similar to mainland China where these originated, so I suspect these have a chance of reaching the maximum 5 inches at full maturity. They have some pretty cool pictures on their website:

https://www.bamboogarden.com/bamboo/phyllostachys-vivax

[xilman]

Originally Posted by jvang

the folks at bamboogarden get ~4 inch culms from their vivax cultivars despite being in the PNW. Here in Arkansas it's always super hot, humid, wet, and sunny which is supposed to be similar to mainland China where these originated, so I suspect these have a chance of reaching the maximum 5 inches at full maturity. They have some pretty cool pictures on their website:

https://www.bamboogarden.com/bamboo/phyllostachys-vivax

Well, good luck!

I'm happy with 2" where I live, but that is at ~53N.

[jvang]

Originally Posted by xilman

Well, good luck!

I'm happy with 2" where I live, but that is at ~53N.

i forget which species you have growing?

[xilman]

Originally Posted by jvang

i forget which species you have growing?

About 15-20 different species in several genera. I forget precisely how many.

The Phyllostachys species include violascens (the biggest one here), bambusoides, nigra, aurea, aureosulcata, bissetii and an as yet unidentified green hedging bamboo which might be edulis.