Beginner Gardening: Beginner general bamboo questions, 1 by underwater

underwater wrote:
Hello,

I am quite a beginner in bamboo growing (I only have a small clump which cares itself) so I would like to ask you a few beginner questions I couldn\'t find an answer for:

1. When propagating bamboo, is it best to select a small rhizome or a large one? Will the larger rhizome grow and yield more plants faster?

2. I\'ve read that bamboo is best propagated before it begins to \"wake up\", before spring, so between February and March, so that rhizome starch content is maximum. Does this apply for Phyllostachys pubescens too?

3. I\'ve read that there are other bamboo propagation methods, like culm cuttings and using branches. Is there any publication or website I could look for an explanation of these methods? (I currently have \"Bamboo: The Plant and its Uses\" book).

4. Do any propagation method work reasonably good in late spring/summer?

5. Are \"whole plant\" propagation methods (like picking whole root+stem of dwarf bamboo) superior to just digging rhizomes without culm?

6. Is there a graduation in propagation methods, from the least optimal to the best? Example: rhizome