rooting bamboo

I never seem to have luck with this...has anyone ever rooted bamboo? I have taken nice size pieces from the little nodes on the roots, but no luck....Thanks, Lisa

you should try misting it. in a covered container to hold mist in.also good for all semi and hardwood cuttings.

GOODNESS GRACIOUS Woman! You wanna root bamboo!? The lady up the road had the Ag Extension office folks come from miles around to figger out how to eradicate her bamboo...it was taking over! Lordy. I'm thinkin' I oughta go over there and steal a root and send it to ya...that stuff is like kudzu! (By the way, what in the world do you need it for? You gonna start manufacturing bongs or something?)

HORSESHOE!!!!! hee, hee! no, no bongs here, *chuckle*! I want to start a cutting of some black bamboo for someone. I have tried several times on other bamboos but just can't get it. It does grow like wildfire here too. Between that and banana trees, you just can't get rid of them once planted. I love the way bamboo looks, really pretty.

Maybe instead of taking a cutting, push a spade through the roots of a few culms around the edge of the clump.
Cut out a little "Vee"-shaped clump.
Probably cut the culms short, maybe leaving a few leaves.

Your friend could plant the whole clump and not worry about rooting. They should grow back faster that way, also.

Of course, that would mean a very heavy package if you planned to mail it.

Corey

In my plant prop class we have done culm cuttings - being sure to get further down toward the shoot toward the roots, then lay flat (horizontal) with a node up. I have no idea if it will work with that specific bamboo but worth a try - but you do have to keep the media moist. Good Luck!!

>> culm cuttings - being sure to get further down toward the shoot toward the roots, then lay flat (horizontal) with a node up.

I didn't know about that approach. What advantage does it have over taking some rhizome?

Corey

I dont know of an advantage off hand - it is just another way to propagate it... I guess one advantage is you could skip the backbreaking dig to get a division, hehee. Actually after putting my brain to work a bit (it is early for me so I apologize:-).. you could get many more plants from culm cutting off one parent plant, typically many grasses can/need to be cutback, those pieces could go to new plants. Much like they do with woody shrubs - when they trim them back they can use those cutting to root for new plants, with out disturbing the parent.

I never thought of that: propagating lots of plants before the tiny clump has expanded enough to divide. That's pretty exciting, I do want to expand one small clump into multiple clumps, then a screen, but thought it would be a 5-10-15 year project.

I found this site, would you agree with their reccomendations?

http://www.inbar.int/
http://www.inbar.int/publication/txt/tr05/a5-2.htm

I would be trying to propagate Fargesia rufa and F. robusta (relatively small clumpers that are pretty cold-hardy).

Maximum culm diameter is said to be 1/2" to 1", but I am still down around a 3-4 mm diameter and 3-4 feet tall with my 2-year-old clump from a 1/2 gallon start. It does branch rather densely. This is the first year that I saw a profusion of new culms, taller than those from the first year, even though the clump diameter is not expanding very fast.

Corey

based on the reading (and I skimmed honestly) Id say you'd be best to try layering, youd get more and have better chance of success, no drying out to worry about as it would still be attached to the parent plant. Thank you for sharing, as soon as I have time Ill have to read it more closely.

"Layering"? Thank you, I might not have tried that until all else failed.

When I do, I'll post any positive or negative results.

Corey

Rooting bamboo?

1.Cut a piece, preferably one with some root, but even that doesn't seem to matter.
2.Throw it on the ground.
3.Throw some dirt over it.
4.Try to get your insurance company to renew the coverage on your foundation next year!
5.Buy a new house.
Repeat steps 1 thru 5 as long as the depressed housing market prevails.

A small division with some roots is very effective. If you get a division with a big emerging culm, the culm will usually blacken and die but new shoots will eventually emerge. DO keep it contained if it is running bamboo.

I thought it was a clumping - thus the need for the propagation, else it probably would have taken over already, or would soon.

Good luck!! I do look forward to hearing your success or failure (as we learn from those too).

I would do division on a clumping bamboo as well since the success is probably close to 100%.

http://www.ehow.com/how_172782_propagate-bamboo.html

Here are some vegetative methods. Sounds like the success falls off quite a bit (50% in one of the links or less).

http://www.gator-ventures.com/bamboo/bamboo-propagation/root-bamboo-cuttings.htm

http://www.gator-ventures.com/bamboo/bamboo-propagation/bamboo-propagation-2005.htm

http://tilz.tearfund.org/Publications/Footsteps+21-30/Footsteps+23/Growing+bamboo.htm

Is Black Bamboo running or clumping? I am moving to the Oregon coast, hopefully this year, if we find a suitable place. This will probably be my last garden design. I would like to incorporate some bamboo within that plan.

Hi Shoe, haven't heard from you since I had such bad luck with my tomatoes a couple years ago. No, the difference might be because we would like to have cuttings of the Black Bamboo.. Maybe that is the problem. It might be harder to start than the regular stuff. If you know anyone that would give us a start of the Black bamboo, I would appreciate it. Thanks loads, and have a good spring if it ever gets here. Jeanette