Bamboo in Pots

I would like to plant some bamboo in 3 large pots. I would never put it in the ground in my area because it seems to be very invasive, but I love the way it looks. One area I want a pot is early morning sun and I'd like a 3-5 foot plant, one is full shade and I'd like a a plant five foot or taller, and one is filtered sunlight all day, and I'd like a plant five foot or taller. Any suggestions on what type I should use, I know nothing of bamboo other than it seems easy to grow once established. I am in Daphne, Alabama. Thanks

Seastrike,

Most of the smaller (shorter) bamboo that I grow are shade lovers which seems to fit your situation.
Be sure to visit some websites to look at pictures and read the full descriptions of each.

Here's some of my favorites that somewhat match!

Indocalamus tessellates 7’ 3/8” -5 Shade (R) (Large Tropical Leaves)
Indocalamus latifolius 10’ 3/8” 0 Shade (R) (Same)
Sasa tsuboiana 6’ ¼” -5 Shade (CR)
Sasa Kurilensis 10’ ¾” -5 Shade (R)
Shibataea kumasaca 7’ ¼” -5 Shade (RC) (Unusual look)
Fargesia Jiuzhaigou 10’ ¼” -20 Shade (C) (Red Stalk/Small light green leaves/Rare/Clumping Type) Expensive but stalk colors great with just morning sun!

If all else fails...a very nice (tropical looking) bamboo that thrives ANYWHERE ; ) (inside/outside/potted/etc.)
“Yadake” Japanese Arrow Bamboo (Psudosasa japonica) 18’ ¾” -5 Sun/Shade
(I'll give you some if you are in the Maryland area!) There are many bamboo "farms" in Alabama (type Alabama Bamboo in any search engine).

OR: National list of plant sources at ABS - American Bamboo Society Website
http://www.americanbamboo.org/SpeciesSourceListPages/PlantAndProductSources.html

Send me Dmail if you have any specific questions.

Hope this helps get you started!

Ray

Ray,
Will any of the bamboo you listed do well, in a shaded area, in heavy clay soil, under white pines? I would also like to try more bamboo, but I'm not sure whch varieties would be best-I do have 2 small clumps of fargesia robusta, bought at the end of season at a local nursery. They are planted under other trees, in the clay, & while they haven't died, I don't think they've grown at all. I do have 3 very large glazed pots, that I think would be good for bamboo, which varieties would overwinter in our area in containers? Thanks...Linda

Linda,
(Thistle5)
Heavy clay under white pines is a bit of a tall order for most any plant ; ) but again...if you don't mind it spreading...Japanese Arrow Bamboo will scratch out a living almost anywhere.

Most of the varieties I listed can "survive" if you at least condition the soil where they are planted. Dig a large hole and fill with good topsoil. Some of the Indocalamus I have is under mixed trees in clay soil.

The F. robusta will probably take a few years to look "happy". I've had much better luck with F. rufa but honestly do not know why...it just seems to like the local weather better.

Pots are difficult because of the lack of water/moisture...especially if you don't water them during long cold spells...as well as the cold reaching the root system. I would advise insulating the pots (you can use foam insulation) just form it inside the pots and it well help quite a bit.

I managed to keep P. nigra alive in pots for a few years (with a lot of mulch) but (again) found great sucess with arrow bamboo...even on a raised bench...survived all winter and also sent a runner 2' down to the ground and rooted itself.

Ray

P.S. Dmail is better since I don't check often.

Thanks, Ray, by styrofoam, do you mean rigid pieces? The pots are 26" high, 26" dia at top, about 16-18" at the base (so they taper outward)- these are thick pots, it took me quite a while, w/ a drill & masonry bit, to put drainage holes in the bottom. I'm thinking about flipping over a heavy nursery pot (to take up space), putiing in a bunch of gravel or permatill (to help w/ drainage), & putting soil in the top 18"-do you think this might work?

I think your suggestion of arrow bamboo is a great one-someone right down the road here has a huge hedge of it, I'm trying to work up the courage to go ask for a starter clump. My other choice is Phyllostachys Meyerii, because they have it at my nursery, it's attractive, & it's outside in a container, unprotected. The pot will be against the NW side of the house, near the back door & the hose, so I should be able to keep it watered.

The best pot insulation I have (and used) actually came from an old army sleeping mat used under sleeping bags! Worked great because it was waterproof, fairly thick and pliable...Probably thousands of them laying around somewhere?

I've heard of people using styrofoam which probably works fine with some manipulation.
The P. Meyerii is a very nice looking bamboo. The plan and area you describe sounds perfect.

I often suggest P.japonica (Arrow) bamboo a lot only because it has a nice tropical look and just hangs in there despite continual abuse. I once read about it growing on a windswept coast within a hundred yards of the ocean, rooted on a rock!

Per drive-by Bamboo, I used to drive by clumps and worry about asking people...then finally I just decided to "go for it". I found all (but one) extremely helpful, willing to share and often ended up helping them trim back some of their grove as a kind of "payment".

Win-Win for both...I got plants, they got free labor!

I literally got dozens of plants this way. (hundreds might be more accurate).

Though I would strongly advise (if you start doing a LOT of bamboo digging!) either:
(1). Sharpen your shovel with a file or grinder first! or better yet...
(2) Buy a real bamboo digging spade that works like a hot knife through butter:
(great for any yard with lots of roots as well)
Though expensive...worth every penny! (Get (2) of the footpads too)
http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=ks12l
http://www.amleo.com/index/item.cgi?cmd=view&Words=ksfp

The ground is a little hard right now (and cold) , but if you find yourself North of Baltimore...I have a small patch approx. 5'x5' free Arrow bamboo looking for a new home...that or I will have to move it in the Spring!

Ray

Tried to find a picture of it...must be on another computer...There's three types of bamboo in this picture though not too clear. Black Bamboo (P.nigra) on left, Arrow Bamboo (P.japonica) center-on left and right of arbor, Golden Bamboo (P. aurea) on right...taken in November as the garden finally gave way to Fall.

I'll ditto the good nursery spade suggestion, and add Wolverine's 15" blade model to the mix. It's a little cheaper than the AM Leonard offering, and rugged as blazes. I use mine to transplant and divide ornamental grasses and to root prune my grove.

Gempler's carries it in the midwest, and Terratech in the PNW.

Thanks, guys, now I just need to get up the nerve to ask the neighbor w/ the awesome bamboo hedge for a clump (& if I chicken out, my coworker says she has a ton of bamboo in her yard & I can dig out as much as I want). I'm going to go ahead w/ the meyerii in a container (once I figure out the best place for it, don't want to try & move it after it's planted, these containers are heavy even when empty). If it looks good, I have 2 more pots. Right now, I have smaller plastic containers inside them (for ease of planting)-last year, I had colocasia, perilla, coleus, lysimachia planted there, they're on the west side of the house & they looked good until a heavy frost.
My DH's in the Army, guess I should see if he has any insulating pads stashed in the basement (that's one thing I don't think I've seen around here). I do have 2 small bamboos-shibataea kumasaca & pleiobastus variegata, in small ceramic pots. Another favorite plant of Asian origin is rohdea japonica, lika an evergreen hosta, w/ gorgeous red berries-they're growing in the dense shade of my neighbor's maple & they wanted to know what I had planted over there that had red flowers in winter...