Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
silversword_gw

Bamboo tops dying

silversword
13 years ago

Growing up just great, then at about 6' just whithering up and dying....

Comments (7)

  • kudzu9
    13 years ago

    Details, please: species, weather, age, soil conditions, etc.

  • silversword
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Painted. Hot weather recently but we've had some below freezing lately(S. California). Old boo, but only about 1.5 years in the ground at my house. Good soil. Raised beds. Lots of rain recently.

  • new2zone9a
    13 years ago

    9a Florida here. Painted suvived a freeze here with some top kill, damaged leaves but they made a comeback. Then one night at 27 F took them out of their misery. Most top killed. Some culms with some signs of life but no leaves and not pretty. Two months later, weather warming. New culms sprouting out of the ground.

  • silversword
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thank you for responding new... I'm sorry you had that issue but it sounds like maybe that's what is going on with mine too. Doesn't it look awful????

    The frost completely killed my daytura too (although I'm not digging it out in hopes the roots are still alive).

  • kudzu9
    13 years ago

    silversword-
    Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. Painted bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris 'Vittata') is only hardy to about 30F and damage can occur before it even gets that low. I'm sure the odd weather is the culprit. I suspect if will recover, but it will look bad for a while. At least you are in a Zone where you can grow this pretty bamboo. I'm jealous...

  • silversword
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    No worries Kudzu... I assume people here have lives outside the forum!

    Grrrrrrr!!!! It's been freezing off and on for months. The old canes are ok all the way up, but the new shoots all died at the top. It's sad!

  • new2zone9a
    13 years ago

    Yes, Silver. looks awful currently, but not without hope. All five of my clumps have survived, four already sprouting new culms, though this first batch of the season not sized up.

    Seems they can live at least down to 27F (as cold as I've recorded since planting them), though they may lose leaves and suffer culm damage. I have observed mature clumps just a few miles away surviving better then did the recent divisions in my garden. I'm replanting mine to less conspicuous areas (have already moved one which hadn't put up a new culm yet) or I will plant very near each another yellow, maybe Alphonse Karr, as camouflage for when the Painted get frost bit.

    Not ideal, but doable such that maybe I'll be able to enjoy them summers thru fall and even through mild winters into the next season when it does not freeze.

    Also, as they take well to dividing, I'll probably plant a few more clumps around the garden so that even in a bad winter, at least a few might survive.

Sponsored