Hi, I have both plants here in NC too. The Buddha will divert back to "normal" straight growth once establised in the ground. The 3 large planter buddha's I have contine to grow with more and more distorted nodes and thicker culms. The ones in the ground are just getting taller with no real morphed look. They have only ben in the ground for 7 months so we'll have to wait and see. My Wamin is still very small and in a planter on the deck so I cant really make suggestions on that.
Take care
CJ

Hi Rick,
I have a small Wamin and was told that you have to keep it potted and rootbound to get the bulges. Obviously, if you had it in the ground in Miami and it had the bulges there, that's not true...but I don;t have much choice, I have o keep it containerized here in Gainesville because it isn't hardy

A local expert here says the current thinking is to stress the ventricosa of water, not watering until the leaves show stress, but for the wamin, give it humidity and heat if possible.

I have definitely seen many excellent in-ground wamin specimens, but all in hotter more humid places than this. However I've got black rocks around the base of mine now, full sun, and irrigation every other day, so maybe that will do something. Biggest culms yet are just now poking above ground.

And.... Hello Bihai!

Regards,

Rick Clark