Pruning of the lower culms is unlikely to do much if anything except permanently reduce the amount of foliage. Bamboo do not grow like bushes and trees. The culms will not get taller or larger in diameter than what they are during the year they come up, and they will also not add branches due to pruning. The bamboo is doing what it wants to do, and you can't do much to influence it. You can prune whatever you want, but that growth will be gone forever, and you shouldn't expect to get new growth in another part of the plant as a result of pruning.

Kudzu,
Thanks for the quick response. I will probably go about fertilizing and maintaining it and see what happens this Spring.

Proper fertilizer -- I use a handful of slow release fertilizer, like Osmocote, twice a year -- and proper watering is your best bet. Good luck.