loniemck-
Bamboo are typically not available as "starts" becasue they rarely produce seeds, and they are very hard to tissue culture. Plants that you buy, wholesale or retail, are mainly whole-plant divisions from larger plants. However, it is possible to propagate them from rhizome divisions, or from nodes in the case of certain clumping bamboo, including B. oldhamii. Unfortunately, I do not know of a source for large numbers of small plants at a reasonable cost. I know of only one nursery that is doing tissue culture of bamboo on a large scale, but I don't know if they produce oldhamii, or even if you would be able to purchase from them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Boo-Shoot Gardens

Thanks that is a great article. Boo-Shoot Garden also has a good video on thier site.

loniemck-
Yes, that is a good article, and thanks for the tip about the video...I'll check it out.

I have bought oldhamii in the SF bay area before. I believe there's a nursery in Redwood city. Also try the bamboo farms in Sebastopol, Ca (close to Santa Rosa Ca). I'm sure you can google the place. They used to be (&probably still are the largest bamboo nursery in the US.)
Hope this helps...you might also call the "Half Moon Bay Nursery" in Half Moon Bay, Ca. They could direct you...they're wonderful
Connie