Bamboo. The very word conjures up pictures of a lush tropical jungle steaming under a downpour of rain or arching, swaying canes tossing their luxuriant burden of foliage along river banks where crocodiles bask, and birds of paradise preen their splendid plumage.
Warm-climate gardens in the Orient have long used the more decorative bamboo species.
All through the tropics and as far north as central Japan and the Channel coast of England, their spell is firmly rooted.
Clumps of feathery bamboo along a stream or lake shore lend inimitable grace to any scene.
Although our own southern states and Far West, possessing unspectacular native canes, have slowly adopted the larger, more lavish Orientals, not only for ornament but also for their countless uses in the following:
- Fishing poles
- Stakes
- Screens
- Furniture
In recent years, roots of the more available kinds have been offered by the U. S. Department of Agriculture to planters in appropriate areas as novel crop plants.
Planting Hardy Bamboo In North
Just how far north the hardy bamboo will persist remains proven since probably few experimental plantings of the original distribution were made under the most favorable conditions.
But certainly, the bamboo will have a good chance in southern Massachusetts and Connecticut, central New Jersey, southern Pennsylvania, and perhaps the valley of Ohio.
Phyllostachys Aureosulcata
It was once believed that only dwarf bamboos could survive for long in the North, notably the tiny groundcover Pleioblastus pygmaeus and the shrubby broad-leaved Sasa tessellata (Bambusa tessellata).
But in 1931, a tall species, Phyllostachys aureosulcata (formerly Phyllostachys nevini), successfully crossed the Mason-Dixon Line to the northern tip of Delaware, not far from Philadelphia.
It now forms a dense clump, nearly a quarter acre in size, which stands about 30’ feet high.
This planting has endured a temperature of 19° degrees Fahrenheit below zero (1934) with little injury—and that soon healed.
Three years ago, a root from that clump was brought to Mountain Lakes in northern New Jersey, where it has thrived, already attaining a stature of nearly 14’ feet.
Last winter, a night of 6° degrees Fahrenheit below zero did not injure it.
Bamboo’s Growth Rate
Gardeners accustomed only to northern plants may find the ways of this bamboo quite strange.
Each cane springing from the root in May reaches its full height within 3 or 4 weeks.
Although the stalk will live for several seasons, putting out new leaves each year in addition to the old evergreen ones, it will not increase perceptibly in height or diameter.
As the root gains age and strength, the clump throws up taller and sturdier shoots each spring, which soon form a dense jungle.
The clump spreads rapidly using long underground runners.
Watching the young canes grow is endlessly fascinating. Each pointed sprout rises from the ground as fat as possible.
It may be nearly 2” inches in diameter in a large clump. It looks even fatter because of the papery sheaths which at first encase it.
This strange shaft lengthens more and more rapidly until it can almost be seen to grow.
While the exact growth rate is hard to determine, it may at times approach an inch an hour.
The rate may be even faster in the tropics as it nears full height. Finally, the upper part tapers to a slender apex, but no branches appear until the limit of growth is attained.
Older canes can be thinned at any time to provide stakes or poles. The yellowish hue of the stalk can distinguish mature canes.
New canes a year or so old have a pleasing dark green color.
Hardiness Of Bamboo
The hardiness of bamboo depends partly upon where it is planted and how it is protected.
Although the roots spread widely, they do not penetrate more than a few inches into time soil.
At this depth, they must find copious water supplies at all seasons. If frost ever solidifies the earth immediately below these rootlets—cutting off all moisture to which they have access—death or severe injury to leaves and canes may result.
There are ways to keep out deep frost, even in severe cold regions.
A swamp in our northern climate will freeze only on the surface, and under a mulch, there will be mud shallower penetration of frost than in the open ground.
These two principles are combined in my two successful bamboo plantings.
Both occupy pond or lake shores in the ground not more than a couple of feet above the prevailing water level, and both are kept well mulched.
Planting bamboos in an actual swamp would invite failure because the roots require a certain amount of drainage.
With the right height of the water table, sufficient drainage may be secured on a bank just above water level.
The location should have plenty of sun, and the richer and muckier the soil, the better your bamboo will grow.
For southern plantings, the higher and somewhat drier ground is satisfactory.
Large species such as Dendrocalamus latiflorus or Bambusa macroculmis, which reach heights of 50’ to 75’ feet, may be grown.
Bamboos of the most majestic proportions—120’ feet in height, with canes 12” inches in diameter—are probably not growable in any part of the continental United States.
Use Permanent Mulch For Cold Climates
Even in the most favorable locations, a permanent mulch is essential for cold climates.
The ground surface should be kept covered with at least a couple of inches of material that provides air spaces and insulation, such as:
- Leaves
- Straw
- Grass clippings
- Other vegetable material
This mulch keeps out frost, but in dry weather, it also maintains indispensable moisture.
After the clump has developed undisturbed for 3 or 4 years, its own filling leaves will keep the central parts mulched, but the edges must also be kept covered, and more mulch added, with care, each year.
An application of manure on top of the mulch in the spring is beneficial.
Phyllostachys Aureosulcata Pests Or Diseases
Phyllostachys aureosulcata has few enemies, either fungus or insect.
The tips of its evergreen leaves may be whitened toward the end of a hard winter, and the ends of long canes that the wind has beaten violently may be partly stripped of leaves, especially if ice storms have pulled at them repeatedly.
But the new leaves in June soon cover up all injury.
Birds find a safe harbor in the thicker parts of a bamboo clump, especially during migration.
The stiff canes, which stand only a few inches apart, are too slippery for much climbing and do not permit ground enemies to surprise the songsters.
The dense leafage, too, allows no room for hawks or owls’ wide spreading wings.
Thousands of smaller birds can rest or sleep at one time in a comparatively small bamboo grove.