Leaf litter from bamboo... more or less than the average tree?

As I raked leaves today, it reminded me of a question I get all the time from customers buying bamboo plants - 'Is bamboo a messy plant?' This is usually asked in the context of leaves and other plant litter dropping in a pool or in a landscape that is conspicuously maintained.

Compared to a deciduous tree that drops its leaves every Fall, my experience is that bamboo is a 'cleaner' plant'. Why? Bamboo tends to drop culm sheaths (a large one from a Bambusa oldhamii 'Giant Clumping Timber Bamboo' is pictured above side-by-side with my hand), some leaves from the plant (they shed and renew leaves throughout the year) and some dead branchlets that fall off cleanly at the nodes.

Based on my observation in my yard (looking at the row of non-deciduous Photinia bushes we have along the fence) and seeing other similar plants used for privacy, bamboo is equally, if not less messy than the average bush or tree used for privacy.

Bamboo leaf litter drops close to the base of the bamboo plant (most bamboos are pretty column-like in growth, compared to an average tree that tends to grow in a triangular form). Also, tree leaves are lighter, generally speaking, and are easily carried in the wind to areas of the yard where they are not wanted.

One item to note on leaf litter from bamboo, is that it is actually good to leave bamboo leaf litter at the base of the bamboo plant because that leaf litter contains a small amount of Silica which is important for the growth of the bamboo. In a sense, the bamboo plant is re-feeding itself an important element to its long-term growth - Silica.

Is bamboo mess-free? No. But, in my observation over the years it is equally, if not less messy, than many of the common trees and bushes used for privacy, plus its a much more interesting plant. Not that I'm biased...

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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Break in the rain... is that the sun?

It was nice today to get a break from the rain. As we came home from a movie, a group of tiny birds were flying around in our Azalea bushes and the bamboo in the front yard (what we called 'Fat little Finch-like birds'; sorry to all those bird watchers for our made up name). I quickly grabbed a camera and got one shot, not great, but can you find the tiny bird?

Also checked out the rain barrel, which is brimming to the top, problem is, I can't find a plant that needs watering, oh well, might come in handy a few months from now.

And, as I headed in, I caught this shot of a very bright sun peering through our 'Alphonse Karr' bamboo. Nice to get a break from the rain and see some blue sky.

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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Easy tip to detect a running bamboo plant...

It's inevitable that you walk into a garden center or nursery and among the thousands of plants there is a bamboo plant that is either vaguely labeled, mislabeled or or with no label at all. Something I actually witnessed at the local 'big box' store recently. The bamboo plant is beautiful, but why take the risk, if it could be a running bamboo. Well, there is a way you can distinguish a possibly invasive running bamboo from a non-invasive clumping bamboo.

Many running bamboo plants have a vertical groove, known as a sulcus (pictured above), that is on the side of the culm (or cane). Simply run your hand, around the culm, if there is a groove, it is definitely a runner. Clumping bamboo does not have a sulcus, they are smooth all around the diameter of the culm. This method cannot detect all running bamboo, but it can detect most.

Hope this tip is of use!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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Bamboo that reminds me of the holidays...

Gotta love Himalayacalamus falconeri 'Damarapi' (aka 'Candystripe Bamboo'). Looks like a candy cane... really gets you into the spirit! Have a Merry Christmas everyone!

Sean

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco

On the this dreary rainy day, I have been daydreaming about gardens that I have had the good fortune to visit.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit the five acre Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. The Tea Garden is a real treat and a treasure. There is a modest admission fee, but it is well worth it. I spent the time at the garden with my youngest daughter (who happens to love the outdoors and seems to have an affinity towards gardening like me) and we both really enjoyed our time there.

The garden has several beautiful buildings, including a functioning tea house and gift shop, a koi pond and statuary. The grounds are kept up nicely and has several uses of bamboo including natural, untouched stands to tightly hedged bamboo along short side fencing, and everything else in between.

Here are some photos of the Tea Garden:

Here is a fountain, which I believe is called a Tsukubai water basin with a nice stand of bamboo which is likely either Phylostachys aurea 'Golden Bamboo' or Phylostachys aura 'Koi'.

Here is a photo of the Tea House where tea is served to visitor. To find out more on this feature, click here.

Here is a picture of a bronze Buddha statue (circa 1790) in the garden. The statue is very large.

The Tea Garden has a remarkable history - it was built in 1894 for the California Midwinter International Exposition. The Tea Garden was designed and later cared for by Japanese immigrant Makoto Hagiwara from 1894 until 1942, when Mr. Hagiwara and his family were moved to a internment camp with thousands of other Japanese Americans during that time.

The Japanese Tea Garden is the oldest public Japanese tea garden in the United States.

If you are ever in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, its worth visiting. It is located right next to the de Young Memorial Museum.

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

www.madmanbamboo.com

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Even more on container grown bamboo...

On my last post I spent some time giving tips on successful container growing bamboo. Of course, I have those nights, when I wake up at 3 a.m., and my mind is going with thoughts, one line of thinking in the wee hours is what I just posted to my blog and what I forgot to mention, that I should have. All that said, here is an extra helping of tips for you to consider when container growing bamboo:

1. Wine barrels: Nearly the perfect container for growing bamboo, except one thing... its wood base will rot and a running bamboo, given the chance, will run right though the rotten wood into the ground below. Not a good thing. A measure of defense is to place a cheap paver underneath. Not a perfect defense, but better than nothing.

2. Get a pot that does not taper at the top: When selecting a ceramic pot, choose one with a 'V' shape. A tapered pot that closes at the top makes root maintenance or outright splitting after 2-3 years of growth a real pain. I recently attempted to extract a Phylostachys bambusoides 'Allgold' out of a tapered pot and guess what, broke it in the process (pictured above) trying to get the root mass out. Why - rhizomes tend to circle the circumference of the pot making a simple pull out of the pot impossible. Using a 'V' shaped pot makes your life a whole lot easier - trust me.

Here's to happy bamboo gardening!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

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More on growing bamboo in containers...

Many bamboo varieties are well suited for container growing. Container growing opens up the ability to grow running bamboo, something that I normally suggest in lieu of planting bamboo directly in the ground (not recommended).

Here are a few tips to consider when planning the right container for your bamboo:

1. Know the material - You have to realize up front that bamboo, with a fast growing woody mass, will eventually need to be cut back after 2-3 years. For ceramic containers, this is especially important as the bamboo's root mass could exert enough pressure to crack or break the container outright. Another container option is to use a metal horse trough which is not prone to breaking. Regardless of the container type, its still important to maintain the size of the root mass on a periodic basis to prevent the plant becoming root bound and unhealthy at some point after a couple of years.

2. Container grown bamboo is prone to temperature extremes - With extreme summers and cold, snowy winters, the bamboo root mass is prone to damage. Many people focus on the top growth, but if the root mass gets heat damage from an overheated pot or the root mass freezes into an ice cube (have seen this happen in our mild California freeze), it can really set the plant back. Remember, a damaged top growth recovers very quickly with some warm sun and good soil, a damaged root mass can take the plant back several years. Also, never use a terra cotta pot as it leads to a quick drying out of the soil in the summer, glazed pots retain soil moisture much better.

3. Cover that drain hole - Running bamboo, given the chance will send a rhizome due south through the drain hole in your pot to the ground, not good. The solution: Put a 99 cent paver underneath the pot, a running rhizome can't penetrate it, but it still allows for drainage which is important for bamboo (soggy soil = stunted growth or a complete halt to growth all together).

Container growing running bamboo opens up many landscaping possibilities; use these tips and you can enjoy running bamboo without creating an issue with your neighbors that is hard to handle once out of control. Contained you get to enjoy its beauty, without the downsides of running bamboo.

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

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Oh frost, leave my bamboo alone (or 'How to hedge a bamboo plant without touching it!')

The ravages of winter have indeed shown its effects upon some of my clumping bamboo plants. Clumping bamboo starts to shoot from late July through late October. Some culms harden in time and survive the late Fall/Winter frost largely intact, which is the case for most. For those culms that shoot in late October, they are still tender and very prone to frost damage.

Often the damage manifests itself by freezing the top part of the tender culm, freezing off to an internode that is hardened off enough. The result - a hedging effect on some of the clumping bamboo. This is consistent year-t0-year with varieties like Bambusa ventricosa 'Kimmei' and Himalayacalamus falconeri 'Damarapi'. Hence, both have grown to nice tidy hedges, naturally, with no pruning from me. Pictured above is a Himalayacalamus falconeri 'Damarapi' culm tilted over from the frost.

Cheers!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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A real beauty... Semiarundaria yashadake 'Kimmei'

What a nice surprise coming home from work today (lately its been too dark to enjoy the garden when I get home). Last weekend, I split up an overgrown Semiarundaria yashadake 'Kimmei' that was on the side of the house and was in full shade.

Semiarundaria yashadake 'Kimmei' is a running bamboo that can take full sun and grows up to 25 feet tall. I originally acquired this plant for its ability to take bright shades of red when exposed to sunlight.

Since the plant was in a shady corner, it was its usual yellow with green striped culm color when I split the mother plant last weekend.

When I came home today, I looked out the window and did a double-take. Very nice, bright red coloring on the culms. Very exciting to see! Above is what it looks like right now.

Enjoy!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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Bamboo on rooftops in San Francisco

I was amazed at my last trip to San Francisco in June that from our hotel view (Mission and 4th St.; near the Metreon and close to Market Street) seeing two rooftop gardens with bamboo planted. Why? Rooftop gardens help cool the floors beneath, helping to reduce cooling bills and reducing CO2 emissions. The challenge for most urban rooftops is to have some afternoon shade to protect the plants and you also have to deal with high winds. In San Francisco's case, having temperate weather all year long helps accommodate a wider range of varieties. Here is a photo of the view from our room.

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

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Behind the name... Phylostachys bissetii

One of my favorite running bamboo varieties is Phylostachys bissetii. It a very green, dense hedge bamboo that is as aggressive as Golden Bamboo, but so much more beautiful. It is also known to be one of the first bamboo varieties to shoot in the spring and can take extreme temperatures well below zero degrees and is known for good wind tolerance..

It's an all-time favorite in my book - fast growing and very beautiful. Its a classic bamboo, green and lush, yet practical. Its a great bamboo for a pot or container.

As with most bamboo, it has a story. This plant was named after David Bisset who was Superintendent of the Barbour Lathrop Bamboo Garden (a US Department of Agriculture Plant Introduction Station) at Savannah, Georgia from 1924 to 1957. It was introduced in 1941 from Chengdu, China.

Mr. Bissetti helped run a rather impressive public bamboo garden that is still in operation today. Here is some more information on the original bamboo garden now named the Savannah Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens:

The garden's collections began in 1890 when Mrs. H. B. Miller planted three giant Japanese bamboo plants. By 1915 they had formed a bamboo grove, which drew the attention of noted botanist and plant explorer David Fairchild. In 1919 Barbour Lathrop, a friend of Fairchild's, purchased the site and leased it to the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for $1.

Lathrop traveled extensively throughout China and Japan collecting specimens for the garden; the USDA also collected and planted specimens. In 1979 the USDA closed the site. It was deeded to the University of Georgia in 1983 and now forms part of its College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Today the gardens contain more than 140 bamboo varieties, said to be the largest bamboo collection open to the public in North America. Most specimens were planted in the 1920s. It also contains 35 palm species in an effort begun in 1998 by the Southeastern Palm and Exotic Plant Society, as well as collections of vines and daylilies. There are two display gardens:
Cottage Garden - a trial garden where perennials, annuals, and bulbs are evaluated.
Xeriscape Garden - demonstrates low-water landscaping.

Currently, the Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens is currently run by David Linvill, part of the UGA Cooperative Extension.

Couldn't find a good photo of it, but did find this YouTube video that shows off the plant nicely.

This bamboo has simple beauty to it and is a nice overall running bamboo variety. Every plant has a story, even the most modest of them all.

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

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Bamboo: The odd and unusual

Today, I was milling about the garden with not alot of focus, but with camera in hand. I'm always surprised what I can find when I examine things closer. Here is a collection of oddly growing culms alien-like rhizomes and other oddities.

This photo is of Phylostachys dulcis 'Sweetshoot Bamboo' - there is nothing growing out of the top opening of the nursery container, but there is a fully formed culm growing out of the bottom drain hole with an unusual 90 degree angle.

This photo is of an odd bamboo rhizome from a Bambusa beecheyana 'Beechey Bamboo', exposed with some aerial roots showing. Reminds me of some alien plant life that has landed on earth in a 1950's sci-fi movie.

This photo is of the cymbal shaped culms of Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda 'Chinese Walking Stick'. In China, they make actual walking canes from this plant.

This is Bambusa mutabilis with aerial roots showing. Reminds me of a deep jungle plant, almost one you'd imagine among the dinosaurs.

Bamboo photos that evoked some good imagination on a grey winter day.

Enjoy!

Sean

Mad Man Bamboo

(916) 300-6335

www.madmanbamboo.com

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