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

www.madmanbamboo.com

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