Bamboo Problem?

alanobrien

I have been growing bambooo for years now and never had a problem.
I have some planted directly in the ground others in the ground in trugs and some in pots. Recently i have seen a few of those in pots suffering and i suspect its frost damage but since i have not seen this before I am looking for other opinions.

Some pictures;

Healthy bamboo Phyllostachys aurea in the ground in trugs
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_ok.jpg
Ditto in a large container
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_potted_ok.jpg

Unhappy bamboo Phyllostachys aurea in pots
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_potted_problem1.jpg
Ditto from another angle
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_potted_problem.jpg
Close Up
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_potted_problem2.jpg

So why do i suspect frost damage ?
I have Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) in the ground and also in smaller pots and they are all fine. Those (aurea) that are showing damage are in pots about 1 1/2 ft square by the same in height. They have good drainage and were well fed last summer and went into winter well. Those particular pots did get blown over twice in the high winds so were "disturbed" This is the only other thing i can pinpoint that is different about them. The worst temperature seen here to date is around -3c. Note also that despite the damage the stems remain green. I will probably just leave them and see if they recover but any thoughts on this are appreciated.

relay

Looks more like wind damage to me, the leaves get dried out and scorched by the cold winds because they are so thin, what makes me think this is the fact they are in pots which even in winter can dry out if it's really windy (mine do too) & when they begin to dry at the root a little they are more suceptable to wind damage drying the leaves out because they can't replace the moisture quick enough - also the fact that the leaves seem to be going brown from the tips then working back toward the stems which you would expect if the leaves were drying out in the wind.

The ones in the ground have a constant supply of moisture - the potted ones don't.

relay

Just noticed too that the sickly ones are stood on paving slabs & the healthy ones are stood on open soil which could also be a factor if the ones on the bed have rooted through the bottom of the pots into the soil beneath.

alanobrien

Relay,

Thanks, you may have something there, yes wind damage combined with a potted plant sitting on flagstones must be a possibility. I have another further along the fence potted and sitting on soil that has started to go at the top. ie. where it is exposed to the wind above the fence. The damage is no where near as bad though. Here is a couple of pix of that one
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/further_one.jpg
Close up of top
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/further_one_closeup.jpg

The frost conclusion always bothered me because these things are supposed to be hardy to below -10c and we never see that here. "Combination" problems are obviously a lot more difficult to isolate. They are well watered now and put into bigger pots so hopefully they may recover. Thanks for the input.

alanobrien

One other thought, do you think pot size is a significant issue in this case?
I read a lot and many places quote bamboo may be kept in pots but no one seems to suggest a suitable size.

This one is 22" sq x 19" high
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f..._potted_ok.jpg

While this one is 17" sq x 15" high (newly moved to this bigger size)
http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/musa_monkey/Bamboo_potted_problem1.jpg

So the former one is twice the volume of the latter which i suspect must also be a factor. That said i cant use much bigger ones these days - they get to heavy for me to lift

relay

Yep, that definately looks like wind 'burn' to me. Pot size is a hit & miss issue because i have seen really large Bamboo in pots that appear too small but the plants look really healthy.

As they are a plant that usually has a large root system i personally would tend to go a little large with pots if they are intended to spend a lifetime in them.

There's not much you can really do to combat the wind issue being they are so big but they do recover from it. You tend to see it more often in the taller varieties & i guess one option could be to move then into a sheltered corner for the winter.

alanobrien

ok thanks, i want to keep them where they are as they make a decent screen. Maybe covering with fleece will make a difference as temperatures drop overnight. I may try that next year to see if it makes a difference.

beaney50

My yellow bamboo, also in a pot looked very similar last year.I was convinced it would never recover but it looks fine again now unlike my fargesia nitida (Fountain bamboo) which flowered and definitely did die.

gavinp

My Phyllostachys aurea bamboo looks the same as yours - in a galvanised pot 60x60x60cm on top of a paving slab and I suspect the cold wind is the problem.

It was also affected last year although not as seriously and it recovered fine.

I have several other types of bamboo in my garden and they are all OK.

This site seems to indicate that Aurea is not the hardiest:

http://www.needmorebamboo.com/hardiness.html

Thanks

Gavin

ukjoel

Think the previous answers are fairly spot on but also think it may be a pot issue. I overbought on bamboo a few years ago and some went in the ground and one went in a dusbin size pot. I think they can be quite thirsty plants and wouldnt be surprised if the ones in pots are just going into survival mode because they are not getting as much water at the roots as they would like.

I know that our potted bamboo is a third of the height of the ones a put in the ground.

gavinp

I don't think this issue is related to pots - all of our bamboo plants are in pots (eight different varieties) and only the Aurea is showing this problem.

It is in an exposed position and was blown over a couple of weeks ago in the high winds.

I plan to switch the Aurea with a Phyllostachys Bissettii when it has grown to the same height as it is supposed to be tougher and I will then move the Aurea to a more sheltered spot.

Thanks

Gavin