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For several years I've wanted
to get some bamboo started. Why? I don't know exactly what the
attraction is, the unique growth style, evergreen leaves, the
attraction of a privacy screen, stakes to use in the garden. All of
these things, but probably somewhat moreso is this.... I've heard
stories of canebreaks that used to be widespread in our area and
now are nearly nonexistant and that absence makes me want to see if
I can get some arundinaria gigantea growing. For those of you that
don't know that's the latin name for what the settlers in the
southeast called canebreak. It's the same plant that leaves it's
legacy in so many place names in our area (Cane Creek...)
Anyway, about two years ago I ordered about 10 root cuttings off
ebay. I think my big mistake was that it was September and we were
in the middle of a drought. Nothing came up. But... I tried again,
this spring and ordered ten rhizome cuttings. (Yes, I guess if I
was outgoing enough I could have found some locally introduced
myself and asked if I could dig up some. But.... ebay is quicker
and easier...) This time it was May and all sorts of Bamboos that I
see around town are shooting.
The seller lives just an hour or so drive down i-40 from where we
are. She is in the Hickory, NC area and sends 14 rhizome cuttings
(for my order of ten.) They arrived well wrapped and moist.
I promptly planted them and the extra four wound up with two each
sharing two large pots (one we had used for a potted banana years
ago (boy I miss that plant - beautiful maroon leaves... but that's
another story.) Anyway, I emailed asking when I should expect to
see any growth and she suggested 6-8 weeks assuming we get plenty
of rain.
Rain it did. May was the the wettest May on record in the Asheville
area with over 9 inches of rainfall. There were 20 days of recorded
rain at the airport. (I wouldn't be surprised if we had 22 or more
out here on the other side of the county.)
Anyway, May 5th is when I planted and I've impatiently watched them
for any signs of activity since. At one point 3 weeks in, my
curiousity got the better of me and I gently dug up one of the
rhizomes in one of the pots. There was a shoot forming! Woohoo! (I
just hope that isn't the only one I thought.... as I carefully
re-planted it.) So, I've waited and watched.
Unfortunately one rhizome was dug up by an animal of some sort. It
looked as though it dried out. It's the one that's planted furthest
from the house. I tried reburying it, but don't have much hope for
it.
Finally on June 1st I spotted a shoot poking up about a half
centimeter above the soil in one of the pots (opposite the one I
dug.) Now, two days latter that shoot is around 2 cm and I see it's
pot-mate just starting to show. SO.... at least two have made it.
(These pots by the way have got the most rain of anything, they're
in the drip line for the roof (we have no gutters.) So, they
probably got the equivalent of 15 inches of rain or more if they
got any.
So, it's been four weeks and the first two culms are showing.
Hopefully they'll make it and leaf out. (I've heard that sometimes
culms abort from cut rhizomes (especially if the parent had already
sent out shoots for the season.) Hopefully I'll see some signs from
some of the other rhizomes, but if at least one makes it, that will
be the beginning of some future stock to redistribute around the
yard.
Edit June 3rd....
Okay - Day one that the first shoot was observed it was around 1/2
a cm,
end of day two (Monday the 1st of June) 1 cm
end of day three (Tuesday June 2nd) 2cm - this day I observed the
"pot-mate" of this one shooting (so I didn't damage it apparently -
woohoo.)
end of day four (Wednesday June 3rd) 4 cm (!)
end of day five (Thursday June 4th) 6cm - observed the emergence of
one shoot in the other pot (had a good rainshower that disturbed
the soil a bit.)
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