About Bamboo


Needmore Bamboo Co.

		*Bamboo Growth Habits* Some of the terms used to describe bamboo may be unfamiliar so I have created a glossary to help you to better understand the plant descriptions. In particular it may be most helpful to know the terms culm, rhizome, node, internode, and sulcus. Glossary of Bamboo Terms Anchor Roots – located at the rhizome nodes, used to provide stability for the culms Branch Buds – present on the elongating shoot in Phyllostachys, causing the sulcus or groove to exist Container Grown – a division that has been potted up and allowed to develop a rhizome system within the growing container Culm – the above ground ‘stalk’ of the bamboo, often called the cane Culm Leaf – protective leaves that cover the emerging shoot Cultivar - Usually the result of a stable mutation, the subspecies appears physically different from its parent plant and is considered a unique cultivar of the species. Upon flowering, the cultivar may revert back to the parent form. Division – a newly dug section of rhizome that contains 1 or more culms Feeder Roots – smaller/finer roots that function to take up moisture & nutrients Going Blond – a term that describes winter damaged bamboo culms or leaves, once they have turned a tan or blond color due to extreme cold temperatures Internode – the space on the culm & rhizome between the nodes Leaf Buds – dormant buds on the branches that produce new leaves in the spring/summer Leaf Burn – the mildest form of cold damage that refers to leaves that have been killed or ‘burned’ by cold temperatures (they go blond!), but the dormant leaf buds are undamaged and the culm will re-leaf in the spring Leptomorph – term used to categorize bamboos that have ‘running’ rhizome systems that spread underground Moles – a subterranean mammal that does not eat vegetative material but can damage rhizome & root systems on newly planted specimens, Moles usually get blamed for damage caused by Voles Node – the ring around the culm where the branches are located and on the rhizome where buds & roots are located Pachymorph – term used to categorize non-invasive bamboos, Pachymorph rhizomes always turn up out of the ground and become new culms – they do not spread underground Rhizome – the living portion of bamboo, the rhizome stores energy & nutrients for the following season’s growth and it is the portion of the underground system that must be prevented from spreading where ‘unwelcome’ Rhizome Buds – located on the rhizome, the buds will become either additional rhizomes or new culms Rhizome Leaf – protective leaves that cover newly formed rhizomes Rhizome 'Whip' – a term used for small diameter rhizomes that turn up out of the ground and become culms Shoot – in spring when moisture levels & soil temperatures are appropriate, rhizome buds begin to swell, emerge above ground and elongate into culms Sulcus – the groove located on alternating sides of Phyllostachys culms & rhizomes, caused by the elongating shoot being scraped by the still dormant branch buds Top Kill – term used to describe culms that have been severely impacted by extreme cold, top killed culms are completely dead and will ‘go blond’ Voles – the bane of my existence, Voles are subterranean mammals that feed on rhizome systems, severely damaging or completely killing the bamboo; Voles look like mice with short tails & long ears There are more than 1,200 different species of bamboo that are divided into 3 different categories based on the growth habit of the rhizomes. The majority of the varieties that we offer are the type with a rhizome system that is described as a “running“ bamboo. Mature bamboo groves are not a series of individual plants; rather they are a network of connected & related rhizomes sharing the same nutrients, vitality, and hardiness. The portion of the grove that we see above ground is known as culms or canes. The culms contain branches & leaves and the leaves are the photosynthesizing engines for the entire colony. Each spring the bamboo will begin shedding its leaves and will replace them with new leaves from the dormant buds on the branches. If you begin to see a gradual yellowing of the leaves in the spring do not be alarmed as this is a natural cycle. The living portion of the bamboo plant is the rhizome, which grows underground. Bamboo rhizomes contain buds that can become either new rhizomes or new culms. In the spring (for temperate bamboos) the rhizome buds destined to become culms begin to swell as the ground temperature and moisture level rises. Soon they will be visible above ground as the shoots begin to elongate. Unlike a tree which will increase in diameter & height each growing season, a bamboo culm will achieve its’ full height & diameter within the first 60 days after emerging from the ground - even though the culm may live 10 or more years. So as you can imagine, it is very exciting to watch the new shoots come up each spring to see how large the culms will be ‘this year’. The purpose of the culms is to offer the rhizome mass a method of photosynthesis. The rhizome colony “knows” how many of the buds to use for producing culms so that adequate photosynthesis can occur. In fact, each spring the rhizome colony produces an excess number of above ground shoots to ensure that the surviving numbers of culms are adequate for meeting the energy needs of the colony. Because of this excess shoot production, some of the shoots are aborted, as the rhizome does not need them, so don’t worry if you see a number of shoots grow 2-3 feet tall and then collapse. Once the shooting season has ended - usually in July depending upon the species - and the new culms have fully developed the rhizome begins its’ growth phase which will last until cold weather sets in. It is during this period when the rhizomes can travel great distances under, around, over & through obstacles! At the conclusion of the rhizome growth phase the bamboo goes into winter dormancy until the following spring when the cycle starts over again. *Bamboo Pests* In our area of southern Indiana there are few pests that adversely impact bamboo. Our number one enemies are voles. Voles are subterranean mouse-like mammals that will feed on the rhizomes and rhizome buds. Voles seem to be particularly attracted to groves that we have deeply mulched with leaves. We suggest keeping an eye out for them even when using straw or bark mulches. Voles = BAD, and our 6 cats have seen their stock value rise significantly once they started bringing inanimate voles to the door step! Deer will eat bamboo but they do not seem to like it. Usually they avoid ours until late winter or during heavy snow cover when they have few other food sources. I have heard from other growers that squirrels & rabbits love new shoots but we have not yet had any problems with them -maybe because of the 6 cats! Moles do not eat the rhizomes but they sometimes dig right through the delicate new bamboo roots and I’ve seen new culms lean over where moles have burrowed directly under them. Bamboo mites cause the main insect problems, but their damage is mostly cosmetic and does not usually affect the health of the bamboo. Although it is a rare situation and in fact many people will tell you otherwise, I have encountered serious termite damage to 3 different species of bamboo - Fargesia Nitida, Sasa Veitchii Tyugokensis, and Sasaella Masamuneana. The termites in all 3 cases were eating the underground rhizomes and severing the culms from the rhizome as they began to eat channels up the culms. The damage was serious enough that I lost 1/3 of 4 different plants and ended up having to relocate them to another area. Thus far I have not found a suitable way to address this situation other than to dig up the plant and submerge it in a wheel barrow of water overnight to drown the termites. I suspect that they were originally in the bark mulch that I had used and/or they were present due to the close proximity of a rotting tree.