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Fargesia Robusta Green Screen Bamboo Dying

15 years ago

I live in British Columbia, Canada (similar weather to Seattle, WA) I've had my green screen for 4 months, purchased back in Apr '08. I noticed about 1 month ago my bamboo started to turn yellow and new shoots began to die off when the summer weather finally arrived. It's been sitting in full sun in a black cermaic pot (about 10 hrs/day).

For the past month:

Avg temp: 26 celcius (78 F)

Wind: 1-2 days minor wind

Watering: conservatively once/day (very light watering)

I originally thought that it may be getting too much sun and given that the ceramic pot is black, attracts heat and may be cooking the roots. So I moved the pot last week closer to the house where there's more shade, so now it gets about 4 hrs/day of late afternoon sunshine.

So far there's no signs of improvement. Now I'm thinking I might have watered it too much? I've read on other websites that 1-2 days/week of water is sufficient. However, we get a lot of rain during the spring months and seemed to be fine then. Or could it be that it does not have enough space in the pot for new shoots to expand? On the other hand, the plastic pot it came in is about the same size as the ceramic pot it's in now.

Any suggestions? I'm pretty new with growing bamboos so this is a learning experience for me.

If you want to see pictures, go to this website.

http://65.39.142.234/bamboo.jpg

Thanks.

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Comments (5)

bambookid524
15 years ago
It looks like it may need a bigger pot. Try that if you can and see what it does.

-Steve
kentuck_8b
15 years ago
Looks like too much water and it also may be getting a bit too much direct sunlight. I would let the soil dry out a bit in between waterings.

Re-potting to a larger pot is always a good idea.

Fargesias tend to do worse during the hottest part of the Summer also, but 78F shouldn't be a problem.

Kt
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User
15 years ago
Is there a reason you have it in a pot?
Growing any plant or tree or grass in a container is nothing at all like growing something in the ground.
It is a totally different kind of gardening.
You should be posting on Container Forum also.
Your clumping bamboo doesn't like a pot.
It wants soil so that it can spread out and be comfortable.
It won't take off on you and eat your yard. It jsut slowly spreads by getting wider.
When you repot the bamboo, which you should do now, in a nice wide pot, you have to water it almost every day.
It can't search for water, you have it in a container.
When the container dries out, so does your bamboo.
If you place it in full sun, that is fine, but you must water it if it doesn't rain. It is a grass.
You have to plant it in quality soil, which if you go to the container forum, they will advise you as to what to plant it in. The pot must drain for bamboo, they hate wet feet.
Fertizile your bamboo with grass cuttings when you mow the lawn, and in the spring give it Lawn food.
If I were you, I would put it in the ground.
Don't worry, you have the non invasive type, at least for now. LOL. (only kidding)
No barrier required.
GOod Luck to you!
genghisken
Original Author
15 years ago
I recall on a sunny day touching the side of the pot and felt quite warm. The roots I'm guessing didn't like the heat down there. It was probably not a good idea to put it in a black pot, or a pot at all.

I knew this bamboo was not the invasive type but my wife envisioned a certain look on her patio, which included them being put in a pot :)

Thanks a bunch to everyone for your suggestions. We'll have to find a spot in the garden for it to grow. Hopefully it will recover.

Ken
bambookid524
15 years ago
Good luck,

-Steve

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