Winter Protection

15 years ago

I have a few Phyllostachys species that haven't been doing too well with growth. They aren't increasing in height as I had expected them to. I would like to describe my methods of caring for my plantings and ask the more knowledgable 'boo growers on the forum what I should do to get better growth and winter above ground survival. I would appreciate any and all advice!

- this is/was their third summer and growing season, they were planted spring of '06

- they receive a high nitrogen granular fertilizer in early spring and again in mid summer given as per package instructions (for grass) and have not exhibited any signs of burn

- they are planted in full sun and watered once a week if rain is lacking/leaves begin curling

- the soil is a clay loam (not well drained nor soggy)

- they were mulched with ~5-6 inches of chipped wood/branches at planting time and have been refreshed as needed. I extend the mulch about one and a half feet past the perimeter of the outer-most canes

- they have received no winter protection to this point

- I'm in USDA zone 6a with an average winter minimum temperature of -4.8F based on the past 58 years of climate records from a local weather station that is only a few miles from my house/plants

- despite the avg. min. temp. of -4.8F, it only drops below 0F for an average of 3.7 days each winter

- we usually get a good amount of lake effect snow in the average winter

Here's my winter track record for reference as well as the height increases for each since their planting in spring of '06:

P. rubromarginata - loses a couple canes and all leaves on surviving canes, grew from 4 to 6 feet

p. nuda - loses all canes in winter, grew from 3 to 6 feet

p. nigra 'Henon' - loses all canes in winter, has remained at 3 feet

p. atrovaginata - loses half its canes in winter and all its leaves on the surviving canes, grew from 3 to 5 feet

P. aureosulcata 'spectabilis' - planted spring '07, complete top kill this past winter, has remained at 3 feet

P. dulcis - planted spring '07 and was completely killed

Would wilt-pruf be my best bet for winter protection on my bamboo? Would I have to re-apply it monthly? Lastly, would fencing in each clump of canes and wrapping the fencing in a couple layers of burlap be as effective as wilt-pruf spray?

Thanks all for the help!

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Comments (2)

johnszot
15 years ago
TG -

Another bamboo grower in New York! Thanks for all your detail as i've been raising bamboo since '06 also and am rather new to gardening in general. It's nice to read about others' local-ish experiences.

Wish i had some hard-nosed experience to share with you. All i can offer is a bit of my experience to date.

I'm growing in Brooklyn in an urban lot where the soil seems rather poor due to decades of neglect and the unsavory practice of burying building trash in the ground (we unearthed two radiators and an entire cast-iron bathtub digging our bamboo bed).

We grow Ph. Vivax, Ph. Bambusoides, and Ph. Nigra in a bed out back - they were mulched w/ 1.5" cedar the first season, but have since self-mulched through old shoot covers and dead leaves. We give them no protection in the winter - we want the grove to be as maintenance-free as possible as we travel quite a bit.

The Nigra is holding steady - no new shoots since we planted it and the existing ones are rather scrawny, but they show new growth each season so we leave them in with hopes that one season they'll catch up.

The Ph. Vivax seems to be doing well - several new shoots both seasons, but the Ph. Bambusoides is thriving. The new culms this season reached 1" in diameter and grew to 15' (the Vivax is holding at around 7').

I'm hoping to get a grove of Robert Young going this year assuming the plant recovers from a traumatic winter spent indoors in a pot. Things look hopeful.

I hope you get some good feedback and good luck!
treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm jealous of the species you grow! The nigra and bambusoides wouldn't take the winter temps here without being dwarfed and then top killed in severe winters. The vivax would make it, but I was warned against it because of weak wood. We can get a foot at a time of snow in the average winter which would easily break weak-wooded culms.

Regardles, thanks for sharing your experience!
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Winter Protection

Comments (2)

johnszot

treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author

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Winter Protection

Comments (2)

johnszot

treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNYOriginal Author

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treeguy_ny USDA z6a WNY
Original Author