Anyone Growing Schizostachyum brachycladum ??

[putu enjula]

Hi everyone,

I know I should ask this question in a bamboo forum... but that would require too much effort and besides, I rather ask my palmy buddies anyway!

Our Schizostachyum brachycladum is flowering and so our neighbor's up the street. I've heard of certain species flowering at the same time worldwide... I'm just wondering if our neighbor's happens to be related to ours and is the same age and therefore flowering at the same time or is this a more widespread event?

So what I'd like to know if anyone is growing it and if it is flowering or not.

Also I would like to know if anyone has tried to grow bamboo from seed.

[putu enjula]

Gee don't answer all at once!!

I guess this means we're the only ones growing it!

[putu enjula]

A new culm...

[putu enjula]

Usually this bamboo does not look so messy, but it is flowering itself to death

[popper1]

There are a three ways that bamboo flower; more or less annually, all at once, or irregularly. Schizostachyum is one of the types that flowers more or less annually. Bamboo is easy to grow from seed, particularly if fresh, which I guess yours will be!

[putu enjula]

There are a three ways that bamboo flower; more or less annually, all at once, or irregularly. Schizostachyum is one of the types that flowers more or less annually. Bamboo is easy to grow from seed, particularly if fresh, which I guess yours will be!

THANKS FOR THE REPLY!! :)

Dean says it has been flowering continuously for 5 years and lately it has gone crazy with flowers/seeds on every culm. I saw quite a few of them in Bali a couple years back and they all looked so nice because they weren't riddled with flowers everywhere like this one is. Could it be preparing to die?

[popper1]

They are supposed to flower annually and not die. I do not know if at some point they get old enough & die, but I would think the clump would be huge.

What I think I would do is break/cut off all the flower stalks. I have heard from many that it is such a nice bamboo but they don't like the messy look when it flowers. Breaking them all off should remedy that. They look thin enough that it wouldn't be too had to get rid of them

[ariscott]

Sorry... missed this one all the time for some reason. I grow Schizotachyum brachycladum... (what a mouthful!!). I don't believe it will die after flowering. I think it is dendrocalamus that will flower all at once and die at the same time. Mine is a lot slower than my other bamboo, although it has started taking off now. Good to see another bamboo lover!!!

Regards, Ari

[Walter John]

I bought one of these but by the time I got it home in the back of the ute, it had just about shrivelled up. I still planted it though, it looks like 3 dead sticks for now (winter here). I'll see if it turns for the better in Spring. When I saw a large clump at Bamboo land in Howard I was mesmerized by it's sheer magnificence.

[agav@]

I want seeds from these bamboo but I don t know where to find them.I grew Moso and Buddha belly from seed and they sprouthed after 3 mounths.90 % of them.Can anyone can help me to find seeds?

Thanks

Edited June 18, 2008 by agav@

[putu enjula]

I want seeds from these bamboo but I don t know where to find them.I grew Moso and Buddha belly from seed and they sprouthed after 3 mounths.90 % of them.Can anyone can help me to find seeds?

Thanks

I think we have a million seeds because there's a million flowers on ours. But I'm not sure if they are viable so I put a bunch of "seed" in a pot... I'll keep you updated if I get anything!

[putu enjula]

Sorry... missed this one all the time for some reason. I grow Schizotachyum brachycladum... (what a mouthful!!). I don't believe it will die after flowering. I think it is dendrocalamus that will flower all at once and die at the same time. Mine is a lot slower than my other bamboo, although it has started taking off now. Good to see another bamboo lover!!!

Regards, Ari

Thanks for your reply Ari,

I have a cultural question for you... many of my Indonesian friends believe that bamboo is special, that it has a spirit. Some believe it is sacred. One of my friends had very strong feelings about bamboo, he was too creeped out to go in the backyard at night. He would say, "ngeri!" (this was in Southern California). I'm just wondering what the general belief is about bamboo in Indonesia. What has been your experience?

I have much respect for bamboo... it gives us humans so much... it's beautiful while while growing and can provide a source of food. It has countless uses, from musical instruments to housing. You can easily see why it would be considered sacred.

I also have a special admiration for bamboo because I have studied gamelan for 10 years (both Java and Bali) and have played bamboo instruments.

[putu enjula]

Thanks for the photo Wallaroo, good luck with your bamboo, I hope it makes it

It's funny, I don't even like the color yellow all that much... but there's just something about that bamboo... it's gorgeous.

[putu enjula]

Where are you Wal? You OK?

[ariscott]

Thanks for your reply Ari,

I have a cultural question for you... many of my Indonesian friends believe that bamboo is special, that it has a spirit. Some believe it is sacred. One of my friends had very strong feelings about bamboo, he was too creeped out to go in the backyard at night. He would say, "ngeri!" (this was in Southern California). I'm just wondering what the general belief is about bamboo in Indonesia. What has been your experience?

I have much respect for bamboo... it gives us humans so much... it's beautiful while while growing and can provide a source of food. It has countless uses, from musical instruments to housing. You can easily see why it would be considered sacred.

I also have a special admiration for bamboo because I have studied gamelan for 10 years (both Java and Bali) and have played bamboo instruments.

Not many people grow bamboo back home, especially Jakarta. I guess it is because of lack of land in Jakarta. My dad used to grow the Malay variegated one, which stays small and we can turn them into a hedge or topiary .

Everyone (almost everyone) in Indonesia thinks that big trees (like banyan, rubber tree or anything to that magnitude) or big bamboo clumps would house a spirit. Indonesian are very spiritual that way. They do believe in ghost, unlike Western society. I believe in ghost too, although I am not spooked so easily. Scott (my other half) didn't believe it despite the fact that we had one ghost living with us in Indonesia a few years ago . Rather spooky that one, although I never saw it myself... but apparently a few people has... That is why most Indonesian believe in black magic!! Whether it actually works or not, I am not too sure... but I have seen what it can do to you.

All these talks, it makes me homesick. I haven't been home for 2 years now...

Regards, Ari

[putu enjula]

Not many people grow bamboo back home, especially Jakarta. I guess it is because of lack of land in Jakarta. My dad used to grow the Malay variegated one, which stays small and we can turn them into a hedge or topiary .

Everyone (almost everyone) in Indonesia thinks that big trees (like banyan, rubber tree or anything to that magnitude) or big bamboo clumps would house a spirit. Indonesian are very spiritual that way. They do believe in ghost, unlike Western society. I believe in ghost too, although I am not spooked so easily. Scott (my other half) didn't believe it despite the fact that we had one ghost living with us in Indonesia a few years ago . Rather spooky that one, although I never saw it myself... but apparently a few people has... That is why most Indonesian believe in black magic!! Whether it actually works or not, I am not too sure... but I have seen what it can do to you.

All these talks, it makes me homesick. I haven't been home for 2 years now...

Regards, Ari

It's making me homesick for Indonesia too!! I guess we'll have to just listen to some dang dut and eat some masakan padang (I WISH! there is no indo food here!) Did you ever watch that show (I forgot the exact name) "Percaya, Tidak Percaya?"?

[ariscott]

I don't watch Sinetron . Scott reckoned they were all the same. Everytime he accidently run into one while he was doing the channel surfing... they were always crying...

Regards, Ari