Bamboo, avacodo's and gardina's OH MY...but, BEAUTY BERRY might be new fav

[dustyflair]

I grow the weirdest stuff. I have 13 different varities of bamboo, mostly clumping and have learned that I have a real touch for cloning plants like gardinas. I havr recently realized what a beautiful and useful plant BEAUTY BERRY'S ARE. They grow all around my area and I have captured many live one's and am now cloning from the best I could find. I also learned how to clone GRAPEFRUIT trees and have some from HEIRLOOM mother tree that is over 70 years old and produces grapefruits as sweet as oranges. I assume due to the DNA of the plant not being modified or doctored and being planted so many years back. I have several lemon trees as well as Murcott's and am in the process of CLONING them to....I have successful airlayed many plants but OLD HAMII bamboo is one I use this technique on. I also have 8 live oaks on my place, a few of them 5-6 feet aorund. Im doing all I can, while on this earth, to leave it BETTER than the way I received it as a child.

Edited November 3, 2021 by dustyflair

[teddytn]

I’m with you, don’t get me wrong I love palms, but that is just one of the many plant groups I grow and experiment with. I’ve been on the fence about growing bamboo. In your experience does clumping bamboo stay fairly contained or will it start running? I do have room, I just don’t want a yard full of it lol.

[metalfan]

On 11/3/2021 at 1:02 AM, dustyflair said:

I grow the weirdest stuff. I have 13 different varities of bamboo, mostly clumping and have learned that I have a real touch for cloning plants like gardinas. I havr recently realized what a beautiful and useful plant BEAUTY BERRY'S ARE. They grow all around my area and I have captured many live one's and am now cloning from the best I could find. I also learned how to clone GRAPEFRUIT trees and have some from HEIRLOOM mother tree that is over 70 years old and produces grapefruits as sweet as oranges. I assume due to the DNA of the plant not being modified or doctored and being planted so many years back. I have several lemon trees as well as Murcott's and am in the process of CLONING them to....I have successful airlayed many plants but OLD HAMII bamboo is one I use this technique on. I also have 8 live oaks on my place, a few of them 5-6 feet aorund. Im doing all I can, while on this earth, to leave it BETTER than the way I received it as a child.

Do you by chance live in North Central FL? Beauty Berry is a native plant here which is unfortunately extremely invasive. Yes, its 'useful' in that the berries are edible and can be made into jelly, and they provide food for birds and whatnot. BUT, every single seed that a bird eats and poops out will turn into a new bush (which turned eventually into a tree). I pull up seedlings by the hundreds on my property.

[Swolte]

On 11/6/2021 at 6:55 AM, teddytn said:

In your experience does clumping bamboo stay fairly contained or will it start running?

I have a few clumpers and they are very well behaved. 

[Silas_Sancona]

24 minutes ago, Swolte said:

I have a few clumpers and they are very well behaved. 

Agree, While they'll still slowly  " expand over time, " clumping types certainly won't pop up in random places ..on the opposite side of your yard  ..or invade a neighbors. Even here in the desert, runners can cause trouble if they have access to enough water.  Bamboo Muhly and Tiger Grass ( where it is warm enough to be grown ) could also be considered tame / clumping types of  larger, bamboo- like grasses. Never be tempted to plant Pampas Grass  ..Horrible stuff.

[teddytn]

2 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Agree, While they'll still slowly  " expand over time, " clumping types certainly won't pop up in random places ..on the opposite side of your yard  ..or invade a neighbors. Even here in the desert, runners can cause trouble if they have access to enough water.  Bamboo Muhly and Tiger Grass ( where it is warm enough to be grown ) could also be considered tame / clumping types of  larger, bamboo- like grasses. Never be tempted to plant Pampas Grass  ..Horrible stuff.

Funny you bring up Pampas grass, my wife keeps saying she wants me to plant some lol

[Silas_Sancona]

6 hours ago, teddytn said:

Funny you bring up Pampas grass, my wife keeps saying she wants me to plant some lol

Haha, nix that request to the shredder any time it comes up ..you'll regret it if not.  Used to be extremely popular in California until everyone saw how quickly it invaded non- cultivated areas .. let alone how quickly it burns.. Several other ornamental  grasses around that get to a similar size, but aren't nearly as invasive / messy ..and won't cut you to shreds when you try to trim them ( to keep the messy look semi- under control )..  Seed heads are a nightmare to clean up ..if for instance a few are brought indoors and waved around the house like magic wands ..Yep, i was that kid.. Cattails too.

[Swolte]

Interesting, I have not experienced pampas to be invasive myself. I have been growing several and they are gorgeous (had a big one in the front that I often received compliments from that worked great as a screener*).  I have also never observed them spreading into the yard or native habitat (Our central Texas post-oak savannah situation can be quite inhospitable to lifeforms taking hold). There are several in cultivated areas around here. I didn't know they had such a bad rep.

I also have Saccharum arundinaceum which is similar in appearance. Not sure if that would be a better alternative if Pampas grass gets you death stares from people the likes of Silas.

One concern I experienced with pampas is that it is very hard to remove once it gets big (and it can get huge). You basically need an ironman suit with a working rocket launcher to get rid of it. 

~ S

* Had to 'transplant' it due to initial misplacement of landscapers putting it too close to a live oak  

[Silas_Sancona]

26 minutes ago, Swolte said:

Interesting, I have not experienced pampas to be invasive myself. I have been growing several and they are gorgeous (had a big one in the front that I often received compliments from that worked great as a screener*).  I have also never observed them spreading into the yard or native habitat (Our central Texas post-oak savannah situation can be quite inhospitable to lifeforms taking hold). There are several in cultivated areas around here. I didn't know they had such a bad rep.

I also have Saccharum arundinaceum which is similar in appearance. Not sure if that would be a better alternative if Pampas grass gets you death stares from people the likes of Silas.

One concern I experienced with pampas is that it is very hard to remove once it gets big (and it can get huge). You basically need an ironman suit with a working rocket launcher to get rid of it. 

~ S

* Had to 'transplant' it due to initial misplacement of landscapers putting it too close to a live oak  

Take a look at the link, Pampas is on several states lists of invasives..  That's a lot of well deserved, Pampas grass murdering stares, haha..
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=5381

Native grasses like native Calamagrostis, Deer and Bull Grass, ( Muhlenbergia rigens and emersleyi ), Big Sacaton ( Sporobolus wrightii ), and / or, in warmer areas. False Rhodes Grass ( Leptochloa crinita ) would be better alternatives for a similar look. Several species of Chusquea ( from Mexico - S. America ) appear to tolerate temps down to 0F. Temps below 19 - 20F'ish would likely kill or severely set back most, if not all the Otatea sps. 

[Scott W]

On 11/6/2021 at 7:55 AM, teddytn said:

I’m with you, don’t get me wrong I love palms, but that is just one of the many plant groups I grow and experiment with. I’ve been on the fence about growing bamboo. In your experience does clumping bamboo stay fairly contained or will it start running? I do have room, I just don’t want a yard full of it lol.

I'm in Jville and grow ten varieties of clumping bamboo.  It does not run, instead it slowly grows outward and if unkept will eventually over the course of a decade or more grow into a rather large footprint.  I trim mine annually and keep them in check to about a 6-10 foot area each.

[teddytn]

1 hour ago, Scott W said:

I'm in Jville and grow ten varieties of clumping bamboo.  It does not run, instead it slowly grows outward and if unkept will eventually over the course of a decade or more grow into a rather large footprint.  I trim mine annually and keep them in check to about a 6-10 foot area each.

Ok perfect this is what I needed to hear. I’ve got some room and need to expand my landscaping game. Theres a giant section of the Nashville zoo where you walk through a bamboo forest. Fairly certain it’s a running variety, but super cool vibes in there. The one pic I have of the bamboo there. Massive though, lines the pathways to exhibits and has to be 30 feet tall