Bambusa space requirements

[BeyondTheGarden]

It's getting warm and I can't keep my shovel out of the ground.  How much space would you allot for Bambusa oldhamii, B malingensis "seabreeze", and Alphonse Karr?  Is there a kind of max size their footprints get to, or do they expand indeterminately?   Everyone is always complaining about running bamboo and justly so especially in the SE US.  But I can't imagine that clumpers would be much easier to reduce, only that you'd have to do so less frequently. 

B oldhamii is probably not hardy here; I have it planted already, up against the brick/masonry foundation of my house.  I anticipate it will die to the ground each year (and maybe not even come back).  

The others will be planted out in the yard I think, which frankly they don't have as much real estate as I should probably give them.  I wish I could plant them in shade but everything I read online says sun. 

[redbeard917]

Are you going to plant them near one another? I would be curious to know what happens when one clump bumps into another. I wish I had a photo of my Alphonse Karr handy, but I am out of town at the moment (I'm in essentially the same climate zone as you, just the north Florida version). It must be at least 6' wide at the base and so massive it's actually causing a nearby live oak to grow up and around it. 

[BeyondTheGarden]

9 hours ago, redbeard917 said:

Are you going to plant them near one another? I would be curious to know what happens when one clump bumps into another. I wish I had a photo of my Alphonse Karr handy, but I am out of town at the moment (I'm in essentially the same climate zone as you, just the north Florida version). It must be at least 6' wide at the base and so massive it's actually causing a nearby live oak to grow up and around it. 

Not side by side, but I am still undecided as to their final siting.  I would like to see your clump if you are able and willing at some point. 

How long has it taken to reach the 6' of span?  I am starting with some surprisingly robust 1-gal plants that I got off ebay out of Florida, near Gainesville. 

[Scott W]

Your bamboo should start producing mature size culms for that species in 7-10 years.

With that, each will continue to grow outward in an attempt to establish a forest.  This can be kept in check by thinning the older inner culms as well as removing the ones that grow up on the outer edge of the clump.

My recommendation for planting if it is done as a row and not open, individual specimens is to plant them no closer than 8 feet apart, as within 3 to 4 years that gap will disapper....

Overall I have eight varities of clumping bamboo.

Bambusa Textilis gracilis 

Bambusa pervariabilis viridistriata

Dendrocalamus validus

[Swolte]

Yes, your options for clumpers are limited by your winters. I have several clumpers (no runners... yet) but I have no big issues with maintenance thus far. The winters act like a check on them as most of my '8b zoned' bamboo dies back to the ground. Unless you pamper them with great soil and water (which I don't), they tend to expand at a glacial pace. In terms of growth, much easier to maintain than most common garden plants. In the worst case, like Scott said, you can trim them to constrain size.
:)

[Merlyn]

In a hot swamp like Orlando, Seabreeze grows extremely fast.  Mine went from 1 culm to 50+ in I think 3 years.  The monster clump at Leu Gardens is easily 30-50 feet in diameter at ground level.  I ripped mine out before it go out of hand.  I would guess, like Scott said, that cold winters will knock it back and limit the growth rate.

I haven't tried Oldhamii or Alphonse Karr, but I would guess Multiplex is easier to control.  I have a couple of other Multiplex I am trying out.  Generally they are fairly tight clumpers, and I think Alphonse Karr is about 20ft tall and 1 inch diameter.  That's a lot easier to prune than the big Maligensis or Oldhamii types.

[RJ]

On 3/5/2024 at 10:00 PM, Swolte said:

Yes, your options for clumpers are limited by your winters. I have several clumpers (no runners... yet) but I have no big issues with maintenance thus far. The winters act like a check on them as most of my '8b zoned' bamboo dies back to the ground. Unless you pamper them with great soil and water (which I don't), they tend to expand at a glacial pace. In terms of growth, much easier to maintain than most common garden plants. In the worst case, like Scott said, you can trim them to constrain size.

How is your bamboo going? I’ve planted several of the textilis varieties. Scranton, green stripe, multabis, RG dwarf , and a couple others. Also multiplex green giant and a smaller variety that I can remember the name of. I’m not really sure what to expect long term. Planted them out this past May and many are already sendin 1+ inch culms that are 15-20ft tall. Really planted them too close together at ~4’ apart

[Swolte]

Nice, sounds like yours are happy.

Of the Textilis, I have the ‘Kanapaha’ and its been good for me. I did pamper them the first year but they've been fine on their own since (even through long droughts). Winters are the real test so make sure to heap some buckets of leaves on top if it gets real cold especially if its their first year in the ground. Mine are now established although they are perennial in my 7b/8a winters the past 5/6 years (hope this streak will come to an end). Zero risk of aggressive expansion (even if that were an issue for a clumper - don't get me started on my Phyllostachys, though...). I'll share a pic tomorrow if I can remember! 

 

[RJ]

15 minutes ago, Swolte said:

Nice, sounds like yours are happy.

Of the Textilis, I have the ‘Kanapaha’ and its been good for me. I did pamper them the first year but they've been fine on their own since (even through long droughts). Winters are the real test so make sure to heap some buckets of leaves on top if it gets real cold especially if its their first year in the ground. Mine are now established although they are perennial in my 7b/8a winters the past 5/6 years (hope this streak will come to an end). Zero risk of aggressive expansion (even if that were an issue for a clumper - don't get me started on my Phyllostachys, though...). I'll share a pic tomorrow if I can remember! 

 

I have Kanapaha as well. I planted that one higher in elevation on my property, perhaps a bit warmer spot. Hopefully 🤞 

[Swolte]

[RJ]

6 minutes ago, Swolte said:

I’m not nearly enough of an expert to tell what variety this is. Does it get knocked to the ground every year? What temps show damage?

 

that’s definitely bigger then any of mine. 

[Swolte]

This is my Kanapaha. Yes, it gets knocked down to the ground every year in my 8a. Last winter was 14-15F low and it was able to retain some green in the lower leaves. All the stuff you see sticking out is 2 seasons worth of growth. 

[RJ]

5 minutes ago, Swolte said:

This is my Kanapaha. Yes, it gets knocked down to the ground every year in my 8a. Last winter was 14-15F low and it was able to retain some green in the lower leaves. All the stuff you see sticking out is 2 seasons worth of growth. 

So the culms that are upright are all from this year correct? Or did they just re leaf out? Sounds like as long as you have a mild 8b it should be good. Do you grow any multiplex flavors?

[RJ]

I purchased two of each of these this spring to try as well. 
 

Green giant

 

Riviereorum

[Chester B]

I'm growing Bambusa multiplex "Silver stripe"  It has surprised me with how fast it grows.  I'm used to bamboo flushing in spring and that's all you get for the year.  This thing just keeps popping out more culms as it settles in.  It went from two small chopped of culms to around a dozen now in 4 months.  

[Scott W]

3 hours ago, Chester B said:

I'm growing Bambusa multiplex "Silver stripe".  

That was my very first bamboo.  Sadly I no longer have it in my collection.