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If I plant bamboo will it run into my neighbor's yard?...
Not if you
plant a non-invasive species. These will stay where you put them, though
some will achieve a greater diameter than others. If you have a confined
space, you should look for the species that we call “compact”. Any species
can be kept smaller than it’s maximum size with judicious pruning, but we
do not advise planting bamboo in an area of less than 3 feet in width. |
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| How
far apart should I plant?...
Depends on the species and if you want a dense hedge or if you want to see
each plant individually. Some species we plant as close as 4-5 feet on center
for a dense hedge, some, as far apart as 25-30 feet for a dense hedge. We
will try to update our catalog to include the recommended spacing, but in
the meantime, why don’t you just ask us about the species you are interested
in at our email contact: bambooinfo@lava.net. |
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| Can
I divide my plants and make more?...
Sure, they belong to you and you can do whatever you want with them. A lot
of people think bamboo is easy to propagate. This has not always been our
experience. Some species are easier than others. Some species are really
baffling. While it is not exactly rocket science, it is not totally simplistic
either. You have to get the right material, at the right time and be able
to keep it under the right conditions. All of these aspects vary enormously
from species to species. Also, some plants, especially some of the more
interesting cultivars, may lose their particularly attractive characteristics.
Some plants take years to recover from a division, while others seem hardly
to notice. Since making new plants is what we do for a living, we naturally
think that the best way for you to get more plants is to buy them from us,
but if you feel compelled to try you hand, by all means, go for it. |
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| When
is the best time to plant?...
If you live
in Hawai’i and are planting well-rooted material (from us) then anytime
is a good time. If you plant early in the spring, you will get a lot of
immediately visible growth. If you planted that same plant in the previous
fall, you might not have noticed anything ‘til the spring, but the growth
you do get will probably be larger than if you just planted. The bamboo
makes buds during the winter that shoot above ground during the spring and
summer. The sooner the plant is in the ground, the better opportunity it
has to make larger buds. |
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| How
do I irrigate?...
How you irrigate will depend on the species you are planting, the nature
of your soil, and the environmental factors of sun, wind, rainfall and cloud
cover. Clumping (non-invasive) bamboos are shallow rooted, no more than
2-3 feet deep in most cases, often less. They do not have tap-roots. In
our part of Kohala the soils are very difficult to “wet”. The water just
beads up and runs away back to the water table. In this situation we recommend
using a Toro #570 Flood Bubbler: this will wet the soil appropriately. We
also recommend the use of heavy mulch to help improve soil structure and
water holding characteristics. Once the soils have improved, and the plant
has outgrown the watering pattern of the #570, you can shift to a drip type
of irrigation. Remember: the roots are shallow and only extend a few feet
outwards from the plant – these roots on the perimeter need water too( i.e.
ring the plant with emitters). If your soil holds water well, and you get
horizontal movement of water within your soil, you can use drip irrigation
from the beginning. The kinds of emitters you use and their spacing will
depend on the species you are planting, and the environmental factors mentioned
above. Trial and error is the best way to figure this out – or talk to a
plant/irrigation person who is familiar with your local conditions. If you
wet the soil to the base & perimeter of the root system, that is sufficient.
Here in the dry, windy part of Kohala we generally water 3 times a week
at most. In more beneficent locations you can water a lot less. We always
recommend the heavy application of mulch at least 2 times a year. |
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How much rainfall do I need?...
If you live where the grass remains green, you are probably ok without supplemental
irrigation. Though we used to say that 60” a year was primo, we have since
come to understand that because the drainage characteristics of the soils
of Hawai’i are so variable, that it is not necessarily the only truth. We
have seen situations where, though there is only about 40” a year, the rain
falls almost continually in fine mist. In this situation, where the ground
never really dries out, this is an adequate amount of rainfall for many
species. For a particular species in a particular locale, please talk to
us bambooinfo@lava.net |
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Can I keep them shorter?...
By judicious
pruning. certain species actually lend themselves to hedge clipping (malay
dwarf, any of the bambusa multiplex cultivars, mexican weeping, and T. siamensis.)
Any bamboo can be “topped”(cut to the height that you want it to be). Starting
in year 3 you can begin to “thin out” the clump by cutting the canes at
their base. If you take more than 1/3 of the clump away it will diminish
the vigor of the entire plant and you will get shorter, slimmer canes in
the next growing season. |
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| Why
are some of my bamboos growing faster than others?...
Bamboo is
fast. Some species are faster than others (Dendrocalamus brandesii and Dendrocalamus
membranaceous have been known to grow 20-30 feet in their first year are.)
Some plants come from rhizome which is more mature than others. Some come
from seedling stock. Some are faster initially (the first year) but slow
down in subsequent years. Some species are slow to get started and then
kick in. Sometimes, the places they are planted are different. One might
be getting better drainage than another, one might have been nibbled by
animals etc, etc. Did you remember to feed them? |
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There
is running bamboo on my property, what should I do?
#13a...Susan’s
answer..... Move. Which is not to say that I don’t love these bamboos,
but if they are established on your land, and you do not want them, it
is a monumental undertaking involving heavy machinery for a year or more,
to be rid of them.
#13b...
Peter’s
(more evolved) answer..... If you really like work, or if you can get
the use of heavy machinery, you can attempt the following:
... Cut all the canes close to the ground ... Dig up all the rhizome that
you can (a chainsaw or a reciprocating saw would be helpful), it is generally
close to the surface. ... Cover the entire area with heavy black plastic
(you will probably need to put rocks and stuff on it to keep it from blowing
away) for at least 1 year (perhaps 2) ... Upon removal of the plastic
you will very likely still have some viable rhizome remaining in the area.
Either pull it up also, or clear-cut all the new growth for the next couple
of years, or let goats or sheep do that job for you. If you do this long
enough, you will eventually succeed.
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| Can
I import bamboos to Hawaii?...
Yes.
anyone can. If you are importing from the mainland, you need to make a reservation
in the state quarantine house and get an import permit from the department
of agriculture. The plants need to be kept in quarantine for one year and
be free of insects and pests. If you are going to try to import material
from outside the U.S. you will need a USDA import permit specific to bamboo.
Good luck. you will also have to comply with the regulations of the state
of Hawai’i. There is a stiff penalty for non-compliance. |
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Can I ship bamboos from Hawaii?...
Yes, if you are a certified
export nursery. For more information on our certified
nursery... |
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| What
does Quindembo mean?...
It is a word that occurs
in afro-cuban music a lot. It means ... a mixture of many things ... in
the sense of creole or here in Hawai’i, chop suey. At least, that’s what
we think it means. We hope it isn’t something terribly rude. |
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| Can
I grow bamboo indoors?...
Depends. Yes, but some
species are better than others and some will not be happy indoors. please
see "growing
in pots" |
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| I
bought a large plant with a large cane and now it's putting up little wimpy
canes...what's happening?...
Large
plants are generally made from divisions. Some species hate being divided.
Some nurseries do not make good quality plants. Our plants are always grown
out in the pots before we sell them, often for as long as one year. Our
small plants are often faster than other nurseries’ large containers. |
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My plant, which has been looking great, all of a sudden looks stressed out.
What's up?...
Well, assuming
that the plant is still getting watered and you didn’t do something truly
despicable in a previous lifetime, our best guess is that the plant is getting
ready to send up new shoots. When bamboos get ready to shoot they are using
all available resources for their new growth spurt. After the shoots have
shot, the plant will no longer look stressed. |
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 Will
the Knicks ever get it together?...
So, here it is several years after the first posting and things still look
pretty bleak. But Latrell is still da kine. still winning that Elvin Hayes
award for best looking man in shorts. Marcus is looking a little beefier,
but we still always worry about his health. Clearly, we still need a point
guard and a big guy. Chris Webber - this is your life!! Maybe next year.
For now, if we can't go all the way, we wish Alan Iverson good luck. Size
matters sometimes, but only when it's in a quality package.!!!!! |
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