Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Trudytropics

Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Decided to strip bottom of my pyhllo aurea hedge after much thought and discussion with hubby. The culms have a lot of shoots coming off them, is there any easy way to strip these? or do they have to be cut off?. Can it be done now before frosts or should I wait until next year?. I am also going to thin out weaker canes at same time as its looking a little conjested in between the bamboos and I believe they would benefit from better light if thinned out.

I thought 12-18" of visible canes would be about right as they are in raised planters, any recommendations on this also would be much appreciated :D
jacko

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by jacko »

i usually do mine in early march i use secateurs and try to get as close to the main culm as possible.
Lazlo Woodbine

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Lazlo Woodbine »

Trudy - I just snap most of them off by hand, pulling backwards from the base. Its usually easy on this years culms.

Larger/older branches may require secateurs... :D

12-18 ins should be fine.


Laz
User avatar
Yorkshire Kris
Posts: 10163
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 8:59 am
Location: Rural South Wakefield, Yorkshire Lat 53.64 Long-1.54

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

Lazlo Woodbine wrote:Trudy - I just snap most of them off by hand, pulling backwards from the base. Its usually easy on this years culms.

Larger/older branches may require secateurs... :D

12-18 ins should be fine.


Laz

Yes same as Laz
Trudytropics

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Thanks guys, think I will do by hand then as there is so much of it, it will be a big task. Did'nt think bamboo would do so well, but its growing like crazy and I want to be able to see the bare canes at the bottom. I will leave till next spring, before is starts chucking out new culms.

Thanks Kris for your informative tutorials, rushed out today and bought Blood, fish and bone for bamboo for one last feed before winter :D
dave2166

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by dave2166 »

i did mine about 3 weeks ago, about 4 foot up each cane and thinned them out too.

if yove got canes with nice markings then its a shame to hide them

i tend to cut them cos after a while your fingers start to ache and you get a neater finish...
Trudytropics

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Dave unfortunatley I can't strip 4 foot as need privacy, they are in front of a fence, but fence has some gaps and we have nosey neighbours who like to look through :evil: . I am really envious of some of the bamboo's on here as they look fantastic stripped and showing the canes. I will strip to about 18", but as they are raised in 2' planters the effect should hopefully be good.

My bamboo hedge is Phyllo Aurea, not the best looking canes, but plenty of them :lol: .
Lazlo Woodbine

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Lazlo Woodbine »

Trudytropics wrote: My bamboo hedge is Phyllo Aurea, not the best looking canes, but plenty of them :lol: .
aurea is not too bad ... some nice compressed nodes at the base. Great for hedging though .... and hard as nails - also not to invasive up here in the less-than-tropical north east!!

Just noticed you're in Newcastle! If you need any help with the trimming just shout, I'm working in the town 1-2 days a week so it would be no bother.

I usually charge £15 /hr ..... but anything to help a fellow bamboo grower is free of charge .... :D

As it happens I've a few spare stands of aurea if you need any extra!

Laz
Trudytropics

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Thanks Lazlo thats a very kind and generous offer. I think between me and hubby we will get it sorted, I am now going to wait until next spring before doing it. You are right about it being hard as nails, they were planted (9 of them) April last year and I am stunned at the rapid growth. When we bought them from B & Q they looked a sorry sight, now 18months later its an inpenetrable forest of a hedge. They seem to handle North East Winters no problem, everyday hubby used to shake the snow off as they were bent double and they would just spring back :lol: .

Thanks for the offer of more but we seriously have no more room for bamboo, just looking for trees in pots now.

Are you a landscape gardener Lazlo? If so where do you work? just being a nosey parker :lol:
jacko

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by jacko »

sometimes when stripping the canes by hand it can tear a strip off the culm between nodes and leave a scar running down the length of it.so i stck to secateurs and only snap off young branches that usually come off cleanly.
Trudytropics

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Funny you should say that Jacko, I thought something like that may happen, if frost got into open scars it might really damage the culms. I plan to try doing it by hand but will have my secateurs handy just in case. I'm really looking forward to doing it, as I think it will improve the appearance of the bamboo. At present it is leafy from bottom to top and the canes can't really be seen at all.

Once its stripped I'm hoping thats it or do new shoots appear regularly and also have to be stripped? Obviously new culms will need stripping once they start to shoot, this will be quite a job and if its not permanent I might re-think my plans :lol:
grub

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by grub »

I tend to strip mine before they branch out, no cutters and no scars icon_thumright
jacko

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by jacko »

yeah trudy once the culms are stripped thats it you only have to do the new ones after that. :D
Trudytropics

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Trudytropics »

Thanks Jacko, i'm relieved about that, too much work having to do it over and over again.


:D icon_thumleft
Andy P

Re: Bamboo Stripping, how and when?

Post by Andy P »

Great tutorial about just this on YouTube Trudy . Sorry not sure how to put a hypalink on here but if you copy and paste this into your browser it should work. :DD
Andy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHkAcGufrK8
Post Reply