Phyllosachy nigra.

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karl66
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Location: halesowen. west midlands

Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by karl66 »

As mentioned previous this is one of my slowest growing boo's, so slow that I cant remember the exact colour of emerging culm's!!, I have some small black/green shoot's about 2/3 inches emerging & a couple of more developed culm's about 2/3 feet, these ones are more like the aurea bamboo which is 3 ft away?, could these be them or do nigra start off green? the strange thing is I have massive groves of aurea which have stayed in a real tight circle for a few years now so it would be strange for a small grove of aurea to jump in with the nigra?. karl.
Al

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Al »

They start off green.
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karl66
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Location: halesowen. west midlands

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by karl66 »

OK, out of all the boo's I have this smallish nigra is a real disappointment & in 2.5years planted out has only thrown up 4 thin culm's!!, all my others are flying away? like I've said previous i'm not convinced this species likes any kind of shade, I may move it soon. karl.
Tom2006
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Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Tom2006 »

Is it getting enough water? That said mine are really slow this year wiyh the new culms yet to open into leaf.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
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karl66
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Location: halesowen. west midlands

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by karl66 »

Morning tom!!, yes m8 load's of water, Iike I mentioned all other boo's flying infact I have trouble keeping up trimming the culm's!!, I just think it's a fussy boo to grow unless in full sun. karl.
Deedee

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Deedee »

I have mine in full sun Karl and its rubbish, ive had it about 5 years and its pants. Ive decided to dig it out and bin it next year, stupid thing.. Good job i got it half price, £60 0n the label icon_rambo
jacko

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by jacko »

it is a slower growing bamboo and will take around a decade to really mature and get into its stride.mine is now ten years old and just beginning in the last 2 years to send out some really nice much larger culms.this year though seems to be a poor show for nigra.
bordersboy

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by bordersboy »

Long dead thread maybe but thought i`d add my 2p worth.
Mine have had a good year. They are 2 medium potted 8ft ones that have greened up nicely with many leaves but only a few spindly culms. This ok cos bought as rescue jobs in homebase for 5 intead of 50 quid.Had plenty food and water this year so fingers crossed for 2014.

Small 3 footers have now become 8 footers with 4-5 new culms in each tomato plant sized pots. Again plenty food and water last year must have helped them and the same again this year will help them again for next year.

Just need to start looking for straw bales to protect them through winter.
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Adam D
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Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Adam D »

bordersboy wrote:Long dead thread maybe but thought i`d add my 2p worth.
Mine have had a good year. They are 2 medium potted 8ft ones that have greened up nicely with many leaves but only a few spindly culms. This ok cos bought as rescue jobs in homebase for 5 intead of 50 quid.Had plenty food and water this year so fingers crossed for 2014.

Small 3 footers have now become 8 footers with 4-5 new culms in each tomato plant sized pots. Again plenty food and water last year must have helped them and the same again this year will help them again for next year.

Just need to start looking for straw bales to protect them through winter.
Do you really think that you need straw bales for them?

My one has survived in the ground for 10 years with no protection and I can't believe that our winters are that different in terms of duration and severity.
Blairs

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Blairs »

How do you thin out juvenile growth to allow for thicker canes? I have 3 Phyllostachys nigra in a large trough, about 3 years old. They are growing slowly and new growth is double the height of the old. I use chicken feed, been placing grass cuttings as a mulch and they are in full sun and get watered when it is not raining. I can't help but feel the canes could do with thining out as most of the canes as whispy and soft and, well, rather dull. I can plant out in the ground later this year.
jacko

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by jacko »

plant them out,then you'll see a difference.as for pruning out the thinner culms dont take more than a third of the plant mass away.being as they are young dont prune yet ,get them in the ground then prune in spring 2015.
bordersboy

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by bordersboy »

Adam D wrote:
bordersboy wrote:Long dead thread maybe but thought i`d add my 2p worth.
Mine have had a good year. They are 2 medium potted 8ft ones that have greened up nicely with many leaves but only a few spindly culms. This ok cos bought as rescue jobs in homebase for 5 intead of 50 quid.Had plenty food and water this year so fingers crossed for 2014.

Small 3 footers have now become 8 footers with 4-5 new culms in each tomato plant sized pots. Again plenty food and water last year must have helped them and the same again this year will help them again for next year.

Just need to start looking for straw bales to protect them through winter.
Do you really think that you need straw bales for them?

My one has survived in the ground for 10 years with no protection and I can't believe that our winters are that different in terms of duration and severity.
Yeh I need them or loft insulation with 8 inches of dry leaves on top.
I lost many large plants in pots in those recent harsh long winters but the in ground bamboos were ok just well set back.
So from then on as I like my big plants in pots I bunch them together against a south facing wall surrounded by straw/insulation with dry sycamore leaves on top.
The borders to dumfries and north northumberland can be freezing for weeks on end hence the extreme protection methods
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Yorkshire Kris
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Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Yorkshire Kris »

My father in law planted 2 or 3 small pots of nigra about 15 years ago in a shady spot (not ideal) and they are never fed. They now cover an area 3 by 4 metres easily. They run like heck.
Tom2006
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Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by Tom2006 »

They shouldn't need protection in the uk. Plenty of water and they will thrive. The spring or lsck of it set them back badly this year.
Most wanted list - Any Young Trachycarpus and/or fern.
bordersboy

Re: Phyllosachy nigra.

Post by bordersboy »

Tom2006 wrote:They shouldn't need protection in the uk. Plenty of water and they will thrive. The spring or lsck of it set them back badly this year.
i think its the lack of water that kills rather than just because of the cold.We had down to -22c at one point. Some pots were frozen for weeks and this must have killed them as they got no water.
The freeze almost killed a mature leylandi hedge also.Some trunks died and the rest started to go brown because of a lack of water getting to the roots because the soil was frozen.
It was saved by putting a drip hose under it for a fortnight when the thaw came and its greened up again.
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