Arundo Donax

Linden

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Linden »

We overwintered ours last year just by putting a large plastic pot upside down over it. It's a Versicolour, which is striped green and white as opposed to just having a white stripe either side of each leaf in Variegated version. Grows a bit smaller that's all, but still about 5' at the moment.

For propagation, according to Christopher Lloyd's book (my bible) you can get new plants by floating a section of stem on water in spring. I'll give this a go next year and will hand out any resulting plants at a meet. He also says to choose the best variegation when plants are small, as this won't improve if it's not good to start with.

It's one of my favourite plants in the garden, so smart and clean, and the current season's leaves don't seem to have been damaged by anything at all - insects, wind, dryness - still perfect.
DAVIDEVANS

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by DAVIDEVANS »

I've had this for a few years now. In my clay soil it's very slow to spread, too slow for my liking. The variegated form seems to be getting thinner and weaker, perhaps it's the soil conditions. I prefer the standard green form, the stems are much more interesting as they grow maybe an inch in diameter and have put on about 10' of growth this summer.
I've tried the different methods of propagation, which is to take a second year stem and float it in water or plant in damp soil. It's supposed to be dead easy even an idiot can do it. Well here's one idiot who can't! Perhaps I'll try again.
Nick

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Nick »

At the CTP they have two very full pots so full the pots are all distorted, and these two plants are right up into the roof of CTP, I could not see any roots coming out of the pots, so if it is the same plant then it's getting it's nutrients from somewhere but it don't look as if it's from the soil, and the compost just looks like sand now as it is so old and dry, yet it's growing very well, I thought about getting one but have herd it's invasive and that you need a big garden, now I am not fully sure weather I've been given the right info or not, it sure looks impressive when it's so tall, I have the smaller variegated form in the garden and like the other gents, it's getting smaller and smaller with each year that passes, and this year there is only one stalk. :( :(

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Linden

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Linden »

Our versicolour has come through the winter without any protection at all - cut the stems down at the weekend and they're alive so I'm trying to get some sections growing in water as per Christopher Lloyd's book. It's not invasive so far...
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Dave Brown
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Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Dave Brown »

Nick, It is invasive in the right conditions of warmth and plenty of moisture. Where I am at least, you only get one at a time :lol: A lady around the corner from here has had a clump for many years and it is about 3 feet in diameter, but grows to about 10 feet tall during summer :wink:
Best regards
Dave
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Nick

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Nick »

Christ and this is a member of the grass family :?: :oops: :oops:

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Lazlo Woodbine

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Lazlo Woodbine »

Nick wrote:Christ and this is a member of the grass family :?: :oops: :oops:

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Not so invasive up here in Northumberland..
garden june 24 2011 047.JPG

Laz
Panama Pete

Re: Arundo Donax

Post by Panama Pete »

This looks a nice barrier, reminds me of Greece. Im thinking of getting some.
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