This may be easier to read and understand...

Ordered yellow groove and red margin for my zone 5 yard,
(SE Wisconsin). I decided to order something just to start. A person can look on the web forever and get brain freeze.

Let's be honest, we all killed a few plants at one time or another! What can I expect in year 1, 2, 3 etc?

Can I grow a grove if I order multiple kinds? What's the best for a grove?
What vendors do you experts order from and why?
I will keep it inside until Spring. Does it like to be potbound?
Is there a better type for my area?
This is my first time with bamboo, and any info would be great. Past mistakes, how to plant, what worked, what soil, what site, things like that would be very helpful.

Stan C

My mistake!
How that this is easier to read,maybe I can get some help!

Ordered yellow groove and red margin for my zone 5 yard,
(SE Wisconsin). I decided to order something just to start. A person can look on the web forever and get brain freeze.

Let's be honest, we all killed a few plants at one time or another! What can I expect in year 1, 2, 3 etc?

Can I grow a grove if I order multiple kinds? What's the best for a grove?
What vendors do you experts order from and why?
I will keep it inside until Spring. Does it like to be potbound?
Is there a better type for my area?
This is my first time with bamboo, and any info would be great. Past mistakes, how to plant, what worked, what soil, what site, things like that would be very helpful.

Stan C

Year 1: maybe nothing
Year 2: Some shoots
Year 3: Significant new growth

As you are in Zone 5, you are likely to get top-kill of all above-ground growth each winter. Yellow groove (not "grove") is hardy to about -10F, and Ph. rubromarginata is only hardy to about -5F. That means they could also completely die on you the first winter. If I were going to grow bamboo in your Zone, I would plant something with a better hardiness rating, like Ph. nuda (-20F) or Fargesia nitida (-20F).

I know of relatively few people who grow bamboo in Zone 5, but it can be done. Below is a link to a guy who runs a bamboo nursery in Zone 6, and he has a lot of good info on his site that you may wish to peruse.

Here is a link that might be useful: Needmore

Stan,

You might want to take a look at my post titled "Bamboo in zone 5B Fort Collins Colo" to see the pics I posted last month of my 3 year old bamboo. This post has dropped off to the 2nd page of this forum. Click the 2 at bottom of page.

Unless you're right on the lake shore, I'd guess you're quite a bit colder that we are here in Fort Collins. Doesn't that lake freeze over anyway?

When you mention the word "Grove", I think one might imagine something that is taller than one's self. If so, then you might want to scale back expectations a bit. I'm hoping that maybe my tallest bamboo might be taller than me next summer (4th year) but I'm not counting on it. Mine may never surpass me.

Bruce

Bruce's Bamboo Pics