My experience is that a division usually puts up smaller shoots for the first year or two after transplant.

My very limited experience also suggest the same. I bought some bambusa multiplex in small pots one year and divided them using a bow saw to saw through the roots. I divided them pretty aggressively cutting the 3 gallon pot in 4 pieces.

After 1 Year the divisions are starting to be about the size of the original 3 gallon pot. I think it was a 3 gallon pot I know it wasn't super big whatever it was.

Thanks for the Replies ---- I think I will give it a try.

If your looking to transplant a mature clumper, take the largest size culm you can possibly get. Just cutting out the rootball and trimming off the culm for easy shipping, will take a few years for large shoots to grow. I had a rootball that I planted in the ground which grew many half inch diameter culms. It's been a year and not much else. Also some clumpers have very hard rizome structures so use a chainsaw to cut a section out of the groove, just cut throught the top layer of rizomes, then use an axe to hack though the root. A couple pry bars and some muscle will do the rest to seperate divisions of a clumper.

The best way to do it if you want large size culms is to divide the groove with rootball rizomes and culm kept to the length you want it. Wrap the rootball in the dirt with some burlap, spray it with some water then wrap it in a plastic trash bag (contractor grade works best). Cut 1/4 off the top of the culms, so that the plant is stimulated to grow, it also helps the bamboo from having to keep the full length of the culm alive during transport. Use the biggest flatbed truck you can get your hands on, lay them horizontally, tie them down and truck it to the location you are transplanting the bamboo to. Stick it right into the ground and your clumping bamboo will be happy. I've been able to transplant 20 foot clumpers this way. It's a lot of back breaking work, but if you do it you can have 3 inch diameter, 20 foot clumpers in your yard over the weekend.