My Ph. nigra and Ph. henon first-year shoots were so floppy last year, I had to bundle them together. The new culms were 5 - or 6 ft tall and arcing almost to the ground.

I think excessive watering, and "pushing" with too much chemical fert might cause the new culms to shoot up so fast that they don't have sufficient stiffness.

I don't know whether they would have stiffened up by themselves.

Thanks for the speedy response. Will the shoot begin to stiffen up as I get their water in-take balanced?

B

A number of Phylostachys species are floppy or lean over the first year or two. In future years you will get bigger, more vertical culms. However, if you try to "correct" this with water and/or fertilizer, you'll probably do more harm than anything. If you want these culms vertical, tie them together with twine, and use a reasonable watering schedule to keep them healthy.

Kudzu...Thanks, but can you clearify on the watering scheudle. That's my problem, I can't figure out what a resonable watering schedule for them is. Every other day? Twice a week? Summer's in Jersey by NYC are like the south. Hot and Humid...if that helps.

sujewel,
Keep an eye on the leaves. They will start to curl when dry. Nigra tends to do it a bit quicker than others in the genus. Leaf curl in the early morning or late evening is what you're looking for. They can curl in hot sun even if in a pot of water. If you get to this point, you waited too long. If you keep it damp, not wet, it will be happy.

sujewel-
The problem is that you can't stick to a schedule independent of the rain and heat. You need to simply keep the soil moist...not soaked, not too dry. Check it daily with your finger, or get a $7 moisture meter at Home Depot. And follow rfgpitt's advice as well.