I have a screen of Phyllostachys Aurea (Golden Bamboo) that we planted about ten years ago. It's doing beautifully, but I noticed my grove has become "hollow" inside. The new growth is pushing its way around the fringes and getting in the way of everything, while the inside has become dark and sparse with old dead bamboo. My husband fertilized it this spring, which I believe is why it went berserk with growth. (He used lawn fertilizer)

I'm thinning the old stuff out now and trying to get some light into the middle of the grove. I'm cutting back all the thin and dead stuff and leaving the new large canes. This year's growth is around two inches in diameter.

Now that I'm getting some light back into the inner parts of the grove, is there anything I can do now to encourage the bigger sprouts to come up? Should we fertilize again?

Also, we have a neighbor who would like some of our bamboo. Is this a bad time of the year to propagate? (I'm in Northern Florida, and it's hot as blazes right now)