Nice work joe! looks like you've got your act together.
how hardy are black asper? and would they survive the hot
texas sun? please consider me to be your official
"test grower" in this area.

aint to proud to beg rob

Caribbean Joe,
Would you mind emailing me and letting me know who / where you purchased your seeds? Did they have any more varieties? Thanks,

wanna_run_faster@yahoo.com

Hi guys(and girls)I got my seeds from Marina Bordne. Her E-mail address is MBordne@gmx.de. Check out her other deals on E-Bay, under bamboo seeds. The price was $11.00 for 100 black asper seeds. the price includes shipping and handleing from Germany. She has other bamboo seeds for sale. The price will be different on the internet, but if you buy 100 seeds, the price is only $11.00. Rob, the only info I have on whether black asper bamboo will grow in Texas is to look at Americanbamboosociety.org or Texasbamboosociety.net or type in Texas bamboo.

Are you 100% positive they are black asper seeds? Is this specie currently in flower? Inquiring minds want to know for sure.

On similar but not subject, On the validity of black asper in flower, I sure hope so because I had purchased two black asper seedlings off of ebay. It wasn't from Marina like Caribbean Joe, but fom Justin in Pennsylvania. So far so good for myself but you sound like you have it down pat! Best of luck.!

If you got your asper from Marina Bordne, they'll look something like this.
{{gwi:425903}}
Alternate angle
{{gwi:399973}}
I had the cup only a quarter of the way full, so I repotted it on Thursday. It had two rhizome buds, finally its starting to look like a clumper! Another plant has a second culm pushing out as well. You can expect to see this in 2 to 3 months or so.

Thanks for the photos Brian, I have something now to go by as they grow. Up to 60% on seed germination. Has anyone ever tried "Syperthrive"? I picked up a bottle at Wal-Mart and I'am going to call the company to see if they have any info on hard to germinate bamboo seeds. I heard it's really great, but $$$.

I did read some place not to fertilize bamboo seedling at all for the first year. I'm sure someone here will know for sure.

On a sidebar, I keep hearing about "bogus" seeds and there are occasional references to an old thread. I've gone back a few times and tried to find it but I must be going blind. Does any one know the name of the old thread that discusses this?

How do you know you are getting the real seeds? I don't remember seeing Bambusa Lako flowering anywhere. I have searched for info, but to no avail.I would check with some of the experts here in the south and ask if their plants are flowering too...

Apparently the seeds are sourced from India and China and some are from forced flowerings (hormonal treatments?). If they are selling mislabled seeds for a sly buck than I can't see them doing too well - for one the prices are too cheap to seemingly bother. More likely that their seed labels are only as reputable as their sources - whoever they are.

You might want to check the thread on the bamboo plantations group about bamboo seeds.

Bill

Here is a link that might be useful: bamboo-plantations/message/6506

Brian, I've never seen that set up for germinating seed before..but seems nice and succesful

what soil, or germination material do you use and what steps do you follow?

I place a plastic container on top of a heated surface and soak the seeds in water for a day. Then I plant the seeds just below the surface of a perlite/vermiculite/peat medium. I reuse the plastic container with the lid to keep up high humidity. I keep the container heated until germination.

I will try to use a sand/perlite mixture the next time and maybe a water/hydrogen peroxide solution and see the results. Heat is critical to speed up germination. D. giganteus seeds germinated in 3~4 days under heat and low light, while P. heteroclada germinated in weeks under good lighting at around 60 degrees.

It might be a good idea to saok seeds for longer if they still float after a day. I just had a Moso seed germinate about 3 months after its buddies did.

Well, interesting thread, as was the one on bamboo-plantations. I fully understand the whole clone vs seedling agrument and understand that the ABS monitors as closely as possible sightings of the flowerings of various species.

But still there exists the possibilty that these seeds are what they have been advertised to be (granted with the genetic variation of cross-pollination between species) or that they are actually a few different varieties (rather than just D. Strictus) given the vastly different germination rates among the same grower.

Equally possible is that they are all various gigantic running boos that will take over the country.

With seeds, you just never know. And until you do, it is probably best to keep these boos confined to a pot.

It's difficult to predict how seedlings will perform, even from known parents. Now, seeds purchased out of country could be anything. But I can tell at least the runner seeds I germinated are from Phyllostachys because I matched the seeds to life-size pictures in books. Clumping seeds are totally different in appearance. The lako and asper seeds looked similar. The bambos and giganteus seeds, however were very distinct. There are strictus seeds available and if they look exactly the same as lako and asper, I'd be suspicious.

Not to bring you down, but don't start getting your hopes up that they are Dendrocalamus Asper ' Betung Hitam' (black asper) a lot of people are listing Dendrocalamus Strictus seeds as this and the seedling pics Brian posted look very much like my D Strictus. Keep you hopes up. Whateve kind of seed they are you did good to get tht germination rate that quick.

best of luck

Steve

Hello Joe, years have passed since you germinated the seeds. How are the bamboos looking now? are they black? I am really curious.