Tucson Botanical Gardens has bamboo. It is on the approved list for my home association and I'm interested in trying to grow some. How does it do as a container plant? Wouldn't it be easier to control the soil conditions?

C.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tucson Botanical Gardens

Christine,
There are many species of bamboo that do fine in containers. I have one bamboo plant (golden) in an old whiskey barrel that does fine and golden has always been a good container bamboo. However, the container bamboos will never get as tall or full as bamboo planted in the soil. Part of the beauty of bamboo is having a grove of it. The soil around my house is very easy to dig, so it's easy for me to dig down about a foot to create a pit into which I can put the bamboo plants and then fill in the pit with peat moss, compost and leaf litter. Every plant of every species I've planted has survived, it is just that the southwest desert is a sub-optimal environment for bamboo, so it won't grow as well as in Alabama or Oregon. Nevertheless, I like to keep trying. Each plant is my "pet" so I like pampering them. Thanks for the link to the Tucson Botanical Gardens. However, I did't see anything about bamboo on it.
Jay

Hi Jay - You might come over to the Arizona Gardening forum. I know two people over there who have it growing their back yards. I know they'd be very happy to share their experiences. Come on over!

I added the link for ya!

Michele

Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona Gardening Forum

~Buddha's belly~ is the only bamboo I have in my collection, it's leaves don't appear to appreciate the hottest summer but thank goodness it's growing quite nicely.

Ankrara's Hobby Corner

love some running bamboo. though obviously planted, it seems uncared for in various rampant lots in Albuquerque. Mine, though healthy enough looking, has never taken over the area I should have wished and I know the bit about it's not expanding into dry soil. I'll try the ironite but if anyone wishes to share an especially excessive running bamboo, I would accept it greedily

I have a variety of cane grass that is normaly called bamboo in this area and it is the most evasive, nasty , god rotting thing that I've put in the garden!! So far, it's respondsible for puttin out 2 walls, (1500.00 $) totally wreaking 2 vegie beds, and up-ending the hot tub (which now needs to be replaced) Bamboo is a grusome reality check, love darlene

Does bamboo root in water? Damp soil?

I bought some bamboo that was rooted in water and grown inside. Can I plant it outside? Also can it be planted in my pond? I know nothing about bamboo so any info is helpful
avondalemom

avondalemom9 ;- The Bamboo you have bought may just be "Lucky Bamboo". If you wish, you can search for an image using
a search engine to possibly match that is the plant you have.

{{gwi:271914}}

Several homes in Gisela, Arizona have substantial clumps of bamboo, about 15 feet tall. It all looks pretty ratty, but then, it's all exposed to full sun, full wind and zone 9 heat. When I work myself up to it, I'll ask for a start.

I visited the Black Mountain Lodge in Kingston, New Mexico, a few years back, and they have a healthy grove developing.
Norm

It is not doing very well. I had hoped it could compete with salt cedar but will have to move it where there is no competition and higher quality soil. One or the other nearly died when I transplanted it to several locations. Only the greenhouse transplant survived. This is semi-desert and it is not "trickled" so I'll try that as well.

HI - We are new to the Albuquerque area and would love to have a HUGE bamboo screen. We saw some Buddha Belly at Lowes - any ideas as to how they will do here?

I have adopted a bamboo plant from a co-worker. He left this little six inch stock with a couple of leaves,in a jar with rocks int it. I don't know the first thing about growing one, and I don't want to see it die. Any suggestion, would greatly be appriciated.
Thanks

Hi everyone,

I also love bamboo, but had sort of given up hope of ever growing it outside when I moved here to the SW. However, I may be able to provide it with a great location, cottonwood bosque along a perennial stream. What is the likelihood of being able to grow something big, say over 1 inch diameter? Any possibility of growing Japanese Timber Bamboo successfully?

I would love anybody's input,

Thanks

Been growing various types of bamboo with no problem in the Phoenix area. I just give it a little water and fertilize once in a while. My Old Hammi(?) timber bamboo has 4" shoots.

I was disappointed to hear jay2's Phyllostachys aureosulcata (yellow goove)were only 12' in 9 years. I live in las cruces and was going to try that species but I thought they were to grow into a 35' screen in a few years.. thats what im looking for. any suggestions?

I grabbed a couple of bamboo culms from my sister's backyard in San Diego three years ago--my brother-in-law said it was named "Celestial something or other" (that's all he could remember). He said it would never be hardy where I live in New Mexico (Los Lunas, 20 miles south of ABQ). So I put the culms in a 12-inch plastic pot in regular potting mix and set it outside next to the house. Three years later it's still in the same pot and has stalks up to 10 ft high. And we've had down to zero fahrenheit several times. It's never been fed, but in summer I water it every other day as I do the entire garden. Last week I showed it to a visitor who lives a few miles down the highway, and she wasn't surprised at all, said a lot of people around here have true hardy bamboo--not cane grasses--and there is escaped bamboo near some of the irrigation ditches.

Hallo All

I reclaimed some bamboo ripped out from a park near the Fair Grounds - had to hack some clums with the axe to free them - the bunchs being thrown out were huge - like 200 year old oak stumps huge - - Happy to say the one clum in a 10 gal pot in the back is throwing up some chutes - very happy to say - I plan to keep this in pot till next spring - hope to cage its roots and put it where the cane grass is now
Dunno what phyllostachys - but it was growing at least 20 years in this local park in Central Phoenix - so I am pretty sure it will do fine fine here
cheers:

gobi,

Is that the bamboo that they pulled out of encanto park? If it is there is some good news for you: that is a clumping bamboo and there is no need to try to contain it. It is just going to make a giant mass like the ones that they pulled out at the park. How is it doing now?

I bought (9) Heavenly Bamboo plants from Lowes. Planted them in some VERY rocky-sandy soil in my yard. A month ago. I have a drip system for each plant. They are bushy, but only 3 feet tall. The directions say they grow to about 7 feet, so allow 7 feet around them. Has anyone planted this species yet in this type of soil? I read that bamboo roots grow out of control. But I don't know if that's possible in the desert.

Casa Grande AZ - I have these growing and all are doing well

Bambusa chungii Barbellata
Bambusa malingensis
Bambusa pervariabilis
Bambusa textilis gracilis page
Bambusa textilis Kanapaha
Bambusa textilis Mutabilis Emerald
Dendrocalamus minor amoenus 'angel mist'

I want to plant some golden bamboo in stock tanks for screening. (El Paso, Zone 8a). Think they'll do well?

Aureus one year old still alive 4 feet tall, 8 -10 culms, tips brown, alive but doesn't show new growth in spring. Bought from Maya Gardens. Safford AZ has brutal hot and dry climate with alkaline clay soil and winters to 25 degrees 6-8 days. Nigra 3 feet tall bushy 1 year also sitting there. I guess this is possible but for a screen, it is 15 years?

Check out the all the bamboo at the Albuquerque Botanic Gardens. No idea which species, but running and clumping well represented in multiple large stands there. The largest is back by the Heritage Farm area, covering many thousands of square feet in area. This stand at least appears to be on it's own, having a naturalized look and being well outside the groomed area of the Gardens. None of these bamboos are like the monsters you see in their native habitat, (Even in more favorable East Coast climates I've never seen anything over 2 inches diameter) but definitely proof that very nice bamboo stands are possible in NM at least.

I have it here in Las Vegas

Here is a link that might be useful: Desert Landscaping tips and idea

I am also growing some here near Belen. I haven't had much problems with it but it's not growing as fast as I thought it would. A friend of mine had a bunch of them growing up in their yard from their neighbors I went over to dig some out.. I didn't realize how hard it was going to be. But I got some planted them and I constantly take clippings and propagate them, hoping to have my whole entire fence line covered and hopefully it takes over my neighbor's yard completely house and all. Not really sure which species I have but it grows pretty good