Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?
--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...

Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?
--
Kay

Which particular bamboo? Is it definitely flowering or are they just showing
extra big leafy bits.
I can't remember which one the chap said was flowering but there appeared to
be some confusion. None of mine are showing signs of flowering yet.
A fargesia murielae (not certain which one) flowered here about 8 years ago
and died slowly. I never really noticed until I saw new seedlings emerging.
AFAIK no one else around reported that they were flowering that year.
Oh yes to answer your original question:-
"The mechanism for the timing of flowering and dying is a phenomenon not yet
understood. It is one of nature's baffling mysteries. "
http://www.bamboogarden.com/when%20bamboo%20flowers.htm

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" writes

"K" wrote in message
...

Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?

Which particular bamboo?

Dunno! It's got canes with grass like leaves on ;-)
Seriously - it's not black stemmed, yellow stemmed or stripey stemmed,
and the leaves are relatively fine and delicate - about 1/4 inch across
rather than the nearly 1 inch of Pseudosasa. And it's about 5ft high,
growing in a pot.

Is it definitely flowering

Grrr!!!!!
Are you suggesting I can't recognise a grass family flower when I see
one?
Yes, it's flowering.

or are they just showing
extra big leafy bits.
I can't remember which one the chap said was flowering but there appeared to
be some confusion. None of mine are showing signs of flowering yet.
A fargesia murielae (not certain which one) flowered here about 8 years ago
and died slowly. I never really noticed until I saw new seedlings emerging.
AFAIK no one else around reported that they were flowering that year.
Oh yes to answer your original question:-
"The mechanism for the timing of flowering and dying is a phenomenon not yet
understood. It is one of nature's baffling mysteries. "
http://www.bamboogarden.com/when%20bamboo%20flowers.htm

I've done a bit of googling.
There is a common belief that all the bamboos across the year flower in
the same year. This seems not to be true. However, bamboos for
cultivation are vegatatively produced and there seems to be a suggestion
that all the plants of a particular clone will flower at the same age.
Flower and seed production take it out of the plant, so it will look
pretty miserable afterwards and may not recover. Therefore, a mass
flowering is looked upon with alarm - not only is it followed by mass
bamboo deaths, but the glut of bamboo seed can lead to an explosion of
rat populations.




--
Kay

"K" wrote
Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?

Noticed during the week that my sis-in-laws Phyllostachys nigra (Black
Bamboo) is flowering and it's in a pot, not very big and she has only had it
about 12 months.

From this and other comments it looks like quite a lot are flowering now.
I wonder what species are involved?

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 17:50:13 +0100, K wrote:

...
... Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
... neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.
...
... So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?

A garden I work in has a big clump of bamboo ... 20 yrs oldish ..
about 5m high ... it produces very tiny leaves and not many of those.
If I cut it down to the ground almost, would it "start again" and be
grateful :-)

Mike P

"K" wrote in message
...
"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" writes

"K" wrote in message
...

Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being potbound?

Which particular bamboo?

Dunno! It's got canes with grass like leaves on ;-)
Seriously - it's not black stemmed, yellow stemmed or stripey stemmed, and
the leaves are relatively fine and delicate - about 1/4 inch across rather
than the nearly 1 inch of Pseudosasa. And it's about 5ft high, growing in
a pot.

Sounds like Fargesia murielae
(Simba-perhaps )but cos it's in a pot the height can usually be a bit
misleading. FWIW none of the various Fargesia are flowering here not are the
black jobs (yet).

Is it definitely flowering

Grrr!!!!!
Are you suggesting I can't recognise a grass family flower when I see one?
Yes, it's flowering.

Not everyone recognises those bright red flowers:-)

or are they just showing
extra big leafy bits.
I can't remember which one the chap said was flowering but there appeared
to
be some confusion. None of mine are showing signs of flowering yet.
A fargesia murielae (not certain which one) flowered here about 8 years
ago
and died slowly. I never really noticed until I saw new seedlings
emerging.
AFAIK no one else around reported that they were flowering that year.
Oh yes to answer your original question:-
"The mechanism for the timing of flowering and dying is a phenomenon not
yet
understood. It is one of nature's baffling mysteries. "
http://www.bamboogarden.com/when%20bamboo%20flowers.htm

I've done a bit of googling.
There is a common belief that all the bamboos across the year flower in
the same year. This seems not to be true. However, bamboos for cultivation
are vegatatively produced and there seems to be a suggestion that all the
plants of a particular clone will flower at the same age. Flower and seed
production take it out of the plant, so it will look pretty miserable
afterwards and may not recover. Therefore, a mass flowering is looked upon
with alarm - not only is it followed by mass bamboo deaths, but the glut
of bamboo seed can lead to an explosion of rat populations.

So it looks like you will be hand feeding the Pandas this year.
BTW please keep the rats on your side of the hill:-)



--
Kay

"Mike P" mike@askme wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 17:50:13 +0100, K wrote:

..
.. Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
.. neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.
..
.. So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being
potbound?

A garden I work in has a big clump of bamboo ... 20 yrs oldish ..
about 5m high ... it produces very tiny leaves and not many of those.
If I cut it down to the ground almost, would it "start again" and be
grateful :-)

Mike P

Take out the oldest stems to let a bit of light and air in, feed it and
await the new replacements stems, its not a good idea to remove all the
stems in one go.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

"Charlie Pridham" wrote in message
...

"Mike P" mike@askme wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Apr 2006 17:50:13 +0100, K wrote:

..
.. Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
.. neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.
..
.. So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being
potbound?

A garden I work in has a big clump of bamboo ... 20 yrs oldish ..
about 5m high ... it produces very tiny leaves and not many of those.
If I cut it down to the ground almost, would it "start again" and be
grateful :-)

Mike P

Take out the oldest stems to let a bit of light and air in, feed it and
await the new replacements stems, its not a good idea to remove all the
stems in one go.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)



Just the man I need (from Cornwall). Was it about 5-10 years ago that there
was a mass death of bamboo in Cornwall?
I vaguely remember someone from Burncoose Nurseries taking about it at
length?

The answer to your question is not yet known to science.

Some Fargesia nitida clones are currently flowering. They have dark culms and some have been misdescribed by sellers as black bamboo.

"echinosum" wrote in message
...

K Wrote:
Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being
potbound?
--
Kay
The answer to your question is not yet known to science.

Some Fargesia nitida clones are currently flowering. They have dark
culms and some have been misdescribed by sellers as black bamboo.

--
echinosum

I am sure the quantum leap in price between nitida and nigra is just
coincidence:-)
Phyllostachys aurea /aureosulcata aureocaulis/inversa/etc is an even bigger
minefield.

If and when bamboo flowers do you feed it to stave off death or not? There
seem to be mixed opinions.

"Rupert (W.Yorkshire)" writes

"echinosum" wrote in message
...

K Wrote:
Someone in urg mentioned their bamboo was flowering, and today my
neighbour pointed out that both his and mine was in flower.

So - what triggers bamboo to flower? Age? A hot summer? Being
potbound?
--
The answer to your question is not yet known to science.

Some Fargesia nitida clones are currently flowering. They have dark
culms and some have been misdescribed by sellers as black bamboo.


I am sure the quantum leap in price between nitida and nigra is just
coincidence:-)
Phyllostachys aurea /aureosulcata aureocaulis/inversa/etc is an even bigger
minefield.

If and when bamboo flowers do you feed it to stave off death or not? There
seem to be mixed opinions.

The article I found suggested that death rate is higher amongst those
that were fed once they flowered.


--
Kay