I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?



Pam in Bristol

"Pam Moore" wrote

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?

A lot of them around here flowered last year and are looking very sorry for
themselves. Lots of TLC can bring them back into health, sometimes.

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

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?



Pam in Bristol

According to this, if left alone they will usually recover. But
shouldn't be fed. Which seems contrary to common sense maybe, but
there you go. This is for true nigra however

quote

When they do come into flower most of the plants energies are directed
into producing seed and consequently the plant is severely weakened.
They sometimes die after flowering, but if left alone they will usually
recover though they will look very poorly for a few years. If fed with
artificial NPK fertilizers at this time the plants are more likely
to die[122].

/quote


http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants....nigra+punctata


As they flower so rarely it might be interesting to try and save as
much seed as possible and trying to propagate from those as well.

The site below also makes the intriguing suggestion that one reason the
main plant dies, may be that the self sown seedlings take up all the
nutrients from the soil.

According to this site Phyllostachys are among the less likely to die
but take a time to recover.

http://www.bamboogarden.com/when%20bamboo%20flowers.htm



michael adams

....

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?



Pam in Bristol

Even the boo experts are not agreed on the correct way of revitalising the
plants. If you can put up with the rather unattractive mess for a few years
then you may get something worth keeping. Keep a look out for seedlings
growing around the base of the plant and pot them up as a reminder of a once
fine plant. If you are lucky you may end up with something a bit special.
If you still have the original receipt take it back for a refund:-)

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?



Pam in Bristol

Not sure how to make your plant recover but it may well be P. nigra as Mike
Bell who has the National collection pointed out to me only one of about 8
clones he has, has actual got black stems and that is the least vigorous and
most tender. It is apparently a very variable species.

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

It is Fargesia nitida, which the unscrupulous sell as black bamboo, because it has dark grey culms. Probably easier than selling Ph. nigra which has green culms until they slowly turn black. F nitida definitely is flowering now (though not all varieties). I have not heard of/seen Ph. nigra flowering now. As the others say, it might just live for you, but don't feed it. Otherwise, since it has been flowering for several years now, you can buy a post-flowering F. nitida, not very expensive, which will be safe for the rest of your life. Might also be fun to grow your own from your own seed.

In article ,
"Bob Hobden" wrote:

"Pam Moore" wrote

I have a bamboo, bought about 20 years ago at Wisley, labelled
"phylostachys nigra" but certainly NOT nigra! It is a tidy,
clump-forming plant and has been split once about 6 years ago, since
when it has multiplied well.
Now it looks very sad. For a couple of months I have watched it from
the house, turning brown, but I have not ventured close to look at it.
I thought maybe it had suffered in last summer's drought and I had not
realised it, being partially sighted.
Today I made a point of looking closely at it. All leaves on all
stems (20 or so) are showing very little green, but there are a lot of
dark brown BUDS which I take to be flower buds. I have heard that
bamboo sometimes dies after flowering.
Has anyone any idea what may happen next and what I should do?

A lot of them around here flowered last year and are looking very sorry for
themselves. Lots of TLC can bring them back into health, sometimes.

Fargesia Nitida flowered last year.

http://www.americanbamboo.org/Genera...ooFlowers.html
http://www.inbar.int/flowering/main.htm