keep us posted on their progress....interesting test.

Jesse- Be careful uncovering them too soon. All your work will be for nothing if they sit in the sun with frozen roots!

I know, we had 12C as a high on wednesday, and 9C on thursday. It was WAY to warm to keep them completely covered.

And of course today, -10C for a high, with 70kmph windgusts. I threw the tarps over them yesterday. The severe cold is gone, I jsut have to keep the wind off of them for the time being.

Speaking of. I guess I didnt cover my rufa well last night. It was exposed to -25C ( thats windchill, it was only -9C last night). I thought for sure there was going to be bad leaf burn. NOPE!!!. Its looking better and better everyday!

Also, I do want them somewhat exposed to colder temps. Ill take a bit of leaf damage, to hopeful ensure that the new culms are a bit more acclimitized here. ( I know it takes years, but every bit helps). Theyll be covered up when ever the temps go below -5C during the day ( or no sun), when its windy, and if it snows/rains. Sure im still somewhat chilly here, but the very cold weather is gone. They all were exposed to some decent cold before i covered them.

How come your warning against me uncovering them while the ground is frozen? I had to do it last year with no problems

"And of course today, -10C for a high, with 70kmph windgusts. I threw the tarps over them yesterday. The severe cold is gone, I jsut have to keep the wind off of them for the time being."

I guess that is relative... -10C, to me, sounds like pretty extreme cold!

I'm warning about the frozen ground since a cool day (say 0C or 1C) plus sun, plus frozen soil, plus already drought stressed plants, = winter burn. Early spring is the toughest time for many of our BLEs here in the north. Plants can look perfect in February (as an example the English Holly at Vineland) only to show damage as the tissue respires without access to water in the roots. The sun is getting stronger at this time of year and tissues can rapidy warm in the sun. When the roots are still frozen (or even just cold), the leaves can shrivel due to lack of water. I'm pretty sure this is what killed my Buford Holly 2 years ago. Note too that it would be worse for you due to both the deeper freeze depth and younger plants.

LOL ya its relitive. Trust me, im not saying its warm ( our average high is -6C or -5C, it changed day to day this time of year). Its chilly out there right now... LOL The good thing is, im no WInnipeg or Regina/Saskatoon, who usualy gets this weather WAY more, and longer then I do. This is only for today, the winds die tomorrow, and it warms up a bit.

That is good advice Paul. They arent totaly uncovered. They still have half the mulch around the roots, and are covered for the time being. Im trying to slowly "wake them up". There is no way I can leave them always uncovered now. The temps are to back and fourth. I think its more of a problem for me, who has to walk in the 2 feet of snow to cover and uncover them. Im not expecting them to burst into growth ATM. They greened up a bit, but thats because they finally got a bit of light.

I retarped them, as I said. and threw some snow around the perimeter, so the wind doesnt lift up the tarps, and so some what keep them a bit warmer. They probably wont be totaly uncovered untill the first week of march, mabey mid march.

Paul did you get the PM i send a week or so ago??

Some updated pics........ Not to shabby if i say so, concidering i botched the protection this year 😯

The first 3 are my Fargesia rufa, the next one is my Phyllostachys Aureosulcata alata, and the last 2, are my Fargesia Scabrida. I didnt get a chance to get to my Pseudosasa Japonica.

Thanks for lookin

Hey Jesse- Some of the foliage looks good. There is some obvious freeze-dry on some the leaves. Will be interesting to see how many of the culms are alive.

Eh paul

Ya, they are pretty good nonetheless. Most of the culms look pretty good on the rufa and Phyllostacys, its the scabrida im worried about.

Well know in a couple weeks !

Jesse,
those look vastly better than all the bamboo (unprotected) down here. Well done. --Erik

I had no idea that bamboo wasn't that hardy.
I just assumed it grew everwhere.
Yours looks like it will do fine.
Will it grow to it's maximum height in your area?
Does it get hardier as it gets taller?

Thanks Eric, the good thing is, most of the stuff around there will regrow from the roots. My Rufa took -35C windchil ( protected form most of it, but stupid me left it uncovered that night), and concidering it looks pretty damn good.

Bamboo can probably grow in most places with good protection. All of mine were planted last spring, so they arent fully estabolished yet. From what ive read Bamboo tends to get more hardy with age. IT usualy gets hardier with size, which may be the new growth adapting to its new enviroment (a la the aloe guy).

As for max size..................... I think that depends on how well it adapts, and or how well i protect it. Paul has the same Phyllostacys as me ( im pretty sure at least), and my zone isnt to far off from him. Mabey paul can enlighten us as to how its doing?? Im sure I can get the Fargesia Rufa to full size ( i might have set it back slightly this year), other then that, its a guessing game. This winter im going to leave a few culms of each exposed to see how it fairs all winter here ( this winter comming up)

Wes, Jesse- Bamboo maximum height is related to both species and climate. Most bamboos, with the exception of the mountain forms, like Fargesia, will not grow to their 'maximum' heights in Canada. Out west they can grow Fargesia to very nearly its full potential. Here we are perhaps 1 foot shorter for something like F. nitida.

However, when we come to the timbers, the west coast can grow them, we have to struggle to keep a few alive. Out there you might get P. vivax to 40 feet, whereas it would be a stretch outside the best microclimates in Ontario to get it to that size. That said, in terms of absolute maximum of, for example, P. aureosulcata, we're both rather a long way off. In the S. USA this species grows even larger than it does in its native habitat (40+ feet). I've seen plants in Ontario at ~25 feet and in B.C. I've not seen it over 20 (though it surely can grow larger).

In a similar way the cold winters here, rather than the lack of summer heat, will restrict plant height. No matter what the species, if it gets knocked back by cold every few years the height will be restricted. For myself, on the edge of zone 5 (z. 4b/5a) or Jesse a zone colder, bamboo will get knocked back every year (or almost every year in my case)... So the ultimate height will be restricted. I have P. aureosulcata that has reached almost 20', but most culms are in the 12 foot range. None of my other plants are of sufficient height to judge performance here, suffice to say that with 1 or 2 exceptions any folaige left exposed to the cold will be killed.

Paul, I will have to try and post a pic of my phyllostachys bambusoides "Castillonis".
I have read it grows to 25' - 35' and I would say mine are easliy in that range.
I just though bamboo was a lot hardier than that.
You see giant timber bamboo here in the lower mainland and on the Islands.
I know the tropic to tropics nursery owner has some huge green timber bamboo with very large culms.
Banana Joe has some YouTube videos of rows of bamboo on SSI.
You should check out his videos.
They are quite interesting.

Wes- The only mature grove of P. bambusoides that I knew of here was one of ~30feet that was growing in Niagara Falls. The owner tore it out, don't quite know why.

I've been the lower mainland, Salt Spring, Vancouver I, etc. There are indeed some impressive bamboos! What I was saying was that given ideal conditions, these plants will grow to massive proportions! I think that Ray M. from Tropic to tropic has a grove of P. nigra 'Henon'. Probably a zone 6b plant. Jim posted on the species (which is much smaller, but has jet black culms). The henon form can grow to something like 65 feet in ideal conditions (there is a grove in Vancouver, WA, which is supposed to be nearly 50' tall!).

Post a picture of your bambusoides, it's always nice to see the ones we can't grow!

It would be nice to get my Phyllostachys to full hight, but 40 feet would be a stretch here LOL. THen again, most sources ive read state it only gets 20 - 30 feet ( of course they can grow larger). So generaly 15 - 20 feet isnt that bad ( better then death!!!)

I might be taking a road trip to Vancouver/Van Island this summer. Ill definetly be hunting down some bamboo for pics! Hopefully get to "aquire" some seeds while im down there!

Wes - Please post a pic, im still under 3 feet of snow, some greenery would be nice!