| Bamboo names and synonyms | Bamboo common names and photos |

Definitions

From the


Bamboo is just grass, but it varies in height from dwarf, one foot (30 cm) plants to giant timber bamboos that can grow to over 100 feet (40 m). It grows in a lot of different climates, from jungles to high on mountainsides. Bamboos are further classified by the types of roots they have. Some, called runners, spread exuberantly, and others are classified as clumpers, which slowly expands from the original planting. There are also varieties of root systems that are a mixture of these types. Generally, the tropical bamboos tend to be clumpers and the temperate bamboos tend to be runners.
Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth, in fact, bamboo grows one third faster than the fastest growing tree. Some species (there are about 1200 in the world) can grow up to 3.3 feet a day and up to 60ft.in height within 90 days. Bamboo grows so fast that you can almost "see it grow". Bamboo is truly nature's renewable resource. Bamboo when harvested does not require replanting, mature bamboo has an extensive root system that continues to send up new shoot for decades, so harvesting does not harm the plant, which will produce more timbers.

Taxonomy

KINGDOM: Plantae
PHYLUM (DIVISION): Magnoliophyta
CLASS: Liliopsida
SUBCLASS: Commelinidae
ORDER: Cyperales
FAMILY: Gramineae (Poaceae)
SUBFAMILY: Bambusoideae
TRIBE: Bambuseae
SUBTRIBE: bambusinae

General Information

Provided by Ned Jaquith of The Bamboo Garden.

Placement
Although most people have a place in mind as to where they want to plant their bamboo, one should keep in mind that most large bamboos grow quicker and do their best in full sun. They must be given ample water, fertilizer, and protection from competitive weeds. They will benefit from a windscreen and light shade when first planted as well. This is especially true of smaller plants. Fargesias, Thamnocalamus and Sasas do well with light to moderate shade. In fact the Fargesias and most Thamnocalamus are happier with some shade during the hottest part of the day. Fargesia and Thamnocalamus are the hardiest of the clump type bamboos. They can be planted without fear spreading. Most other hardy bamboos can spread by their underground rhizomes and this must be taken into account when planting them. We recommend a barrier material 40 mil in thickness by 30 inch deep of HDPE (high density polyethylene) to control their spread.

Planting your new Bamboos
Most bamboos are happiest in a moderately acidic loamy soil. If your soil is very heavy you can add organic material. It can be dug into the soil where the bamboo is to be planted, but the easiest thing is to mulch very heavily and let the earthworms do the work. Spread 2 or more inches of mulch in the area around the bamboo, and where you want the bamboo to grow. Bamboo is a forest plant and does best if a mulch is kept over the roots and rhizomes. It is best not to rake or sweep up the bamboo leaves from under the plant, as they keep the soil soft, and moist, and recycle silica and other natural chemicals necessary to the bamboo. A low growing shade tolerant ground cover plant that will allow the leaves to fall through to form a mulch without being visible will work if you find the dry leaf mulch objectionable. Almost any organic material is a good mulch. Grass is one of the best, as it is high in nitrogen and silica. Home made or commercial compost is great. Hay is a good mulch too, but hay and manure are often a source of weed seeds, so that can be a problem. Any kind of manure is good, if it isn’t too hot. Limited amounts of very hot manures like chicken are OK if used with care. You can also use chipped trees from tree pruning services. This can harbor pathogens that can affect some trees or shrubs, but the bamboo loves it.

Timing and winter protection
Bamboos can be planted at any time of the year in areas with mild climates such as we have in the maritime pacific northwest. In colder parts of the world they should be planted outdoors early enough to become established and to harden off sufficiently to survive their first winter. If the bamboo is planted late in the year, one should mulch the plant heavily and provide extra protection from any cold and drying winds. In colder climates where bamboos may be marginal, successful growers usually protect their bamboos through the winter with a heavy mulch. Even in very cold climates in an established bamboo grove with a heavy layer of bamboo leaves covering the ground, the soil will be soft and friable during periods when the surrounding soils are frozen hard and deep.

Controlling the spread of bamboo
If you plan to install a barrier to control the spread of running bamboos, it is important to install it properly to insure its effectiveness. We recommend for most situations a barrier of 30 inches deep. In other than very light soils the bamboo rhizomes are usually in the top few inches of soil. However when the rhizome encounters an obstruction it will turn, and sometimes it will go down. It is important to avoid loose soil or air pockets next to the barrier or the bamboo may go deeper than you want and perhaps go under the barrier. When filling the hole after placing the barrier, tightly compact the soil next to the barrier. Any soil amendments must be added only in the top foot or so. You mustn’t encourage deep rhizome growth if you want to contain the bamboo. If the bamboo planting can be surrounded by a shallow trench 8 to 10 inches deep, this can be a cheaper and easier method to control it’s spread. You just need to check a couple of times in the late summer and fall to see if any rhizomes have tried to cross the trench, and cut them off. This check for spreading rhizomes is easy, but very important. It must be done each fall, whether you are using barrier or a trench.

Staking tall plants
When planting very tall and slender bamboos, they may need to be staked Actually guyed is a better term. This will prevent wind from uprooting them, or damaging newly formed roots. Tall bamboo plants are best guyed with a rope tied to the culms up about ? way up, and to short stakes on 3 or 4 sides of the plant sufficient distance to give the strength needed to prevent the wind from uprooting the stakes.

Yellowing and falling leaves
In the spring there is considerable yellowing of the leaves, followed by leaf drop. This is natural and should not cause concern, as bamboos are evergreen and naturally renew their leaves in the spring. They should loose their leaves gradually as they are replaced by fresh new ones. In the spring on a healthy bamboo there should be a mixture of green leaves, yellow leaves and newly unfurling leaves.

Water
Newly planted bamboos need frequent and liberal watering. Twice a week during mild weather, and more often, perhaps even daily during hot or windy weather, give your bamboo a good watering. Make sure that each plant under 5 gallon pot size gets at least a gallon of water. For plants over 5 gallon size more than 1 gallon is advised. Once a bamboo has reached the desired size, it can survive with much less irrigation. But until then you must water and fertilize copiously to achieve optimum growth. Lack of sufficient water especially during hot or windy weather is the leading cause of failure or poor growth of new bamboo plants. Watering newly planted bamboos every day, or for longer than a few minutes can cause excess leaf drop. Well established bamboos are rather tolerant of flooding, but newly planted bamboos can suffer from too much as well as too little water.

Flowering
When bamboo flowers it dies! Anyone familiar with bamboo has probably heard this. Although this sometimes happens it is not inevitable. This phenomenon can often be an opportunity in disguise. Many of the bamboos in cultivation were introduced as single propagules leaving us with but one clone of that species. There may be hidden in the genes of that plant useful characteristics that may of use to the grower. New seed grown clones may be more vigorous, more hardy, more resistant to disease or insects, or perhaps more ornamental. Who knows what new traits may be found. Few have the knowledge or skill to create bamboo hybrids. But, we can select among the natural seedlings for plants with desirable characteristics. It is a good idea to try to save the flowering plant as well as trying to grow new plants from seed. Clones with special characteristics are often not reproduced when grown from seed, so it is important to try to conserve them vegetatively. Various methods have been suggested to revive flowering bamboo. More study needs to be done with this. Some have been effective in some cases, many have not. Often when a bamboo flowers the gardener will see it decline and rip it out without any effort at reviving it, or if it is not a visible eyesore just abandon it to the forces of nature. Bamboos treated so often perish, with proper care they might be saved.

Problems and Controlling Pests by Gib Cooper
Bamboo mites should not be confused with the more common red or Pacific spider mite. These spider mites cause an overall microscopic stippling with yellowish centers throughout the leaf. When the underside of the leaf is viewed through a magnifying glass, one will observe loose webbing and mites moving around on the whole area of the leaf. The bamboo mite in a similar observation will only be seen within their webbed capsules located in the yellow striation of 1/8 to 1/4 inch or so width along the parallel venation of the bamboo leaf. The yellowish streak starts out small but gradually grows longer and spreads to other parts of the leaf and to other leaves in time.

Typical Spider Mite Damage
Courtesy of American Bamboo Society

Mites are not insects but relatives of spiders. The mite sucks juices from the leaves, preferring the underside habitat to the topside. The adult mites are tiny. At 1/60th of an inch, one requires a 10X magnifying lens to observe their activities. The complete life cycle for mites is around forty days. According to Young and Haun in Bamboo in the United States, USDA Agriculture handbook #193, the more common red spider mites are of the genus Tetranychus. Bamboo mites are of the genus Schizotetranychus and somewhat resemble the red spider mite in appearance and make small white webs on bamboo leaves. The two bamboo mites listed in the handbook are the common bamboo mite (Schizotetranychus celarius) and the bamboo sheath mite (Stenotarsonemus phylloporus).

Handbook #193 describes the preferred host genera as Phyllostachys and to some extent, Pseudosasa for the common bamboo mite. This mite is confined to the leaf sheaths for a period of 8-10 months and is not found on the stems near the ground or in rhizomes or other parts of the plant below ground. It migrates in May and June. It is found in Florida and California. No serious injury has been noted in this country or Japan, its native home.

The above description appears to be close to the bamboo mite infestation currently observed by many people. It does not describe the complete and thorough degradation of the leaves of entire bamboo groves as seen by this observer. The preferred hosts seem to be the genus Sasa and Indocalamus with Phyllostachys, Pleioblastus and just about every other genus represented in this country capable of carrying this mite. Host plants seem to live fine with the pests. Perhaps, no more of a inconvenience than a dog with fleas. The main problem with infested plants is visual; particularly, the big leaved bamboos. The other problem is the movement of the pest into new regions by trading among bamboo lovers. We do not know how this mite can affect future attempts in bamboo agro-forestry production.

With many years of experience in the bamboo groves and nurseries of California, the author had not seen bamboo mites until a visit to the Pacific Northwest. The mite was first observed on a Sasa veitchii. The leaves were so discolored as to look variegated. The mite had practically invaded every stand of bamboo in the area. Now one can find the pest in many areas of California, Oregon, Washington and Florida. In other travels in the region many older established groves of bamboo were observed to be uninfested. In talking with bamboo owners of infested bamboo groves, the bamboo mites came from bamboo plants acquired from areas in the Northwest.

Recently, the bamboo mite has been recognized as a problem by the American Bamboo Society and several regional chapters. Jack DeAngelis, Oregon State University professor and entomologist, sent some information about the mite. Professor DeAngelis has experience with the mite, alias, bamboo spider mite, bamboo mite, common bamboo mite or more clearly, Schizotetranychus celarius. He refers to it as a pretty obscure pest. (Unless you happen to be a bamboo lover!) In a textbook of entomology, the native range of the mite is mentioned as the islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu in Japan. In the U.S.A., they are found in Florida, Georgia and California. For some reason, Washington and Oregon were not mentioned as areas of infestation.

Control of a bamboo mite infestation in large groves or areas of bamboo may be difficult to attain. One possible control method, but personally untested, is to clear cut the bamboo and burn the debris. Begin and maintain a spray program on the new shoots. However, one could not be assured of success if the nearby neighborhood contains other infested groves. Other plants must be observed also. Bamboo mites have been collected from Ficus stipulata and sugar cane.

The best opportunity to halt any future mite problems is to quarantine newly acquired plants. Although there are several bamboo nurseries with bamboo mites, there are some that are mite free. Owners of nurseries with mites will generally inform the buyer of the problem and, in some cases, make sure the plants are sprayed. Worry about bringing the pest home should not stop there. The plants should be kept away from other bamboo and resprayed about a week apart at least two more times. One must learn how to recognize the mite under a 10X hand lens. Once the mites breeding cycle is broken, then the bamboo may be judged safe to mingle in the landscape. This method of control is called exclusion or preventive control. Exclusion is the first and easiest pest control step practiced by seasoned horticulturists.

When there is a small mite infested area just getting underway, it may be practical to “spot control” using insecticidal soap or approved miticide. The liquid may be applied to the affected area using a spray bottle or tank sprayer.

The bamboo mite is particularly hard to hit with contact sprays due to the thick webbing barrier and the underneath position of the webbing on the leaves. Therefore, a miticide with systemic capabilities is more effective. The spray is absorbed into the plant and then poisons the mite as it feeds. This does not kill the newly laid eggs. Subsequent spraying at the right time in the mite life cycle will control the newly hatched mites.

Sprays containing oil are effective on bamboo mites. Karl Bareis, of Santa Cruz, CA, passed on information whereby growers remove about 80% of the bamboo leaves and spray with a new oil, which, if the temperature remains below 60 degrees F for the first five hours will cause no defoliation. One application of the oil kills adult, larva and eggs.

Most people are not eager to use poison sprays around the house. So great care must be taken when using these chemicals. It is best to check with your local nurseryman or extension advisor before deciding which spray to use. Always read the label very carefully and handle the product with caution.

Biological control is a desirable control method. Success with predator mites appears to be best in the greenhouse. Betty Shor has tried the predator mites, Galendromus helveolus, used in commercial avocado orchards and G. annectens on three occasions in 1993-94, on mite infested Pleioblastus, Sasaella, etc. in 1 gallon pots. The plants were in her yard in La Jolla and at Quail Gardens in Encinitas, CA. She concluded that the predator mites set back the infestation but definitely did not eliminate it. She observed that Pleioblastus viridistriatus did not become infested even when near infested plants. Other predator mites listed for control of spider mites are Phytoseilus persimilis, Metaseiulus occidentalis, and Ambyseius californicus. It is not known if other predator mites have been trialed by bamboo growers.

The 1994 Pacific Northwest Insect Control Handbook lists only two chemical controls for bamboo mites. These are insecticidal soap (Safer’s brand works well) and Talstar- 10 wettable powder. Talstar is a newly registered pyrethroid compound more active (toxic) than several now in common use. In addition, this writer has had highly effective results practicing exclusionary spraying with Avid on newly acquired plants.

Editor's note: Robin Rosetta of Oregon State University has put together a Web site explaining how to use Integrated Pest Management against bamboo mites. She describes the mite, the damage it does, recommends cultural, biological and chemical control and has some interesting pictures (I loved the scanning electron microscope pictures.) Following the links she provides, you can locate sources in the U.S. of preditory insects that prey on bamboo mites.

The Oregon State Extension Service Urban Entomology Department has pictures of the bamboo spider mite in full color, along with information on spider mite control and a list of places to buy predator mites.

Cornell University has a Web site about biological controls

Browse Betrock's Bookstore for bamboo titles