so i went and tried to dig up some black bamboo on my lunch break much to my delight and chagrin the roots were big. i got a few with effort and i got one out and the shoot, two inces in dia and 12 inches long broke off. can the shoot sprout roots and does any one have a favorite trick for getting big runners out, i was using a trenching shovel and now im going to have to sharpen it up more.
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Arkansas
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Re: shoots and shovels
Tue, May 24, 2005 - 10:11 PMYes, shoots are fragile!! Only rhizomes (roots) propagate.
When dividing a potted bamboo, I think people take it out and then saw the whole mass into pieces, then plant each piece. Bigger pieces should propagate better than small pieces of root. -
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Re: shoots and shovels
Tue, May 24, 2005 - 11:50 PMyup, and dont be suprised if any new shoots that pop now or shortly after planting dont make it, depending on where you are, the cold may get them this fall, but they will shoot underground from the rhizome, and will just take a season or two to get used to it.
before the shoots begin to rise is a great time in early spring.
then if you time it right, you get to keep that years shooting. -
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Re: shoots and shovels
Thu, May 26, 2005 - 2:39 PMthats what i thought but i hoped i was wrong. im going to go back over and atempt to take out some more runners, but gowd theyre like two inches in diam so does any body have a favorite tool for seperating them from flower beds?shovels, spades saws dynomite? -
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Re: shoots and shovels
Thu, May 26, 2005 - 9:23 PMa very sharp spade to dig out around the runners, then loppers or something like that to clip them. bolt cutter works well too
i managed to pull out some pretty serious clumps by digging a few feet out from the edge of the grove, then workin in about a 2ft circle from the plants i wanted. then worked my way around, trying to cut as many surface runners as possible. then try to get underneath the clump, then rock the plant back and forth and try to get as large of a plug out as you can.
lather
rinse
repeat -
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Re: shoots and shovels
Sun, May 29, 2005 - 2:26 AMi'd recommend a very sharp hand saw (the Gator Saw is working great for me, although haven't tried it on roots yet) and/or big loppers with long handles and short blade. -
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Re: shoots and shovels
Sun, May 29, 2005 - 2:28 AM
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Re: shoots and shovels
Sun, October 15, 2006 - 1:31 PMCordless reciprocating saw (sawzall) I dig around the runner on both sides and get a cheap sharp folding trimming hand saw and cut the runner on each side and then PULLLLL.
