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There are two basic sizes of plants, mail order sizes and field specimens
Mail Order
Sizes that are UPS shippable
| Sizes: |
| Above pictures
are examples of some 3 gallon sizes. Sizes differ from species to species. Some species have to be topped because of larger canes that will not bend. The 2 gallon sizes are available on some species. They are usually half the size of the one shown. |
| Quantities: |
| When choosing
how many divisions to plant it is a cost v/s time
consideration. Recommended planting for screens are one 3 gallon size per 5 linear feet. Under normal growing conditions, the screen should fill in after 3 years. You cannot over plant bamboo. If an immediate impact is desired, you can plant them in closer proximity, even touching. You can also plant less, it will just take a longer duration to get the desired effect. Learning how bamboo grow will help you determine how many you need and what to expect from planting. Click here for more Growing habits |
Field Specimens
Large custom plants that are not available through mail order. |
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Field Specimens range in sizes from 10 gallon to 65 gallon.
Click here for prices
The larger sizes have to be delivered by us
or in some cases by 18 wheel trucking services.
Click here for Quotes
Detailed plant size information
With bamboo, what is desired is a viable root mass to begin your bamboo colony. A tall bamboo division with a small root mass is not what you want. A tall plant maybe pretty, but the root mass with several viable rhizome buds is the most important part of a new bamboo division. If you want all your bamboo to look alike in number of canes, height, root ball size and weights, we suggest you go with a plastic plant. We are dealing with a living plant and they all are a little different.
Box = 10 X 8 X 42 inch
A fluid gallon and a nursery container gallon are very different. A standard 3 gallon nursery container measures 10.7 inches in width by 9.25 inches in height. So your 3 gallon timber bamboo will be 4 to 6 feet in height with a root mass 8 to 10 inches long, our boxes are 8 X 10 X 48 inches so we can not ship you a root ball larger than will fit into our custom boxes. The 2 gallon root mass or rhizomes will usually be from 6 to 8 inches wide and 5 to 9 inches deep when received. . We do not ship bare root. We do add water plus peat moss to ensure your bamboo arrives healthy with a moist root ball. Below are photos and details of U.S. standard nursery size containers.
From left to right, top row first show a 25 gallon, 15 gallon and a 7 gallon.
From left to right bottom row shows a 5 gallon, 3 gallon, two and one gallon.
There is a Cola can for reference.
Width x Height
25 gallon = 24 x 18
15 gallon = 18.25 x 16
7 gallon = 14 x 12
5 gallon = 12 x 11
3 gallon = 10.7 x 9.25
2 gallon = 8.5 x 8.5
1 gallon = 7.5 x 6.5
Photographed from a view top is the 25, 15,
7,5,3,2 and 1 gallon sizes again.
Above
Width x Height
25 gallon = 24 x 18
15 gallon = 18.25 x 16
7 gallon = 14 x 12
Above
Width x Height
5 gallon = 12 x 11
3 gallon = 10.7 x 9.25
2 gallon = 8.5 x 8.5
1 gallon = 7.5 x 6.5
Below are our typical 3 gallon sizes to be shipped.
A standard 2 gallon size nursery container measures 8.5 inches wide by 8.5 inches in height. So your 2 gallon timber bamboo will typically be 3 to 4 feet in height with a root mass 6 to 8 inches long, 4 to 6 inches wide and 4 inches deep. On many divisions if the cane is flexible enough, we bend them over and send you a taller plant. If the canes will not flex they must be topped to ship them. This does not hurt the bamboo as new canes will emerge each Spring once the bamboo is established. Below are photos of typical 3 gallon bamboo divisions ready to be boxed.
Some nurseries ship in containers. We could ship like others, but our method of packaging that we came up with back in 1995 is the best and has been copied by several of our competitors. What we use inside and the wrapping ensures your root mass will arrive moist and healthy. We take great care in packaging and 99% of our UPS shipments arrive in excellent condition. Upon arrival, remove them immediately from the boxes and mist the foliage. Place them in a shaded area and keep watered until you can plant.
Shipping Information
We now ship 5 days a week for your convenience. Below are 153 boxes awaiting UPS pick up. Each box contains
one or two mail order bamboo divisions going to 17 different states throughout the U.S.
This link page has planting and care information.
Below, April 16th. 2007, 203 boxes awaiting UPS pick up
at the nursery.
Below are photos of our actual shipping sizes and facts about the bamboo. Over the years we have found what customers want and stay focused on that. Our standard nursery sizes have not changed since we begin internet sales in 1995. We were the first bamboo nursery in Alabama to provide internet sales and have grown to provide
our increasing customer base with a wide selection of excellent bamboo. From a tiny one man operation we have grown into a large company to meet the huge demand for landscaping bamboo. We now can provide large scale commercial landscaping and the individual gardener's needs. Below left, Gayle stands with some mail order
sizes that are ready to be boxed for ship out. Below right, Roger Jr. is finishing up the final
labeling process for UPS.
When you order from us, there is no guess work as to what size bamboo you will receive and how your order is processed. We do not waver around changing plant sizes and gimmick sales. We offer discounts on mail orders over $2000.00 and all orders picked up at our nursery. In 1995 our S&H charge per division was $2.50. We do not lump the S&H cost into the bamboo cost, but list it separately so you know what you are paying for. Currently due to UPS increases and box cost S&H charge is $10.00. We will maintain that cost as long as possible and continue to share the shipping cost with our valued customers.
We do our very best to demonstrate exactly what you will receive when you order bamboo from us. We hope your plants will arrive undamaged and to your satisfaction. Any shipment of live plants is stressful for the plants and this is one of the reasons all our bamboo divisions are dug one month or longer prior to shipping. All our cold hardy or temperate bamboo are field divisions. They have handled our hot Summer temperatures of 90+ degrees and Winter temperatures often in the single digits.
All our divisions are hardened and ready to be planted in full sun. Our field dug divisions are not like some grower's tender greenhouse or tissue culture grown plants. Our divisions are ready to plant in your planting site.
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Lewis Bamboo Inc. is a second generation company, owned and operated by Roger Lewis Jr. We are a Federal and State Certified Nursery specializing in Bamboo only.
My parents, Gayle and Roger Sr., started shipping mail order bamboo divisions in l995. Our family has been growing bamboo at our farm since 1984. We are members of the Alabama Nursery & Landscapers Association and the American Bamboo Society. Gayle Lewis has been a director and webmaster for the Southeast Bamboo Society. For more information about our service and bamboo plants from customers throughout the U.S. click here
customer comments.
In 2005 we shipped to 722 cities throughout the U.S. You can go to this page and see if you city was part of our customer base last year.
In 2006 we shipped to 1121 cities.
At certain times of the year depending on our stock, we do pay the entire UPS shipping charges on several of our 'Package Specials'. You can check our prices on the bamboo in the packages and see that the bamboo cost is the same year around, but we pay all UPS shipping on certain groups of bamboo when offered in the 'Package Specials'
On other species not listed in these special package deals, we offer great very competitive prices and charge only part of the UPS shipping charges.
Details of how our bamboo is shipped
Most plants are shipped in a 8 X 10 inch X 48 inch tall box. Therefore, obviously we can not get a root ball larger than 8 X 10 inches inside our custom boxes. If a brace is needed, you may notice a bamboo cane taped to the root ball. During shipping if the box if flipped upside down this cane will prevent the root ball from moving and perhaps breaking any canes. If several divisions are ordered we can often get more than one plant in these large boxes. We do not ship bare root since this is stressful to the bamboo. Currently, 2007, our sturdy custom ordered boxes cost $2.75 each, so along with the packing materials such as tape, plastic and plant tags, the cost of shipping your new bamboo is high. We figured the average cost of shipping all 2 and 3 gallon sizes. At this time $10.00 ( around 1/2 of the UPS charge) is fair to all and helps, but does not pay the entire UPS shipping charge plus our expenses. On average UPS charges $20 per box, so the $10 per plant shipping charge plus the materials used in packing helps off set this cost. Below are photos of 3 gallon sizes wrapped, boxed and awaiting UPS to pick up at the loading dock. As long as it is possible, we will continue to absorb some of the shipping cost and provide you with excellent service, plus cost savings! If you wish to have your bamboo shipped another method such as in the container, feel free to ask us. We have had customers in the past pay to have the root balls shipped still in the container. If you wish to have your bamboo shipped in the container just let us know. There will be an additional cost per division versus the $10.00 shipping and handling cost we charge currently.
Above and below photo taken
Sept. 25, 2005
Photos below show our 42 inch tall box sizes and we now
have boxes that are 48 inches tall.
Above and below photos shows 137 boxes containing
one or two three gallon divisions of our bamboo. This
is our busy time of year. If you wait late into the
Spring to order you may find out that there are
hundreds of bamboo growers in front of you.
Our Mail Order Warranty
Acceptance of the bamboo implies that the buyer agrees the bamboo is healthy. We accept no responsibility for damage resulting from unpacking, usage or care of the bamboo. If you are unhappy with the bamboo for any reason when it arrives or within the first 30 days please contact us and we will work out a solution. In cases such as damaged plants during shipping you can just email us a photo.
Click here to go to our 'Policy' page for more details.