If you have ordered thanks, if you are just browsing our
web site you will find plenty of information.
web site you will find plenty of information.
E-mail roger@lewisbamboo.com
Visits to select and pick up bamboo are scheduled Monday through Saturday.
How to plant your new bamboo
The larger the area of soil you loosen up, the faster the bamboo will spread. Back fill your holes with good topsoil mixed with some composted material such as composted manure that any gardening center sells. In our area this sells for around $1.50 for a 40 lb. bag. This will help the rhizomes (roots) get off to a good start no matter what soil conditions you may have.
Watering
Remember the bamboo canes on your existing division are through growing. Most all the growth now will be underground . Each Spring new canes will emerge taller and larger in diameter each year until mature size for your species and climate zone are reached.
Fertilizers
Please do not fertilize with chemical fertilizers such as 13-13-13 etc. for the first year. Please allow the bamboo root system time to establish. Hot chemical fertilizers can burn up the feeder roots, damaging or killing new bamboo divisions. After a lot of trials, we have come back to natural fertilizing by adding leaves, hay, grass clipping and compost to our bamboo groves. You can simply use general lawn fertilizer such as 8-8-8 as directed after one full year in the ground. The three numbers are important factors. The first number represents nitrogen. Nitrogen is the element for growth. the second number is phosphorus and it has to do with the transfer of carbohydrates. Carbs are essential for the bamboo to store nourishment in the rhizomes. The last number represents potassium and is necessary for photosynthesis. This is very important for the plant's metabolism. Extra amounts of this element helps the bamboo to withstand drought, heat and cold.
Sun
The larger the bamboo the more direct sun light it should have is the general rule. The large temperate species of bamboo such as the ones we grow are woodland under story plants. They are found in their natural habitat at the edge of forest. They will grow into the shaded areas and outward into full sun light. Smaller shrub bamboo under 16 feet in height require less direct sunlight conditions and will be more likely to thrive in partly shaded planting sites. Ground cover bamboo 6 feet and under love shaded sites and will do best out of the direct sunlight.
Shade
This term is confusing to many and hopefully we can shed some light on the subject (sorry). There are basically three categories of shaded sites. The first type of shaded site will be deep shade. These sites never receive direct sunlight during any season of the year. These sites are not in the forest, but within the city where buildings, overhangs and other man made structures completely block sun light year around. Sites under most trees will receive filtered sun during Fall and Winter months unless the trees are evergreen. Evergreen trees can provide deep shade if the branches and foliage are dense enough. Ground cover and shrub bamboo do fair in these planting sites.
The second type of shade are sites where the sunlight gets through during different times of the day. This type of shade changes with the time of year and day. It is provided by natural obstructions such as trees and bushes. Ground cover and shrub bamboo do well in these planting sites. Timber bamboo are slower to establish their root system (rhizomes) in these planting sites. Once established, timber bamboo can do quite well with the grove having a tall canopy of foliage due to the reduced lighting. Lower limbs on the canes are usually absent in these shaded sites. The bamboo compensates by producing more canes and taller canes.
The third type of shade is caused by man made structures such as buildings or walls. These structures allow full or direct sunlight through in the morning or afternoon only. So these sites while receiving direct or intense sunlight do so for only part of the day. Timber bamboo can grow is this type of shade with no problem and is a common planting site for many bamboo.
The second type of shade are sites where the sunlight gets through during different times of the day. This type of shade changes with the time of year and day. It is provided by natural obstructions such as trees and bushes. Ground cover and shrub bamboo do well in these planting sites. Timber bamboo are slower to establish their root system (rhizomes) in these planting sites. Once established, timber bamboo can do quite well with the grove having a tall canopy of foliage due to the reduced lighting. Lower limbs on the canes are usually absent in these shaded sites. The bamboo compensates by producing more canes and taller canes.
The third type of shade is caused by man made structures such as buildings or walls. These structures allow full or direct sunlight through in the morning or afternoon only. So these sites while receiving direct or intense sunlight do so for only part of the day. Timber bamboo can grow is this type of shade with no problem and is a common planting site for many bamboo.
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, just ship the bamboo back within 30 days for a full refund of the bamboo price. Returned bamboo should be packaged as they were when shipped and sent UPS ground.Click here to go to our 'Policy' page for more details.