One of my readers found out that I liked bamboo and other adventuresome plants. The question was about my experience with Blue Fountain Bamboo (Fragesia nitida).
Blue Fountain bamboo for me was a prima donna. I had to tend to every need and desire for years, or it would shrivel up and die.
Because I have been a landscape designer for many years, I test plants to see if I can grow them before recommending them. One of the accent plants in my garden for a few years was the Blue Fountain Bamboo.
I now feel confident talking about this bamboo from a personal perspective. Another clumping bamboo I have grown is also native to China: Fargesia rufa, or Rufa Bamboo.
The only bamboo that has died in my care is the Blue Fountain, and this plant was the hardest for me to keep alive. Over four seasons, I watered and did my best to help the plant grow, but in the fifth year, it was gone.
As I was going through the current grower’s catalog, I found that it does not carry the Blue Fountain Bamboo. Five other varieties of bamboo have done moderately to really well.
My Blue Fountain was one of the most beautiful grass-type plants I have tried to grow. For me, both the color and structure of this bamboo were great. The fussy nature of my Blue Fountain Bamboo is that the amount of care you give it won’t guarantee its success.
My reader planted their Blue Fountain Bamboo under trees. Another Blue Fountain Bamboo I saw in full sun. In hindsight, we may have stretched one zone too far for my Blue Fountain Bamboo.
When I planted any of my bamboos, I enhanced the soil with good topsoil, animal compost, and leaf compost. One key was that the soil was well broken up.
Personally, I have not done very much to protect the bamboos or the gardens from the bullies. Professionally, I shall not plant any bamboo without a barrier unless I know the complete circumstances of the site and the person who will be caring for the bamboo.
I also mulched the bamboo to a depth of two inches around the area where the plants were sited. Mulch seems to protect the bamboo from the heat and cold and reduce water problems in plantings.
In the spring, when the bamboo stems or culms, begin growing, you would do well to top dress the areas around the plants with a good animal and leaf compost.
You need to keep in mind that bamboo is a grass relative. Watering the soil until it’s moist but not soggy is a good guide for watering this plant. If you have clay, there may be a problem.
The bamboos I have range from dense shade to partial shade to full sun, but I have tried to apply Blue Fountain where I understood the bamboos would do well, and I have achieved some success.
The right location for Blue Fountain bamboo is partial shade to partial sun in well- drained soil. Our clay soils will require extra work. If you install a good hardwood mulch around the plants’ roots, you will have better success.
Regular watering is an important step to help your Blue Fountain thrive. Watering faithfully is an important way to care for your young bamboo. You should water around one inch per week if you have well-drained soil.
There is a challenge with growing anything with tree roots in a partial shade area, using the water you planned for the bamboo. Bamboo uses nutrients quickly, so it should be a consideration when maintaining it.
The nursery told me about bamboo and what to expect when planting it. First year, it sleeps; second year, it creeps; and third year, it leaps.
Don’t expect much of anything to happen to your new planting of bamboo the first year. When the second year comes around, you are only going to see a very mild amount of growth. Finally, the bamboo will start growing aggressively after three years.
In conclusion, you should be patient and enjoy your bamboo for many years as I have, but be aware that there are very serious repercussions if you get this planting wrong.
I hope you have a great stroll in your indoor or outdoor garden. You can reach me with your questions at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.