No cane no gain
Bamboo has a bad-boy image, but treat it right and you’ll enjoy stunning results
THERE is a bamboo in my garden that’s equal to any tree or shrub noted for providing winter interest. It may not have scented flowers, berries or variegated leaves, but the glossy, green-striped, yellow canes of Phyllostachys bambusoides ‘Castillonii’ look wonderful when lit by the low sun.
And that’s not the only way it makes an impact. The sizeable clump provides a muscular structure to my space when many other plants are in hibernation, while its exotic good looks cheer up a dull day.
Yet all too often bamboos fail to deliver. I’ve seen many neglected ones, where a thicket of congested stems are little more than a repository for unsightly leaf litter. These plants may well have attractive canes but they remain hidden behind a mass of leafy shoots.
However, they can be transformed with some deft pruning. First of all, thin out overcrowded clumps. Cut any dead, thin or weak canes flush with the ground using sharp secateurs – thicker ones are best removed with a pair of long-handled loppers.
Reducing the number of canes will instantly improve the appearance of clumps by making them appear less solid, and there will be more space for thicker canes to develop. Allowing light and air to penetrate more easily will encourage healthy growth.
For the canes to be enjoyed without obstruction, strip the leafy sideshoots away from the bottom third of the entire clump. During the growing season this is easy to do by
hand, snapping them off with a swift downward movement. In winter, the shoots have hardened so it’s best to use secateurs.
Anyone who has a bamboo will know they shed an awful amount of leaf sheaths on the ground as they grow. I would suggest raking up some of this to smarten its appearance, but don’t be overzealous with tidying up – the material is high in silica, which helps to strengthen canes.
Closely related to grasses, bamboos are a huge family of plants from East Asia, Central and South America, and Africa. Those from tropical parts are largely unsuitable outdoors in Britain, but there are many that can cope with wind, rain and snow.
They can be planted at any time, as long as the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged. As they are slow to get going for the first year or so, start with a decent sized specimen, choosing a sheltered, sunny or lightly shaded spot with moistureretentive soil.
Among the most spectacular are Phyllostachys vivax f. aureocaulis with its fat, buttery-yellow stems that can reach 16ft, and similarsized Phyllostachys nigra, whose canes are jet-black. Chusquea culeou has upright, olive-green canes that bear pale leaf sheaths, giving a striped appearance.
In a shady spot, Semiarundinaria yashadake f. Kimmei boasts yellow stems sometimes marked with thin green stripes – but plant it in a sunnier position and the stems take on reddish hues.
All of those mentioned are wellbehaved, clump-forming varieties. However, remove any nagging doubts that they might spread by surrounding clumps with root barrier material.
Make sure that it is 3in proud of the surface to prevent underground shoots escaping over the top.
GLOSSY STEMS LOOK SO WONDERFUL LIT BY A LOW SUN