ility for best growth. Preferred soils are loams, with best growth made on moist bottom lands. Good drainage is essential, as bamboo will not tolerate a water-logged condition. Bamboo at Camden on river terrace soil has withstood flooding by flowing river water for a few weeks without being killed. Most any upland soil can be used to produce bamboo if it is fertilized. Watering is desirable for maximum growth, but the plant can stand long periods of drought. The hardy species stood severe droughts at Auburn and at Camden without dying, but growth was retarded.
Bamboo has grown at Auburn on eroded Cecil clay soil, but growth was better on uneroded Cecil sandy soil. At Camden, bamboo has grown well on Wickham sandy loam in the river terrace and on Norfolk fine sandy loam on the hills.
Some kinds of bamboo are adapted as far north as Pennsylvania. Others are killed by freezing temperature, hence are only suited to tropical climates. The hardy bamboos will withstand the climate anywhere in Alabama. Temperatures of 5?F may kill the leaves, but new leaves will come next spring or the plant will come back from new shoots. The rhizomes are not killed. Leaves usually remain green throughout the winter.
At Auburn, a temperature of 17 degrees F on March 26, 1955, killed the leaves of several species of bamboo and the culms of several species. In this instance the sudden cold followed a warm period in which the bamboos had begun active growth. The species damaged most had already developed new shoots. In previous winters, they had experienced lower temperatures without damage to the leaves. Some species are defoliated most winters at Auburn, whereas others are seldom damaged. Phyllostachys rubromarginata and Semi-arundinaria fastuosa have never been damaged at Auburn, and Phyllostachys viridis only once in 20 years.
Propagation and Culture
When all conditions are right, bamboo plants are easily propagated. When conditions are not right, however, little success will be obtained. Principal methods of propagating bamboos are (1) by division or splitting up the clumps, and (2) by cutting off and planting the rhizomes.
DIVISION OF CLUMPS. If a young clump of any of the running bamboos is examined in early summer, young plants will be found coming up on the edges of the clump. These young plants are attached to rhizomes, which go back to an old plant. On the rhizomes will be found young plants and dormant buds or shoots. If the plant, together with a piece of the rhizome, is carefully removed with a ball of the soil, this makes a good young clump for propagation purposes. The proper time to dig these young plants is in early spring before growth begins. Then it is only a matter of transporting this clump to a new area and setting it out.
A divided plant, such as described, if properly cared for will make a fair growth the first year and will usually send out new rhizomes from which several plants will develop the next year. This is the most satisfactory type of plant to use for propagation purposes. If the rhizomes are strong, the buds sound, and the stems and roots satisfactory, growth will start promptly and be maintained steadily if soil and other conditions are right.
The divided plants will not stand long distance shipment unless great precautions are taken. These usually weigh 10 to 15 pounds per clump, thus making the cost nearly prohibitive. Therefore, this method of propagation is suitable for moving only short distances.
CUT RHIZOMES. Bamboo plants develop numerous rhizomes about 2 to 6 inches underneath the ground, which may extend 10 to 20 feet from the mother plant. They have numerous roots and develop buds at frequent intervals. Rhizomes used for propagation should have buds that are bright, and roots growing from the nodes should be bright and vigorous. Rhizomes that are dark in color with dark buds and few vigorous roots are old and not suited for propagation. Two-year-old rhizomes, if carefully removed and washed, make good propagating material and are preferred. Each viable bud will develop into a plant, which in turn wi