Wamin Bamboo Grooming/ Pruning Question

[Really full garden]

I have a Wamin Bamboo that was planted out last year from a 20 gal.pot .It has grown....really grown more than I expected.The first time I saw this variety was in Disney World Epcot and what I liked about it was the almost bonsai qualities it appeared to have. This must have been pruned to give it this look.

I have pruned out selected canes ,and cut out foliage to expose the canes more, but can I top prune them as well to give that umbrella/mushroom shape?

[Walter John]

Yes you can indeed Scott. One can top prune any bamboo as long as you can reach. It will remain healthy and green, I do the same with the smaller Bambusa heterostachya variegated bamboo. I've seen a top and side pruned hedge of Bambusa textilis var. gracilis, very effective.

[virtualpalm]

Scott, if you give it another year or two, it will create the mushroom effect all by itself. Here's a couple in my boss's yard:

Jody

[Really full garden]

Wal and Jody this is my Wamin.I get sprouts on every node and have to prune them.My canes are about 1 to 2 inches in diameter.

[virtualpalm]

As it gets older and the culms get larger, they will stop sprouting branches on every node.

Jody

[Patrick]

thanks for the tip, Jody. I will hope that this happens in time with my oldhamii.

Scott, my neighbor has some of this and it has gotten fairly large over the years- in diameter as well. He prunes the heck out of his, wherever he wants, and it just keeps coming back for more. This stuff is tough!

I have to prune up all the nodes to about 6' if I want to admire the culms. I have 'topped' a couple culms and it sprouts quite well- very bushy- from the node that is highest up on the culm.

[Really full garden]

thanks for the tip, Jody. I will hope that this happens in time with my oldhamii.

Scott, my neighbor has some of this and it has gotten fairly large over the years- in diameter as well. He prunes the heck out of his, wherever he wants, and it just keeps coming back for more. This stuff is tough!

I have to prune up all the nodes to about 6' if I want to admire the culms. I have 'topped' a couple culms and it sprouts quite well- very bushy- from the node that is highest up on the culm.

I cant wait till I can harvesta few large culms to use as an indoor arrangement in a big ceramic pot/ I love the pagoda like culms.

[Walter John]

A couple of new culms on my buddah's belly bamboo.

pic taken 15th January

pic taken 26th January (one of my palmy thongs for perspective)

Here's an existing stem showing the belly look.

[Mandrew968]

I got one and now I regret it--needs sooo much water, needs full sun, and throws down so many leaves that it looks ratty. If you want bamboo, get the small leafed ones...

[Walter John]

I got one and now I regret it--needs sooo much water, needs full sun, and throws down so many leaves that it looks ratty. If you want bamboo, get the small leafed ones...

Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin'(Buddahs Belly) is a small leafed bamboo Andrew, and surprise surprise, bamboo and palms both want water (lots) and sun mostly. Most boos drop leaves off season and I love that look and feel on the ground, like all plants and trees, always do your homework first.

Actually the buddahs belly does spread over a wide area for a clumper, not recommended for the average home garden. I aim to contain mine by doing the Buddah Stomp...

Here's my plant after just over a year from a 200ml pot. It's the one on the left, note the small leaves.

[virtualpalm]

Wal, here in Florida it is Bambusa ventricosa that has the common name Buddha Belly Bamboo (is that not the case down under?), which I always thought was an unfortunate misnomer because this species loses the swollen internodes when it gets larger (and it gets LARGE and can spread to form quite a wide clump). Bambusa vulgaris 'Wamin' (a.k.a., Wamin Bamboo), on the other hand, stays very small in comparison, remains in a very tight clump, and always keeps the swollen internodes that somewhat resemble Buddha's belly. I'm wondering if you might be thinking of B. ventricosa rather than B. vulgaris 'Wamin'?

Jody

[Mandrew968]

Wal, Jody just kicked you harder than a roo with boxjing gloves--Crikey! Sorry Wal, you can't tell me about my messy bamboo having "small" leaves when I see the nasty thing everyday. But I do thank you for the tip on palms liking water--I'm gonna go and google what this "water" thing is and try and order some for my palms! If I add this "water" to my wamin, will it shrink the leaves down to the size of yours?

[buccaneers37]

Like Jody said, I think the Americans & Australians are talking about different bamboo here, just using the same common name for different things (which I have discovered happens quite often, even within the same regions). I recently picked up a 'Wamin' from Catherine @ Creekside. The one she has growing in her yard was medium sized with nice "bellys". When her & Joe heard that I had acquired a ventricosa, the first thing they said was "get rid of it now!". Gets huge and overruns the place & drops large amounts of leaves. I told them I knew that from the research I had done and had planted it in a 24" pot and not the ground. They still told me to watch that it doesn't escape the pot because I wouldn't like the results. Hopefully I can stress it enough for it to get its signature bellys (I have it planted in pure sand & don't water it very often), but I will keep a close eye on it to make sure it doesn't establish itself in my yard.

Wayne

[Walter John]

ok, you're right, I got the names askewed again. I was referring to Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin', named here commonly as "Giant Buddahs Belly".

[Cycadcenter]

I have a Wamin Bamboo that was planted out last year from a 20 gal.pot .It has grown....really grown more than I expected.The first time I saw this variety was in Disney World Epcot and what I liked about it was the almost bonsai qualities it appeared to have. This must have been pruned to give it this look.

I have pruned out selected canes ,and cut out foliage to expose the canes more, but can I top prune them as well to give that umbrella/mushroom shape?

A mob of goats does an excellent job of creating that mushroom effect...........unfortunately they will also eat the rest of your garden.

[virtualpalm]

ok, you're right, I got the names askewed again. I was referring to Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin', named here commonly as "Giant Buddahs Belly".

And you did it again, Wal! The giant one is B. ventricosa, and the small one is B. vulgaris 'Wamin'.

Jody

[Walter John]

ok, you're right, I got the names askewed again. I was referring to Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin', named here commonly as "Giant Buddahs Belly".

And you did it again, Wal! The giant one is B. ventricosa, and the small one is B. vulgaris 'Wamin'.

Jody

Negatory Jody...the common name "Buddah's Belly" in OZ refers to Bambusa ventricosa, whilst "Giant Buddah's Belly" refers to Bambusa vulgaris cv. 'Wamin', at least in does here in Australia, and refers to the actually swollen nodes as they look or are larger on the smaller plant, the 'Wamin'.

That's the deal here.

over..

[virtualpalm]

OK. I think I understand now. Anyway, it is interesting to learn about common/vernacular names in other places.

Jody

[Moose]

Wal, Jody just kicked you harder than a roo with boxjing gloves--Crikey! Sorry Wal, you can't tell me about my messy bamboo having "small" leaves when I see the nasty thing everyday. But I do thank you for the tip on palms liking water--I'm gonna go and google what this "water" thing is and try and order some for my palms! If I add this "water" to my wamin, will it shrink the leaves down to the size of yours?

Andrew - And the "roo" put a major hurting on you for not reseaching your bamboo's cultivation requirements before planting it. If blaming Wal makes you feel better ...

[palmmermaid]

And that's why scientific names are so important! I always tell people to know them. If they don't pronounce them the same as someone else (read"expert") it doesn't matter. No living person knows the correct Latin pronounciation!