2023 Clumping Bamboo Collection Tour - AZ 9B

[@MojaveCrestGardens]

I have been watching your bamboo tour videos every year since 2020. I really enjoy them! I also live in a desert and have added a few bamboos to my yard too! Thanks for the inspiration and keep making tour videos!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Thanks; appreciate the encouragement!

[@habibkhan-hd8xc]

Appreciate all the videos! I've been watching for over 5 years now since you started putting videos of Plumeria. Especially your Fig and Bamboo videos and updates. Thank you for being an inspiration and helping me select great cultivars based on your experience!

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are very welcome and thank you for the kind words!

[@paulm965]

Thanks for doing this video. I was starting to question growing bamboo here in S. Arizona---mine just got so bleached this summer. Good to hear some of the varieties you think are better suited to our climate.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome! It seems every year has brought different weather in recent years and this past summer was awful. Oldhamii had a hard time in the afternoon sun but recovered. Yes; Asian Lemon/ Lime and Seabreeze do quite well in full sun with minimal leaf scorch.

[@bobmcallister8028]

Thank you for sharing. Always a pleasure to see what you have accomplished. Very impressive backyard. It's good to hear you get the word out that Jamaican cherry is cold sensitive. I lost one that was over 20 feet tall last year in the winter. What are your thoughts on amendments, homemade worm teas, green sand and sulfur around your tropical trees?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome and thanks so much! Lowering our ph is crucial for the plants to be able to absorb various nutrients. Elemental sulfur does lower the ph in the soil effectively. I've done soil tests periodically to monitor levels. I do try to apply that during spring and summer when the soil is warm for microorganisms to metabolize it into sulfate. It's a waste to apply it in fall and winter IMO. For my container plants and tropicals, I tend to feed them with a water-soluble food during the growing season that has an acidic base to it so that when mixed with our high ph water, it's at 6 and readily taken up by the plant. I don't really do compost teas, foliar sprays, and other special amendments anymore. I've never used green sand. In experimenting with different things, I find the plants and trees really improve after applying alfalfa pellets around them like you would find at feed stores. As it breaks down, plant vigor goes up and deficiencies go away.

[@championhomestead6273]

I really appreciate ALL the information you share. After this summer in 9b I am preparing now with a few of your suggestions as next summer is theorized to be more of the same or slightly worse. Again, thank you.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome! Glad to help.

[@chrisc7262]

Thanks for the update tour. I have recently planted China Gold which I believe is Bambusa eutuldoides var. Viridi Vittata. Do you know if clumping varieties like Asian Lemon send up new culms only in late spring or can they have multiple growth periods?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

You are welcome. Asian Lemon sends up culms multiple times of the year. Mine shot quite a few in summer and now many in fall. Many of the varieties I grow did not shoot many culms this past spring (which was unusually cool) or summer (very hot) and are making up for it now.

[@chrisc7262]

@EnlightenmentGarden 👍 good to know. We are in warm Adelaide, South Australia 🇦🇺 which may be a similar zone to Arizona, but maybe more temperate, we never get below 2 or 3 degrees Celsisus in winter. Hopefully, we will get a few new culms this season, although it is only its first year in the ground. Hopefully, it will look as good as yours in a few years 🙏😌 (wish we had the space for some larger varieties)

[@juliejenkins4743]

I recently planted golden goddess bamboo for privacy across the back of my fence … Searching for information on fertilizing it Wondering what you use and how often I live in Louisiana zone nine Different climate for sure because we are dealing with high humidity thanks so much. I’m so glad I found your video.

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Glad it is helpful! Bamboo is a grass so high nitrogen fertilizer is what they need most for consistent growth. I use a synthetic granular once a year in spring: Nutricote 18-6-8 Slow Time Release Fertilizer (amazon carries it). I also apply ammonium sulfate or deodorized manure in late spring and early fall to boost growth/green it up.

[@savdutch1388]

Your channel just came up on my feed. Love your backyard and bamboo variety. I live in Florida 9b and just planted Seabreeze bamboo. Would love to try different varieties. What water system do you use? Thank you

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Glad you enjoyed the tour! I do love bamboo in the landscape. For a bit on my irrigation setup and practices, you may want to view my video "Frequent Irrigation Method Update | Success?". Given you are out in Florida, it may not really relate to your climate but I practice light frequent watering vs deep as our summers get crazy hot and we have little humidity

[@chadsershen]

hey there! been following for a while. have you ever propagated your bamboo?

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Hi! I've tried air layers and rooting culms but just have not had any success. Division is the only way I have gotten them to take but that is very labor-intensive and requires equipment to saw through the roots. There is likely something about timing and light exposure when rooting them in the desert as I hear it's very easy in more humid climates like FL.

[@watzegjemedaarnouvan]

Some tips if you wanna try running baboo they can only travle as far as the are tall without needing to send up new shots soo if you have a running babmoo thats 20 feet tall yiu would have to mow a 20 feet area around it. soo running bamboo is not that scary monster you've been told it is if you know what ur doing

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

A 20' footprint would be far too much for my garden but thanks for the tips.

[@MrSpeed396]

I have a question for you off subject. Have you tried Peters honey here in Az? I've had mine potted for three years now and it produces lots of fruits but they never ripen and end up just falling off the tree at a small size. I have it on drip so it's getting plenty of water, fertilizer and good soil Promix BX with good supplements any ideas? Thank you

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Yes, I've tasted it here off a friend's tree but didn't like it enough to grow it. In my experience, all light-skinned honey-type figs struggle to ripen here in full sun except for Nixon Peace and Yellow Long Neck. This is one fig you may want to put in the afternoon shade or hang 30-40% shade cloth over a frame a few feet higher than the plant to help the fruit ripen and not scald. If after doing that, the fruit still never develops/ripens, you may not actually have a Peter's Honey and it may be a mislabeled non-self-fertile variety like a smyrna.

[@MrSpeed396]

Thank you very much for the info. I really appreciate you.

[@musicalastronaut7011]

I need something that grows extremely fast. :o

[@EnlightenmentGarden]

Seabreeze is the fastest-growing clumping bamboo variety that I've seen (at least in my climate).

[@watzegjemedaarnouvan]

I would go for a running bamboo if you're looking for speed

[@beulahchayyim]

Running bamboo can create issues. Been called invasive. Heads up.

[@watzegjemedaarnouvan]

@@beulahchayyim Not if you know what ur doing