Who is from Central Texas?

[Dean W.]

I'm in Central Texas. Nice to meet you all.

[marasri]

Hello Dean, I hear you have Bamboo. How good is your soil where you are, or where the Bamboo is. Does it get by with minimal watering because I am not good at that. I would LIKE to have bamboo. I don't know much about bamboo. I had a gorgeous bank of 20 ' stuff that you see all over in the center of Austin. Where I am now is at 1390 feet and it is high and dry on a lot of fast draining virgin Cr#p. I am not sure Bamboo is for me even though I lust after it. I don't even know my varieties. Maybe I should look for something I could grow in a large container. What are your thoughts.

[Dean W.]

Hello Dean, I hear you have Bamboo. How good is your soil where you are, or where the Bamboo is. Does it get by with minimal watering because I am not good at that. I would LIKE to have bamboo. I don't know much about bamboo. I had a gorgeous bank of 20 ' stuff that you see all over in the center of Austin. Where I am now is at 1390 feet and it is high and dry on a lot of fast draining virgin Cr#p. I am not sure Bamboo is for me even though I lust after it. I don't even know my varieties. Maybe I should look for something I could grow in a large container. What are your thoughts.

Hi marasri,

Yes, I have some bamboo. My soil can be pretty rocky and chalky. I am familar with the Dripping Springs area and I know what you deal with. Yes, there are certain types that can get by with minumal watering.

What your probally seeing all over Austin is Phyllostachys aurea or Golden Bamboo. It is a running bamboo so you'll want to plant it some place; your not worried about it spreading. Well, I am currently growing some bamboo in containers. They are Chimonobambusa quadrangularis, Psudosasa japonica, and Qiongzhea tummissinoda. I also have some clumping bamboo in containers that I have yet to identify.

[phenixmoon214]

Thanks for the bamboo lesson, Dean. Very informative! I like the bamboo varieties you have, especially the Chinese Walking Stick.

Our last house had golden bamboo. It was a dangerous thing, it was long since out of hand & no way to really be rid of it once it was established. My neighbor told me they put some weed killer on it, but it was at the corner of 4 yards so it would keep coming back. I tried digging up new shoots that would appear all across the yard each time it rained. That just seemed to encourage it. Any tiny root that was left after digging it up would become a serious threat. I've heard having it near your house can even shift a foundation. Maybe Austin should import some pandas..

The closest I dare to come to bamboo these days is dracena sanderiana. It is great to have a bamboo expert & grower around. Welcome, neighbor!

[marasri]

I went to college in Hangjou , Mainland China in "80 for a semester. Our class room for one class was inside a grove of giant bamboo. The canes came up about 6 ' apart and went straight up. Our desks were amongst them. It was much nicer that inside the buildings that had been ransacked by mobs during the cultural revelution. They still hadn't replaced all the windows.. I saw some square bamboo at a teahouse. The Bamboo that I had backed up to a retaining wall and I lined it with two feet of rubber and galvanized metal and built a brick walk way there. We were successful in containing it and it grew tall for the species. It sold the house for us. The buyers loved it. and when it escaped it escaped on the surface and we cut it off. I know the problems of bamboo and letting it get out of hand. I just don't think that anything but cedar will get out of hand out here. I am on a cistern so watering a lot is out of the question. All the Bamboo in Austin is dried up this summer and waiting for a tossed cigarette.

[Dean W.]

Hi phenixmoon214,

Thanks for the welcome. I would hardly call myself an expert though. LOL!!!

[Dean W.]

marasri,

Interesting thanks for sharing your story. Yes, the bamboo can dry out a bit here around Austin.

[kancheta]

Welcome Phoenix Moon. I haven't been on much lately but its a great place and you will like it here. nice to meet you.

[phenixmoon214]

hi Kancheta. Thanks for the welcome & sorry for the late reply. Been having technical difficulties.

[kancheta]

Yes, so have I, lol. I'm checking now to see if I can read what I posted. I got so frustrated I gave up for a while.

[Dagger Guy]

Born in Dallas,have watched this area since I was born,my grand parents,bought 2 lots in horseshoe bay when it was only dirt lots.I have been involved with plants for twenty years, still learning.

[marasri]

HI!!!!ooh, you are close. I am down Hamilton Pool Rd. I mail my plants off to all the other guys in lakeway, What kind of plants are you interested in. There are a couple of seedswaps in the area this weekend, I think. Karen Huber, the county Commisioner court candidate is doing a seed and plant swap ice cream social fundraiser at the Cabana on 71 out by Reimers Rd. They will have music too.3-5 Sunday. I have been in the austin are since '77 and my husband since '70. The second day I was in Austin my brother took me out to a friends fathers house in "lakeway", few houses on the lake. I moved out from downtown about 8 years ago. Are you interested in Zeroscaping and natives?

[Dagger Guy]

Check out my website Lakewaylandscapes.com, I take care of a Landscape,I did a phase 2 planting on of Madrone Ranch trail it is 1,000 acres of heaven,
please excuse my website ,it has been up for 2 years,it is time to update.
Kind Regards Scott

[marasri]

Yes, I am familiar with Madrone ranch. I did some trasspassing on it back before they developed the tracts. Yes, there are some large amazing houses on it. and yes my neighborhood is a peice of heaven. I am past Bert and Ernie's about 1.5 miles. I have about 17 acres with a gorge in the back. No water except when the weather is right. But it is beautiful land. We are on the Shingle Hill ridge. I have a wildlife exemption and am learning about land restoration. It was a tad overgrazed and choked with cedar. I am definitely NOT a professional and am impressed with your website. You should get your slides from the Madrone Ranch up there. I don't know how you will improve on perfection unless you were planting the large field that they have. I sneak back there on occasion just to see things. Gated communities rub me the wrong way, but That is the way things go. I did a lot of native seeds this spring but they died this summer. So Iam seeding again. Do you do any land conservation work? Have you been out to Shield Ranch, 6000 acres of Heaven.

[Dagger Guy]

It is so pretty where you live,gated communities are weird,but preservation ranch is its world,belvadear or how ever you spell it, is super weird. I am building a totally self contained property 11 acres in dripping springs with a pond, on shoestring budget, it could take 4 years. I love plants, money does interest me much,it is just something I need a little of,it is so good to meet people like you that love nature,this property is going to be a a certified wildlife preserve,yea for animals!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scott