Should I give up on growing bamboo?

[PenfoldsFive]

I have three golden bamboo in pots and they look dreadful. Pretty much all the leaves are brown. I wonder if it’s the coastal wind, they’re getting watered and fed but have looked like this since the autumn.

I could move them to a more sheltered spot but they would only get sun from about 6pm each day. Is that enough?

Any ideas?

How big are your pots? I have Them three large 50cms pots to screen next doors ugly fence.
Although they’re lovely when the wind blows they do not like exposed sites, particularly coastal winds. I tried growing them in a coastal garden and experienced the same as you.
I’d repot if needed, give them a good feed and water well. It’s the beginning of the growing season, so if you can move them to a more sheltered situation they should be fine. Just don’t let them dry out.

them in.. meant to add, mine are in a North Eastern corner so don’t get much sun either and they’re fine.

Thanks! Pot-wise, they’re fine, I got them out to have a look last weekend, and they have growing room left. Good to know they can cope with less sun, these would be lined up along a wall facing due north if I moved then to get shelter. Will give it a go.

Should have said, the pots are 50cm.

By the way, is there anything I can at the moment to improve the look of them? Cut them right down? They’re about 4 feet tall.

I cut mine down to move them from coastal location to inland garden. They took about a year to recover, as you have to wait for the shoots to grow up from earth level. A few of the existing canes did sprout.
I’d just wait for the new canes to grow through.

Also, the good thing is that you can move pots about if they’re not doing too well.

I gave them a rather radical lockdown haircut this afternoon.
I didn’t take anything off the top but I took all the side stems off the bottom half of the stems. No idea if that was the right thing to do in these circumstances but I thought it was worth a try compared to beheading the whole thing.
Do you miss your coastal garden? I love living by the sea, but some planting is a challenge isn’t it?

I still have my coastal garden, it’s at our second home. It’s about a third of an acre of shrubs, on a hill.. It will probably be completely overgrown by the time we’re allowed back!
The one I’m at now is more of a modern take on a farmworkers cottage garden, and as far from the coast as you could get!

Oh dear, just been doing a bit more research, and it turns out golden bamboo are not great for wind, sea, or shade! Maybe I should cut my losses and grow something else.

Good luck battling the shrubs when you return!

My bamboo are the same, brown and dry. I've repotted but think I may need to go bigger. Do I use any feed?

I remember two summers ago before mine got really wretched they responded well to liquid seaweed feed. I think I’ve probably also chucked some fish, blood and bone on there, and chicken manure too, over the time I’ve had them.
Sadly I think the way they look at the moment only a trip to Lourdes will help.

@userxx Nitrogen is a good feed for bamboos. I use chempak granules.

Great, I will give it a go. Really hoping I can pull it back round, feel a bit guilty I didn't look after it properly to be honest.

Aloe, do you wrap yours up in winter? I'm wondering whether I should do some fleece when the weather goes cold again.

I don’t penfolds

My winter prep is putting a layer of horse manure around the base and a tidy up of any spindly canes. Then plenty of watering in spring and summer - they’re thirsty plants. Nitrogen added to the watering can periodically. Even a lawn feed high in nitrogen would work as bamboo is a grass. If yours are in pots I would top dress more frequently with spent compost.

Can you post a photo?

This is one of mine, photo taken yesterday - excuse the dogs. It was pruned into a compact bushy shape before winter.