Tip 149: Growing roots like the bamboo

As I read about the growth of the bamboo tree, after reading an Indonesian parable of the bamboo and the fern, I thought more about roots. If a gardener would know the bamboo tree well and know it needs time to develop its system of roots, do we as daddies provide ample time and opportunity for our children to grow roots through trial and error? Or do we intervene unnecessarily such that the child has not had enough time to learn for themselves? Though, daddy needs to know when to intervene when the child is in danger and is incapable of handling the situation by themselves. The more roots, the taller the bamboo grows. That could mean a lot of anxiety to the daddy though. Not unless daddy knows well. Same can be said of the omniscient God who cares for us. But, of course daddies are not God. The following some dry facts about bamboo growth.

The growth of Bamboos varies from species to species. The Bamboo tree devotes most of its energy to develop the rhizome system of roots in the initial years. As a bamboo grove develops, the new culm (canes) become larger in diameter and the height increases in each new cane until the grove reaches maturity.

The oldest culms are usually the smallest in size.The new culms, produced during the Spring of each successive year,will emerge larger than the previous year's growth, as a general rule.

This is due to the increase in the underground system of rhizome of roots. The larger the rhizome system, the faster it will begin to produce larger and numerous shoots. You can not short cut the amount of time it takes a species to establish it's rhizome system. It is very important to realize that the bamboo division you begin with is only going to grow underground. The culms (cane) attached to the rhizomes or roots has finished growing and will only support the rhizome system. So do not expect the culm to take off and get larger or taller.

Each Spring the culm emerges the diameter it will be and grows to the height it is going to be in a couple of months. It takes bamboo about three full years, in the ground, before the mother plants really take off and start producing multiple shoots.

The mother plant (no matter what size that you begin with) is finished growing in diameter and height, but the rhizome will grow outward underground. Bamboo is a (grass) colony plant and most of the bamboo grove will be underground.

Each Spring, the new culms will begin to emerge larger in height and diameter than the previous Spring's growth, until the mature size of that species is reached after several years.

Okay, enough of bamboos for the day. Do share any bamboo growth tips and more lessons into the mystery of the fastest growing woody plant on terra firma. (The fastest growing plant on earth is the seaweed). For those not bamboo experts, but daddy the expert, do share if you had a situation of anxiety when you were unsure whether to intervene or not?

(Photos show Musee D'Orsay, Paris reknowned for its collections of art, and a view from a window there that should probably not be openned, overlooking Sacre Coeur on top of a hill).