trying to transplant bamboo

[sleek]

So down in mid state south carolina i dug up some giant bamboo, 12+ inches in diameter. I have a root ball with 2.5 feet of stalk and its sitting in a bucket of water and dirt right now. Its been out of ground 3 and in a bucket 1 days now. I hope it didnt get to dry, i kept it in a trash bag until i got it in a bucket. Any tricks on getting it to survive?

[Chippintuff]

I would put it into the ground ASAP so the roots can start healing and growing. Make sure it does not get too dry. You can't hardly hurt it with too much water, so keep it wet.

WA

[mullet]

Just stick it in the ground where it gets lot's of Sun and water, give it a few years and then start cussing and fining a supply of Round Up.

[stickbender]

     Like Eddie said.  Just dig a hole bigger than what you need, so the roots, will be able to spread out, without having to fight through dense dirt.  Fluff the dirt a bit, and keep it watered, and in the sun.  Also vitamin B6 will help the roots grow.  It is good for any plants roots.  Then get ready, in a couple of years, for some serious, digging, and cussing.  Some varieties of bamboo can actually be seen growing.  As in getting taller.  You can watch it move upwards. Thought I would clarify that, before J.W. or some of you others jumped on that.  Oh, yeah, well I've seen corn growing, even a pine tree, etc.  Once it is established, it will spread quite rapidly.  Don't plant it near the house!  I have a Friend in Florida, that raises boo.  He has giant, and some other stuff that only gets about 1 1/2 inch in diameter, or so, and some black boo. I would like to grow some of the Bucket bamboo.  It is quite large in diameter, hence the name Bucket bamboo.  The Orientals used it for buckets.  Just cut it off below a node, and below the upper node, put a hole on each side of the top, and put a rope in it, and wa lah, a bucket!  There is also one called turtle back.  It is an ornamental boo.   There is a veritable "Plethora" varieties of bamboo. 
                                   Wayne
                                 

[Pat B]

Timber bamboo spreads like crazy and once established it's hard to get rid of.   Are you sure it gets to 12" in diameter? I've seen big boo get to 6" or slightly more but never heard of any getting that big.

[sleek]

I ment 12 + inches in circumference. Sorry. Anx i plan on planting this in an old river bottom where it can spread like it wants. We can brush hog to keep it down yearly where we dont want it

[Pat B]

I'd say to get it in the ground ASAP. The longer it is out of the ground the more damage to the roots. Plus, by getting it in the ground now the roots will grow all winter and be more prepared to support the plant come spring. It may take a couple of years before any large culms grow after you cut them back. If you leave a few full height new ones will grow tall. If not they take a few years to catch up.

[Eric Krewson]

I thought about planting a patch or two and put some giant timber bamboo roots out in remote places on a local mgt area. I was young and dumb back then, fortunately none of my plantings took or I would have established a very invasive species on the land.

I cut my bamboo in the backyard of an old man who put a patch out in his two acre back yard, now he has a two acre bamboo patch and not any back yard, big stuff, up to 7" in diameter.

Read up on planting and containment, it can be contained by water or a specialized barrier. This stuff spreads like kudzu and my be hard to contain by bush hogging.

When I was a 10 year old kid I found a patch of 2" diameter bamboo on an island in the Clinch river near Norris Tn. I planted some roots over the septic field in my parents backyard, big mistake.

It was pretty at first but took over about an acre. My  parents got divorced, my mother couldn't cut it to keep it under control and the patch got bigger and bigger.

My mother died, the house and land sold and I suspect the new owners are still fighting that stuff almost 60 years later.

[JoJoDapyro]

I ment 12 + inches in circumference. Sorry. Anx i plan on planting this in an old river bottom where it can spread like it wants. We can brush hog to keep it down yearly where we dont want it

Yearly? If it isn't your property I wouldn't do it. It spreads like crazy, and may be considered an invasive. Open space in Utah is covered in Phragmites.

[Pat B]

If you know where there is a patch just harvest what you need from there. Most folks wouldn't mind sharing it with you.

[sleek]

The land im planting belongs to a friend of mine. Its where we will host the oklahoma classic this sept. I have thought of a plastic barrier dug deap and high enough to stop it fom going over or under. I cut it in south carolina i live in oklahoma. I dont get that way enough to make regular supply trips.

[Pat B]

Just be sure your friend knows the drawbacks of planting the bamboo. Barriers do work if done properly but for a plant that wants to take over aches giving it a couple of hundreds square feet a barrier might not do the trick.

[Dakota Kid]

I'd use barrier at least four feet. Make sure the material will last, won't rot, or crack from temp changes. I learned the hard way about shoot spreading plants by letting my daughter plant a spearmint in the flower garden. I pull it several times a summer and it just keeps spreading. On the bright side, I do like the mojitos it provides in the early summer.

[mullet]

Yep, no bamboo or mint in my yard anymore.
Sleek, you ought to see what Timber Boo will do to a Bush Hog blade. About the same it will do to Planer blades.