The 2 – dwarf Red Delicious and 1 – Golden Delicious apple trees arrived last Wednesday, however the soil has been far to wet to dig and plant my trees.
They are bare root but I am well pleased. All 3 stand 4 feet tall and about 5/8 inch at their trunk base. Well worth the $9.00 per tree investment, even if it is a really bad time of the year to plant bare root trees.
These trees will go in the ground in the morning. Staking may not be required but with our sometimes stiff winds I will feel better if I stake them. Hehehe… better safe than sorry.
FYI – I selected the Red/Golden Delicious varieties because they will produce well in-spite of my normal summer heat. Many varieties do not produce or grow well south of zone 5 or 6a.
I off on a new Adventure. While in Dallas, Texas this past week, daughter Michelle L saw a planting of Bamboo and fell in love with it. So, being a old guy Grin … with a lot time on my hands, I did what any one would do. I Googled it!
Much to my surprise, the first business I looked at has 300 That’s Right, 300 Bamboo Varieties in their catalog. Even more amazing to me was the number that are cold hearty as far north as USDA Zone 5.
Bamboo is not cheap. Prices range from $20.00 to $100.00 plus shipping for a 1 gallon potted plant.
The truth is I don’t think any Bamboo that gets over about 15 feet tall can stand up to our 60 or sometimes 70 MPH winds and cold hearty to -10 degrees. With this in mind it limits my choices to about 7 varieties.
The sales pitch.
Arundinaria gigantea Common Name: River Cane or Canebreak bamboo
Diameter: 1 inch
Hardiness: -10° F
This species, along with its shorter form, ‘Tecta’, are the only bamboos native to the United States. It was once widespread in the southeast, growing in Florida and as far north as Ohio and Maryland.
The ‘Tecta’ form looks similar but only grows 6-8 feet tall and is tolerant of wet soil.
A variety called ‘Macon’ is rumored to grow more upright and to be cold tolerant to -22 F. We cannot verify if this is true.
Phyllostachys arcana ‘Luteosulcata’
Diameter: 1-2 inches
Hardiness: 0° F
This rare bamboo has zigzag culms that look different than the more common “Yellow Groove” . The yellow strip along the sulcus is also brighter. A small to medium height Phyllostachys with slender, smooth canes. It is best used as a specimen plant in a visible area where people can appreciate its unusual curvature. It is adapted to grow in most places within the United States, from zone 6 through 10.
Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Alata’
Common Name: Crookstem Bamboo
Diameter: 2 inches
Hardiness: -10° F
This is the all-green form of Yellow Groove Bamboo. It has many culms with sharp bends near the base. This attribute gives this plant its common name. This form is larger than the species. Crookstem bamboo although having the crooks near the base is very erect and makes a good hedge or screen.
Happy Note. The area selected to plant Bamboo is 10 feet wide 20 feet long and is bordered by a concrete curb 12 inches in the ground. This should contain this plant in the event it likes it here and grows well.
With $36.00 shipping cost, 3 different bamboo varieties in 1 gallon pots will cost about $111.00 shipped to my front door.
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Town & Country Gardening 
I like this post so much, thank you for sharing 🙂
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bamboo is thought of as evasive in WV. No one who plants it is ready to handle the growth and space that it will eventually take over. Crazy stuff! My husband hates it because he works under and around bridges all day and many people have planted it along creek banks and bridges. They have to tire it our by the roots to slow the growth around the bridges and it still comes back.
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Good luck!
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Cautionary note: You need a “curb” that goes down 2 1/2 feet underground to “contain” bamboo. It will take over. When my boys were in middle and high school they assumed the responsibility of maintaining an old neighborhood cemetery. A neighbor had planted bamboo to hide the view. Before turning the job over to someone else when the boys were off to college, we spent 10 years chopping and applying round up to the stumps and new growth; but it was still coming up over the old graves and in some cases, toppling the old headstones. This in Central Texas.
Another note: daughter is a scenic artist and was excited to find bamboo growing along our creek (we are no longer living near the cemetery mentioned above). Unfortunately, the local bamboo is very brittle and does not provide the strength needed to securely extend her brush reach. The upshot: if you find the right species, you may have a cash crop for other than bamboo sprouts for cooking. – – PS – – daughter lives in Dallas. 🙂
So much to learn – – so little time . . . .
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Grin … Thanks for the heads up on containing bamboo.
Hehehe … maybe I will put the Chinese of of business selling DIY bamboo trellis materials.
Happy Gardening
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I’m amazed they sell bare-rooted trees in summer! You learn something new every day 🙂
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These dwarf apple trees normally sell for about 25.00 dollars each. I’m sure they have been in cold storage to prevent them from breaking bud and leafing out. As such they are left overs that did not sell during the normal spring planting season and had to be sold at a bargain price or pitched in a dumpster.
Happy Gardening
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