What is wrong with my Bamboo? - Ask Extension
My bamboo is usually green and healthy looking. This year two of them are turning yellow, losing leaves, and some of the stalks have black spots. The...
Knowledgebase
What is wrong with my Bamboo? #560608
Asked May 12, 2019, 2:51 PM EDT
My bamboo is usually green and healthy looking. This year two of them are turning yellow, losing leaves, and some of the stalks have black spots. They do have lots of new sprouts coming up but even some of those have the black spots. Can you help me figure out what is going on and what to do about them? I love my bamboo and usually you can't kill the darn things.
Also, whenever I plant something between the bamboo it dies and never comes back up the next spring, Any thoughts on that?
Also, whenever I plant something between the bamboo it dies and never comes back up the next spring, Any thoughts on that?
Marion County Oregon
Expert Response
Hard to say with just the images and info you sent. Not a lot of work on this plant in the PNW. There have been odds and ends of leaf spots over the years. A few fungal ones (Cyphellophora sp. and Cladosporium sp.), a bacteria (Pseudomonas sp.) and several abiotic (non-living) problems. To be certain, you would need to send in some samples to the OSU Plant Clinic and see what they find in the spots.
In the mean time, assuming it is a living problem like a fungus, you can do a few things such as clean up any plant debris around the plants (sanitation). Air flow looks good between stalks so no need to change that. Remove any dead stalks.
We did have several long wet warm periods a month ago and that may have gotten this problem going.
Good luck, they look like they should do well in the long run. Should I just leave it alone and see what happens next year? The nursery guy said to put fertilizer with high nitrogen on them. Plus you said clear away debris and I found an article that said leave the dead leaves around the bottom to keep in the moisture....help!
The fertilizer recommendation would be based on your description of the leaves yellowing and assuming they are nitrogen deficient. Generally lower leaves show this but it is not easy to tell from your images. Go ahead and fertilize but be careful how much you put down so you don't burn (salt out) roots.
The raking up debris is only for diseases that might be hiding out in the leaf litter. That is assuming it is a disease problem. You can always mulch with other materials if you feel they lack water in the summer time. I suspect you can add water and it might not be an issue.
