Bamboo is a very popular plant species in all regions of the world, it is native to Asia and is used for various practices, all this is due to its medicinal properties and its peculiar beauty that make it highly sought after by people, in the following article let us know a little more about the Characteristics of Bamboo.
The bamboo
Plants are one of the most striking natural representations that are usually very important because they carry out one of the main biochemicals necessary for the development of life on the planet, as well as a great variety and in very different ways, attracting attention to be used as ornamental species.
Bamboo corresponds to a plant that is native to India and belongs to the botanical family of grasses, they usually stand out for their long smooth stems (known as culms) that can reach up to twenty meters in height. They are known as the bamboos or bambusoideae, they can be considered as one of the most extensive and important botanical species for human beings.
They can be considered as herbaceous plants but also woody, they can be obtained in different areas of the continents, both in Europe and in Antarctica, their diversification is due 30 or 40 million years ago, differentiating their species by their types of leaves. , there are normally two main groups where the first corresponds to green and pseudopetiolate branches and the second group corresponds to its brown stem, they are of the basal and coriaceous type.
It has been determined that Bamboo can play a very important role in the evolution of different cultures, mainly that of the Asian continent, being widely used in different areas related to construction, fabric and paper such as medicine, musical instruments, writing, among other areas. Considering itself as a species that can have a wide variety of applications and also existing a large number of crops in different regions of the planet such as Australia and the United States.
Bamboo Characteristics
The characteristics of bamboo stand out for having a root that takes the form of a rhizome, normally it usually arises in the stems, these stems that are made up of knots, these knots being quite pronounced, highlighting the fact that its trunk is completely straight and smooth constituted with their respective knots that allow it to achieve a completely erect shape.
Its flowering time can be considered a fairly long period and it can require a large amount of nutrients and resources that favor its growth, due to its strong flowering it can cause the plant to weaken and lose great energy to such an extent. of not being able to recover and causing his death. Although it should be noted that flowering is not a very common factor, occurring in different cycles depending on the type of species, in some cases it is reported that they flower every 120 years.
Bamboos are considered to have a unique and individual stem that can have a lifetime of only a few decades, and there is also the situation of being a "genetic clock" that causes the flowering of the stems at the same time throughout the distribution. of species found in the range, where a Gregarious flowering (all species at the same time) or also a Sporadic flowering (some stems) is observed.
Bamboo can be considered as a type of small plant that can even measure a meter in height where its stems can acquire up to only half a centimeter in diameter, due to this they are considered ideal species to be cultivated as bonsai. In the same way, there can be species considered as giants that can measure up to thirty meters in height and even with about thirty centimeters in diameter, this type of species is not usually so common, normally there are species that only measure up to one or ten meters high.
Main Bamboo Species
Bamboo is a species that has spread worldwide, being highly recognized and valued among people, having endless meanings and relevance when used by different cultures, so there is a great variety with different characteristics, despite For this, only two main species can be highlighted, which are necessary to be able to know in order to control their expansion where the planting is located, which are highlighted below:
Stoloniferous Bamboo
The stoloniferous bamboo stands out for presenting very fine rhizomes and being very prominent for becoming elongated and being united by various canes that are known as underground stolons, normally this type of bamboo can acquire the structure that has enough strength and have similarity of strength, expanding up to fifty centimeters deep, reaching up to a few meters below the ground, thus forming outbreaks near its position or in neighboring gardens.
The best way to stop the expansion of stoloniferous bamboo is to avoid inconveniences, so it is recommended to plant them surrounded by rhizome blocker, all this can prevent all stolons from spreading. The way to correctly place the rhizome blocker is to surround the bamboo assembly, avoid doing it individually.
Tussock Growing Bamboo
In the case of this type of Bamboo, it does not have the ability to form stolons, it is based on carrying out its main development in the rhizomes that are normally short and also thick, all this can lead to the formation of buds that are distributed with all branches low to the ground. For this type of Bamboo species it is not necessary to use an underground rhizome blocker.
Tussock bamboos can produce a very significant amount of canes that are very thin and can be found all together, this type of bamboo can reach up to three meters in height, they are usually seen in places with a tropical climate but are ideal for be cultivated during the winter
Bamboo Care
The characteristics of bamboo are very relevant as it is such a prominent tree on all continents and also because it is present in the evolution of many cultures, becoming used as a very prominent ornamental species. To maintain a healthy species of bamboo, it is advisable to follow with the following characteristics:
Land
The soil or substrate is usually one of the main factors to be applied for the proper development and growth of plants, where all the necessary nutrients for their development are provided. The characteristics of Bamboo require that it be a loose enough soil to be able to retain water, always being prepared and rich in nutrients and minerals. It also guarantees that it has good drainage, in addition to having enough organic matter necessary for its growth.
Flowering
Flowering in plants is one of their most sought after characteristics because they provide variety and diversity, in the case of Bamboo it is a unique and exclusive case that can occur after long periods approximately every 80 or even 100 years, due to this the plant usually to overdo it until you die.
Fertilizer
It corresponds to a substance used that is responsible for being able to replace all the minerals and properties that the soil has lost due to the exposure of the various elements. The recommended fertilizer for bamboo is one that can generate new shoots that can be born and expand correctly, being applied those that are rich in organic matter because, being rhizomes, most of their nutrients that have a chemical fertilizer can reach to cause damage to the plant.
Pests
Plants are usually exposed to different climatic and environmental conditions that can drastically influence them because they tend to adhere to the plant and cause its death. Usually the pests that can affect are aphids, red spiders, powdery mildew and rust.
Multiplication
The multiplication of a plant is completely related to the reproduction that as a plant can have, some can become by seeds which are obtained by the sexual reproduction of plants, instead there is asexual reproduction which is linked to cuttings that can be obtained from the plant. For Bamboo it can be done by two different methods highlighted below:
grouping divisions
It corresponds to be able to separate all of them by propagules from the tillers, making reference to the fact that the complete plants must be separated according to their aspects.
Cuts of the Reeds
The cuts of the canes are related to the cuts of the mature branches with those arrangements that have buds and become too large or too small to protrude into the aerial sections of the plants. It is advisable to apply this type of multiplication before executing the annual period while growth is maintained at an active rate in the buds of the plants, this can only happen during the months of March and April.
In this case it is recommended to verify the buds of the branches trying to guarantee that there are at least three active buds, where it is necessary to have a vereta of three years of age, it is recommended that when making the cut then the veretas should be submerged in a Radix aqueous solution. Then it should be mixed with a solution of black soil, leaf soil and earthworm humus; filling the container to place the plants in a divided way applying irrigations regularly.
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