Mimosa & bamboo - plant support!?

Question

Hi - i have a 6ft mimosa in my garden, it is planted at the back of a border a foot away from the fence, and the main stem is supported with a stick. it is doing very well & this year already has grown another foot in height & branched out further, however, as it has got bigger, it seems to heavy for itself, particularly in the rain where it seems to "sag"! Should i keep it trimmed & a bit more bushy - would this help? Also, i have a few bamboos - the common babamboo & black bamboo (sorry - cannot remember the technical names) they too are doing well but seem to lean from the fence (they are not supported but lean into the garden rather than remain staight or lean agaisnt the fence) when it is windy &/or rainy - is there anything i can do to assit them & keep them staight?

All advice appreciated, many thanks

Answer 1

What do you mean by Mimosa? It's unlikely it's the real one as this is quite tender but there are some trees which look like mimosa like Acacias and Albizias. What are the flowers like and what colour? If they are yellow and appear in late winter early spring it is an Acacia which will grow huge. If they are feathery and white or pinkish it's Albizia which is a small tree. The bamboo lean forward towards the light and because they like plenty of room. They will always sag a bit in heavy rain as they get a bit top heavy. Trimming a 'boo' is not a good idea because it stores food in the culms (canes) for the following year's growth and anyway it just doesn't look as good and won't grow back. The whole point of a 'boo' is the graceful stature and rustling noise in a breeze. You cannot support them very well unless they are quite small. If you have a small garden and still want bamboo go for an upright clumping variety like Chusquaea or Semiarundiaria. Your black bamboo is called Phyllostachys nigra and will spread itself quite a bit eventually, depending on how warm your climate is. Hope that helps

Answer 2

The mimosa tree grows fast and is far too big for most gardens.Shorten the branches by a foot or so to get it to sit upright,next year the trunk will be thick enough to support all the top grow.

Black bamboo is called phylistachyis nigra.If it's bending forwards the cut down leaning stems in 6 inches stages until you have cut enough to make it sit upright.Cut just above a leaf axil so you cannot see that it's been cut

Answer 3

I am assuming you are talking about a Mimosa Tree. The more water they get the faster they grow.

Also the way your Mimosa is growing is natural. These are a low growing tree that grows up so tall then the branches start to bow downward a bit.

You can always cut off the part that is growing in a direction you don't want it to grow. This is basically shaping it to grow in the direction/s you want it to grow and if your neighbors don't like it this might be your best bet next to totally removing the tree. Just let it grow in directions you want it to grow and you should have no problems.

During a drought a couple of years ago, my Mimosa's didn't grow hardly any but once I started giving them water 2-4 times a week they grew like a weed. One was 6 inches tall 4 yrs ago and now the tallest/longest branch is close to 20 ft.

Answer 4

The black bamboo is not necessarly Phyllostachys nigra. I have Bambusa lako which is also called black bamboo.

If the canes are mature there is very little you can do to make them straight. If you catch then as shoots you can train them to a certain extent with bunge cords

And dont let people tell you that all bamboo is invasive, just stick to clumping species and not runners (like phylostachys) and you will be fine

Sorry, dont know much about mimosa