There are many ways in which bamboo is a resilient plant, not the least of which is its flexibility. It is important to know how to handle your bamboo when extreme weather comes. Many people, when they first see a scene like these above are concerned that damage may occur. Not to worry! With few exceptions, plants that are already rooted will spring back completely from a snow load or even ice. This will happen once warmer weather prevails. As the ice melts, most of the plants will spring back on their own. If you have some which remain curved/bent over once the snow is gone, you should temporarily tie them up to a neighboring culm with string, fishing line or zip ties.
Normally even the branches will return to normal. The top photo is the screen you may have seen south of our shop. It was not harmed at all by the snow. The lower photo is of stock plants which are potted. Although they are not in the ground, even those were largely unaffected by the snow.
Caution: There is one mistake we have had first year customers make which we need to warn about:
If you have not seen snow or particularly ice load the branches of your bamboo, you may have an urge to “Come to the Rescue” and try to knock off the offending precipitation. That is a mistake. This plant is going to recover just fine without your help, and it is much more likely that you will tear off leaves and small branches by trying to help it. The added weight of the ice/snow makes it easy to snap limbs if you pull on it.
If we are getting snow, the good news is that it is almost time to fertilize, and that is followed by our favorite time-Shooting season!
