Dying Black bamboo trees in North Texas

[dallasmaverick]

Hello All,
We had planted these bamboo trees in these planters in 2018, they did pretty well so far. But one of them died this spring, and another one has started to brown.
The one that died, the soil seems to retain water and has become kind of soggy.
Would appreciate if we can get any advice from the experts on this forum. We would love to save them. Shall we change the soil and replant them?

 

[oneeye]

You have a beautiful garden friend. Outdoor plants should have the soil changed after the soil structure is depleted. Over time the container soil can lose its vitality from the hot summer heat and rain. What I do with big containers is gently remove 1/3 of the old soil and replace it with new soil yearly. For small containers that are manageable, I replace 80% with new soil. I have some outdoor container plants over 15 years old using this method. Lastly, you will need to replace all your soil in the wooden box and replant the bamboo. WOW, NORTH TEXAS is already HOT!

 

[dallasmaverick]

You have a beautiful garden friend. Outdoor plants should have the soil changed after the soil structure is depleted. Over time the container soil can lose its vitality from the hot summer heat and rain. What I do with big containers is gently remove 1/3 of the old soil and replace it with new soil yearly. For small containers that are manageable, I replace 80% with new soil. I have some outdoor container plants over 15 years old using this method. Lastly, you will need to replace all your soil in the wooden box and replant the bamboo. WOW, NORTH TEXAS is already HOT!

Thank you very much! Appreciate it greatly!

 

[Tetters]

May I ask if you have been watering this bamboo a lot? Are there any drainage holes in the bottom of the container? It looks to me as if it is being killed with ''kindness''
All bamboo is quite happy in poor soil and spread rapidly by way of rhizomes. They do not require a lot of feed. Your plants are showing signs of root rot, and I suggest you take the whole lot out of the box and have a good look at those roots. Any black slimy ones will need getting rid of. Root rot also smells nasty - so that would be a tell tale sign for sure. To replant any rhizomes you will need to find decent bits that may be unaffected.
I would also suggest extreme caution too because this is a variety which will travel fast - under concrete etc and go 20ft or more. Some bamboo clump rather than run. This might be worth considering.
The clumping bamboo has a perfectly round stem, whereas the runners have ridges!