growing bamboo from seed

[theothermarg]

has anybody tried this? i,v been looking on e-bay and found quite a few bamboo seeds for sale this seems interesting but is this way any good? i have a plain hardy plant app 5' high in a pot to stop it going mad in my small garden so advise on a variety suitable for this would be helpful  i do have a greenhouse to overwinter for less hardy types
marg :-\

[theothermarg]

[New Plot]

Hi
i collected seed from a Fargesia Nitida last autumn and now have two plants that are about 6 inches high and getting nice and bushy.  According to my bamboo book plants from seed can be faster growing than divisions of more mature plants.  The seed I collected was planted straight away and took a few weeks to germinate.  I put it on the kitchen window sill through the winter as they need nurturing for a couple of years.

If you look around garden fences you might find a F. nitida in flower and can collect a few seeds for free.  They are ripe when falling off easily, but the ones I collected needed a bit of pulling out and still germinated.  The hedge I collected from is still in flower and I may try some more this summer. ( The flowers overhang onto public footpath).

Good luck - I love bamboo.

[theothermarg]

thanks new plot  i,ll try to find it in abook so i reconize it  mine is just outside a window i love watching the leaves move about in the breeze
marg