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Repotting procedure
Repotting is best carried out in autumn, as plants enter
dormancy but while temperatures are still warm enough to allow some root growth;
before culm growth begins in spring is the next best choice. Ideal weather conditions
for the procedure are a cool, overcast day, without strong sunshine. Following
division, the thinning of the top growth is an important stage. Removing old,
thin and weak growth prevents the root system from becoming overtaxed by
decreasing the demand for water from the culms. One-year-old shoots are left
unpruned because these will branch next year, but it is possible to remove 30-50
percent of the top growth without harming the plant. Pruning in this way will
concentrate growth into the new shoots which will come through thicker and
stronger. Some dwarf species like Pleioblastus auricomus and P.
variegatus can be sheared to ground level every spring, which results in the
freshest looking new foliage being produced later in the season. With tall
species, it is possible to reduce the height of the culms drastically without
harming the plant, and encourage leafy side shoots to be produced lower down the
stem.
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