What causes leaf tips to brown?
There are various possible causes. It may be due to excess fertilizer, an imbalance of soil nutrients, or too much water. Some of the dwarf varieties normally get brown tips during the winter cold and may be sheared early spring. Why have the leaves become sparse? This may occur if the canopy of leaves becomes too dense to let light into the interior, so prune for light exposure. On culms 5 or more years of age, they will decrease their leaf production as the culms begin to die. Prune these out to allow for new culms. If the old rhizomes are tightly massed, remove sections of rhizome to allow space for new rhizomes. If there is significant leaf loss on a newly planted bamboo it may be from transplant shock, from either insufficient or excess water, or from the root-ball shifting in the wind and destroying new feeder roots. My bamboo is looking healthy but not spreading after two or more years in the ground. Why? The most common reason for this is that a sun-loving bamboo is in an area
