Returned to Black Bamboo after a difficult first attempt

My first attempt at Black Bamboo failed — yellowing leaves from drought or nitrogen deficiency got hold of it and I didn't know what I was looking at until it was too late. I left it alone for a year before trying again.

The second attempt, with proper attention to installing a root barrier for running bamboo before planting, has been completely different. It's now thriving in a poolside or water feature surrounding planting and beautiful sound of canes moving in wind is on full display. new shoot emergence in spring growing at remarkable speed this year was a genuine reward for starting again. If you failed first time, the plant isn't the problem — the conditions probably were.