Bamboo Pruning

In a pot I have what was described as a hardy bamboo, about 18" high. The tops are looking a bit straggly and thin. Can I prune it now?

 

can you give us a picture?
there are some small bamboo species that die down in winter and shoot back in spring ...I`ve got one myself that die in winter and will just shoot leaves back from the same stem .

 

I am still trying to summon the energy via Photobucket to post pics I am afraid. Sorry.

 

do you remember the name of it?or where did you both that from?or how tall it should grow? or perhaps how long has been in that pot?

 

It came with no name other than hardy bamboo. It has been in the sizeable pot for several months only. I have other bamboos and this one does not appear to be kind that will grow tall.

 

Apologies, apologies. I have just found the label it came with. It is Fargesia Murieliae Joy. it grows to 1,5 metres. Can I lightly trim the tops? Sorry for confusion. Mike

 

Hi Mike....
if it`s a fargesia then leave it , the only thing I can think of is that need repotting and a better position ,consider that it`s only a small plant at the moment and dasn`t take frost as much as an adult plant....keep it in a frost free area of your garden , check the roots if they are stressed , repot the plant at the end of March , by the end of may/June you should see the new shoot coming out and then
you want to cut the thin stem from the base ........the bamboo stems you got now will never grow up ....the new shoot will make the big plant.
don`t cut the stem tip now, it`s still to cold and a fresh cut will make die the stem to the base, plus the steam will tell you about the heath of the plant.
In case you need to cut the overstressed roots , put them in a compost pot ....they will produce more bamboo plant.