Flowering Bamboo

After an exceptionally wet winter and spring, my black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) is flowering profusely. I'm sure I read years ago that once bamboos flower, they either die or take years to recover. It certainly looks horrible at the moment.
Has anyone else noticed theirs flowering? Would you chop it down and hope it re-grows?

 

My Phyllostachys nigra has not flowered yet. I believe that they can survive after flowering with a good feed and patience. I think that if mine flowered I would cut it down feed, mulch and hope for new shoots.

 

I'm not sure if it works in cultivation, but I have heard that all one species tends to flower at the same time in the wild.
Then takes ages to recover, poor old pandas.

 

I have a Pleioblastus that has flowered for the past 2 years.
I just cut out the canes with the flowers and it resprouts new ones. Also give it a good manure mulch.

 

Many thanks for the replies, folks As every single stem was flowering, I've chopped it all down and will give it lots of FYM as suggested. At least I've gained some very classy-looking bamboo canes for supporting other plants

 

I thought that when a given species flowered, it did so right across the world, and then that lot all died. Obviously not including immature plants. The flowering right across the world phenomena being one of the last great unsolved riddles but its once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence does, then, give rise to new hybrids

Maybe I dreamt it?

 

My understanding is that it is all plants of the same clone that flower at the same time.
It could be an issue if the plants in cultivation have arisen from original plant, as is often the case.

 

How big was the clump?
Might be worth digging up the rhizomes and starting again.
Perhaps with another species? There are some nice ones to choose from.

 

Ah, that makes MUCH more sense, ta.

Now then ... can you just explain how they all know that it is time to flower?

Bit like termite alates all leaving their nests to mate on the same day ...

Perhaps they all had cellphones long before Man did?

 

Stupid question alert!!!
Couldn't the flowers be removed thus saving the plant?

 

Don't think that works as the plant has already changed physiology into flowering (and dying ) mode. Stupid things!

Its one reason for NOT planting a Bamboo hedge. If it flowers (which can be a once-in-100-year event, but NOT 100-years-from-planting) then its Goodnight Vienna

 

Maybe from one or two culms.
But on a whole clump it would be very tricky.
And you would only be able to get to the flowers once they are well developed, so it would prbably be too late.

 

I suspect it is genetically pre-programmed.

A few years ago, a friend of mine not too far from me, lost his Fargesia nitida after it flowered.
Yet mine didn't.
Diffierent source, so I am guessing different clone.

 

Don't agree.
A lot of Bamboos have never been known to flower in cultivation.
And as above, not all that do flower die .
So is bad lack if you lose your hedge