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Growing & Caring for Your Bamboo

By Michael Russell

Bamboos are some of the most versatile and resilient grasses. They are easy to grow and maintain because these plants demand little care and fuss. They grow up fast like lawn grass and they benefit from simple watering and fertilizer applications. Once the bamboo has achieved its top mature size, which takes about ten years, it then becomes even easier to grow.

Bamboos do not require much fertilizer and watering when mature enough. Some species are even drought tolerant. They also benefit from a wind screen and some light shade when first planted as well. This is especially true of the smaller variety, though some species like the Fargesias, Thamnocalamus and Sasas can grow well with a lot more sun. In fact, the Fargesias and most Thamnocalamus are grown better with some shade during the middle of the day when it is hottest.

Aside from watering and fertilizer, bamboos greatly benefit from pruning, which most owners forget to do. Bamboo plants grow by producing new canes every year, usually in the spring. Some tropical species of clumping bamboos produce new canes later in the summer. These canes grow very fast in just a month or two. On the third month, the canes will start branching and leafing out like asparagus shoots. Each cane grows as much as it can in a short period of time and then the growth abruptly stops. In the next few years, each cane will only continue to branch and leaf out at a slower rate. As the canes grow even bigger, they can now begin to produce new and larger canes each year, after which the "mother" cane will age and finally die.

Placement is also important when determining where to position your bamboo shoots. You should always remember that most large bamboos grow faster and healthier in full sun. Fargesia and Thamnocalamus are the hardiest kinds and can be planted without the fear of uncontrollable spreading. Other bamboos spread by their underground rhizomes, so barriers need to be set up to limit their growth. A barrier 40 mil in thickness by 30 inches deep of HDPE (high density polyethylene) to control their spread usually does the trick.

Most bamboos grow extremely well in a moderately loamy soil that is slightly acidic. If your soil is quite heavy, you will have to add some organic materials. These materials can be dug well into the soil where the bamboo is to be planted. It is also recommended that you mulch the area well and let some earthworms do the work for you before you plant your bamboo. You don't need to spend for mulch. Any organic material makes good mulch and grass preferred because of its high nitrogen and silica content. Hay is good also but it is often a source of weed seeds, which can be a future problem. Any kind of manure is good as long as it's not hot. Limit the use of chicken manure for bamboos. Chipped trees are also good for bamboo growth.

Bamboo is a forest plant and it grows better if mulch is maintained over the roots and rhizomes. Do not rake or sweep up bamboo leaves that fall off the plant. These can keep the soil soft and moist. The leaves also recycle silica and other natural chemicals that are necessary for bamboo growth.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide.
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