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Bamboo Care

Bamboo growth slows and goes dormant during the winter months. This is the best time to dig and separate rhizomes (field dig) from parent stock, as to minimize shock. The leaves may fall off your bamboo after planting. Don’t worry, the roots are healthy and as long as you keep it watered, new growth will occur in the spring. The rule of thumb with bamboo is: the first year it sleeps, the second year it creeps, and the third year it leaps!

Planting Bamboo

Your bamboo is being provided in a high quality potting soil that has had a special moisture retention gel added to it to help keep it from drying out. For best survival results, plant the bamboo as soon as you get home. Cut the bag to remove the plant, there should be no need to ‘rough up’ the root system, as the container bag discourages the roots from growing into themselves.Always plant the bamboo root-ball at the same depth (soil-line) as it was grown. Dig the hole twice as wide as the root-ball and then fill back in when the root-ball is placed in the hole. Pack the soil tightly and water heavily to get rid of any air spaces. Try to make a little berm around the plant to collect water in a bowl around the culms. You may mix up MiracleGrow Starter liquid for the first watering, otherwise, do not fertilize the bamboo for the first year. Applying a 2-inch deep mulch layer on top of the soil will help tremendously.

Watering Bamboo

Although many bamboo varieties are drought tolerant, watering for establishment is essential. Water bamboo one to two times weekly (depending on soil type) for the first 3 to 6 months until fully established. In general, bamboo needs about 1 inch of water every 7-10 days, depending on conditions. The edges of the leaves will roll up when the bamboo needs watering. Bamboo does seem to prefer liberal amounts of water at watering and then drying out a bit before watering again as opposed to short frequent waterings.

Pruning

There are no hard and fast rules about pruning. Some people prefer a dense-looking grove while others remove canes to have a more open appearance. Trim healthy culms one inch above a node with branches. Always remove dead canes. A general rule of thumb is to remove canes that are 5-7 years old. Use a good pair of shears to cleanly remove the cane at the soil line.