Caring for Bamboo Plants

Bamboos are very popular as evergreen garden plants and make fantastic hedging, windbreaks, privacy screens, and ground cover landscape garden design features. This section on Caring for Bamboo Plants will cover some of the things you need to consider to be successful in cultivation and care of bamboos in your garden.

Your care program should take the following into consideration according to the chosen species, climate, weather, soil type, and other factors referred to on this page such as mulching.

Watering

Although most bamboos don't need huge amounts of water to sustain, they do need to have access to water and the amount will again be dependent on the requirements of the individual species. Young or newly planted bamboos will need to be watered regularly until they have become established, particularly in hot weather or dry winds. As a guide, give 1/2 gallon to plants under the 5 gallon container size, and at least 1 gallon for plants over the 5 gallon container size. Once it has grown to the desired height it can survive on less water but until then you must ensure it does not dry out, every day if necessary.

All bamboos will benefit from good mulch for nutrients and caring for bamboo plants through mulching will also help retain water in the ground and stop it from drying out so quickly in sun or wind. If you want to grow bamboos on a particularly wet area of land you need to check for species that thrive on lots of water, and vice versa for a particularly dry climate.

Fertilizer

When planted in a suitable location most bamboos don't really need to have a lot of fertilizer but as with any plants, they do benefit from it and you will achieve better results if it is applied. Organic fertilizer will help achieve an attractive, healthy and vigorous growing plant. Lawn fertilizer also gets good results as it is high in nitrogen.

Don't give them seaweed fertilizer as most bamboo plants don't like it!

Weeding

Large and mature bamboos may not be so prone to competitive weeds but the newly planted, young, or small species, will need to be watched and the area may need periodical weeding to enable the plants to do their best. Although weeds may be few in established groves, a bit of weeding is all part of the caring for bamboo plants process.

Fallen Leaves

A substantial number of the leaves of these plants will usually yellow and fall off in the spring. This is quite normal so don't be concerned. Even evergreen plants lose and renew their leaves in the spring.

Do not to rake or sweep up the bamboo leaves from under the plant unless you desperately need to. They protect the soil, roots and rhizomes from becoming too hot, cold, and dry as they keep the soil soft, and moist, and also recycle silica and other natural chemicals necessary to the bamboo. They make very good mulch, and caring for bamboo plants is not so intensive if you have applied a good mulch.

Mulch

Although it may not look like grass, bamboo is a group of perennial evergreen plants in the Poaceae grass family. It is also a forest plant that does best with good mulch over its roots. If you leave fallen leaves where they lay under the plant they will keep the soil moist and soft, and recycle natural chemicals that are needed by the bamboos for good growth. If you don't like to see fallen leaves it can be a good idea to plant a shade loving low ground cover that will allow the leaves to fall through but will hide them from view at the same time. Ideal mulch would be; grass - it is high in nitrogen and silica, commercial compost, manure (not fresh and not too hot), tree chippings.

As well as providing nutrients, good thick mulch will help protect the soil and roots from becoming too dry or too cold in varied climates.

Winter Protection

For young bamboo plants that have been planted late in the year and are about to face their first winter, spread heavy mulch around the plants and provide some protection from cold and drying winds.

Plants that are already established can usually be successfully protected through the winter with a heavy mulch. This will keep the soil soft during periods of extreme cold and in an established bamboo grove it can protect the soil from becoming frozen solid.

Caring for bamboo plants in containers during winter should include placing them in a sheltered position out of extreme frosts to prevent the soil freezing solid for long periods.

Position and Location

When choosing a position to place your bamboo plant you need to keep it in mind that different species have different requirements according to sun, shade, water, weeds, and wind. Please see my section on Plant Bamboo for tips on whre to locate your bamboos in the garden. More...

Planting

For some of the things you need to consider to be successful in planting and growing bamboos in your garden see my section on Plant Bamboo for tips on planting. More...

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From your interest in Caring for Bamboo Plants you will also find useful information on the following pages including species listings and guides