How To Grow Bamboo: Growing Conditions, Planting, Maintenance

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Table Of Contents

1. What is bamboo?
2. What are the main different types of bamboo?
3. What growing conditions does Bamboo need?
4. How to plant bamboo
   • Root barriers
   • Planting bamboo
5. How to maintain bamboo
   • Food and water
   • Pruning
6. How to grow bamboo from cuttings
7. Bamboo questions
   • Is bamboo easy to grow?
   • How long does bamboo take to grow?
   • How fast does bamboo grow?
   • Is bamboo a tree?
   • Is it illegal to grow bamboo in the US?
   • Should I plant bamboo in my yard or garden?
   • Does bamboo re-grow when cut?
   • Does bamboo survive winter?
   • Does bamboo need a lot of water?
8. Buy Bamboo – UK buyers

Bamboo is undoubtedly one of my favourite plants. I almost always use bamboo in the gardens I create.

Bamboo has striking presence. It can be used as a specimen plant – a star in the border, like this phyllostachys nigra – or as a wonderful screen.

Learning how to grow bamboo for the garden is pretty straightforward. Here you will discover the best planting techniques, care tips, and maintenance strategies to cultivate healthy and thriving bamboo in your garden.

I’ll take you through the important bamboo growing points in this article.

What is bamboo?

Bamboo belongs to the grass family (Poaceae). Species of Bamboo are native to most continents, except Europe. Most of today’s cultivated species – the bamboo you are most likely to plant in the garden – originate from China, Japan or South and Central America.

Many of these species hail from mountainous regions or lowland plains of Asia where, in both cases, winter temperatures can drop as low as -25 to -30 degree Celsius (-15 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit). The consequent hardiness of these bamboos makes them ideal plants for the temperate regions of Europe and North America.

In addition, there are a number of tropical species of bamboo which originate from Africa, Australia and tropical parts of Asia. These require frost free conditions to survive in home gardens, but they are often amongst the most spectacular specimens you will find.

What are the main different types of bamboo?

The principal distinction among different types of bamboo relates to the plants’ root systems.

This is really important when planting bamboo in the garden, because it can make the difference between selecting a species that suits your situation perfectly and one that takes over you garden (and your neighbour’s as well.)

Put simply, most bamboos either have a running root system (technically called a leptomorph system) or a clumping (or pachymorph) root system.

To explain the difference, it helps to understand some of the botany. Bamboo root systems comprise rhizomes and roots.

Botanically, rhizomes are underground stems. This means that like above ground stems they have nodes, which are the parts of the stem from which new shoots emerge.

In bamboo, the difference between running and clumping forms arises as a result of the size of the space between the nodes on the rhizome (the internodes).

Clumping forms have short internodes, which means that new culms are produced close to each other. Running forms have much longer internodes. The rhizome stretches out and may reach lengths equivalent to the height of an above ground culm, with new individual shoots growing up from any of the nodes along its length.

The tendency of each form to run or clump can be a bit variable according to the particular conditions a plant is grown in.

Obviously, any plant in perfect conditions, with lovely fertile and nicely textured soil, is like to grow more vigorously. With bamboo, this means that in those kinds of conditions, a running bamboo is likely to run more. Therefore it is worth bearing this in mind when selecting bamboo for your garden.

What growing conditions does Bamboo need?

The degree of sun or shade that an individual species requires or will tolerate, is always specific to that particular species. Likewise, a bamboo’s frost hardiness varies from species to species.

You will therefore always need to check these factors in relation to any particular species you are interested in growing.

Nevertheless, there are some common features relating to bamboo growing conditions that should be mentioned here.

Firstly, it is worth noting that bamboos are tough plants and will tolerate a degree of neglect. Indeed, where space is an issue, their growth can be kept in check if they are fed sparingly after planting.

Related to this is the fact that bamboos can be planted in many different soil types. The received wisdom is that bamboo prefers open soil like a sandy loam with a neutral ph. However, I recall no noticeable difference in the healthiness of two plants of the same species which I planted in two different parts of a garden where the soil type in each area was quite different – one was heavy clay, the other a nice open loam.

Interestingly, these were Phyllostachys bambusoides ‘Holochrysa’, which is a running species, and the specimen in the loam had a much greater tendency to run than the one in the clay. This seems to bear out the observation above about the impact of growing conditions on these characteristics.

Thirdly, whilst they need plentiful watering during the growing season (see below), bamboos will not generally tolerate poorly drained soil. So in heavy soils it is important to incorporate gravel, grit or other material to open up the soil so as to prevent waterlogging.

How to plant bamboo

When planting bamboo, you will need to think about the eventual diameter of the plant and locate it where its natural growth will not interfere with existing features, such as paths or boundaries.

Root barriers

You will also need to decide whether you want to install some kind of barrier to restrict the spread of the plant. As indicated, this will be necessary in most home gardens for running species. But it may even be necessary clumping species if space is at a premium.

Purpose-made bamboo root barriers can be installed. These are usually available from bamboo retailers. But it is also possible to make use of other impenetrable material, like offcuts of paving or hard plastics, set vertically around the edge of the planting hole. These should be placed so that at least 2-3 inches (50-75cm) of the material is above ground.

A simpler way to ensure that you can keep your plant in check is to surround it with a shallow trench. Bamboos are not deep-rooted and their rhizomes extend outwards just below the soil surface. If you surround the plant with a trench around 18 inches deep (45cm), you can simply prune off any extending rhizomes as they enter the trench.

One grower I have heard of fills the trench with sand and tops it off with a light mulch, so that it is invisible. She then simply inspects the trench at the end of each growing season and deals with any infiltrations.

Bamboo is best planted in spring, so that it has a long growing season to settle in and take root.

You’ll notice that most bamboos you buy from nurseries are quite heavily pot bound. You may even need to cut the pot off with a knife. Because of this, you should give the rootball a good soaking before planting, ideally immersing it in water for up to an hour, so that the water can seep right into the interior of the rootball.

Planting bamboo

Dig a hole twice the width of the rootball and one and half times the depth (I know this is not always possible, but do the best you can). Add drainage material if necessary and, if you want your plant to grow away well, add some manure, humus and organic fertiliser to the bottom of the planting hole and mix this in with the back fill.

In dry areas the plant can be set in a small depression. In areas of high rainfall, the plant can be slightly mounded.

Once planted, water in well and mulch with compost, well rotted manure or leaf mould.

How to maintain bamboo

Maintaining bamboo is not especially difficult, which is another great reason for using these magnificent plants. Here are the main points you need to know.

Food and water

For the first two years, make sure that your plant is well watered. This is essential.

Bamboos can be greedy feeders, but they can also thrive quite happily with one decent feed in spring with an all purpose organic fertiliser. In essence, the more you feed a bamboo plant, the more it will grow. This is why you can limit its growth by limiting its nutrient intake.

Be aware that bamboos are intolerant of salt and therefore may react badly to seaweed based fertilisers.

I live near the coast and when we have really big storms that blow the salt spray inland, the bamboo leaves get badly affected. They go brown and look pretty ugly, but once there is a new flush of growth in spring the plants sheds their old leaves and recover their good looks.

Make sure that the area around your plant is always well mulched. This helps retain moisture and maintains an even temperature around the roots of the plant.

You’ll notice that the plant builds up its own mulch of leaf litter and shed culm sheaths in time. But you will do nothing but good to the plant if you add to this with organic mulches, like bark, wood chips and leaf mould.

Pruning

The best way to keep you plant looking strong and healthy is to prune it to remove weak, damaged or old culms. Old culms can be identified because the are usually a dull colour. Cut the these culms at their base. The effect of this is to open up the plant, allowing more air and light into its center, which helps maintain the plant’s overall health.

You can also ease congestion of your mature plants by pruning off some of the side branches that emerge from the nodes of the culm.

A striking effect is obtained by removing all branches at low levels, enabling the beauty of the plant’s culms to be fully appreciated.

If you have culms that are leaning over significantly, you can sometimes right them by pruning a few nodes from the top and/or by pruning the main branches near the top of the culm on the side towards which it is leaning.

How to grow bamboo from cuttings

Because bamboo is a grass, you can’t propagate it from cuttings in the way that you can with shrubs or perennials.

However, you can propagate bamboo by division – which is, in a way, like taking a root cutting.

The best way to do this is by separating a culm or culms at the edge of the clump. You’ll need a sharp knife, or even a sharp spade if you are taking a large section of culms.

Remove the soil around the part of the plant you want to divide and sever the rhizomes that support your chose cutting section. Make sure that the rhizomes attached to the section you separate have sufficient roots to support then.

Then cut through the rhizomes at a suitable point. Lift out the division and pot it up, or if large enough, plant it out in the garden. Give your cutting it a good dousing with water and keep it well watered whilst it gets established.

Bamboo questions

Is bamboo easy to grow?

Bamboo is a tough, hardy plant and will survive a lot. However, to keep bamboo growing strongly and looking healthy bamboo does need to be properly cared for.

Keep it well watered in the summer months, especially in the first few years after planting. Feed it once or twice a year with a well balanced fertiliser, mulch it and make sure it doesn’t get waterlogged. If you follow these basic guidelines in relation to your bamboo growing conditions, bamboo is pretty easy to grow.

How long does bamboo take to grow?

Depending on the species, bamboo can take anything from 5 to 15 years to reach its mature size. Bamboo forms a clump or colony of canes, so it has reached maturity when the colony is getting no wider and the new canes are getting no bigger. Although, beware, the leptomorph or running bamboo can spread far and wide if conditions are good for them and they are not kept in check.

How fast does bamboo grow?

We have seen above how long bamboo takes to mature (5 to 15 years). But how fast bamboo grows is a question that can be answered in another way – by thinking about the the growth of the individual bamboo culms. Each new bamboo culm grows to its full height in only 60 days and often less.

Once the culm has reached full height, that’s it. It won’t grow any taller or thicker. However, as the whole plant matures, it is normal to see taller and thicker culms each year, as you can see with the new growth in the picture below.

Is bamboo a tree?

The short answer to his question is no. Bamboo is not a tree and bamboo trees are not a thing.

As indicated above, bamboo is within the family of plants that comprise grasses – Poaceae. Therefore, although bamboo stems are as hard as wood and used as a wood-like product in furniture, flooring, screens etc, bamboo is actually a grass.

You can see this especially when you compare the roots systems of bamboo with those of trees and grasses. Trees have woody roots, almost like underground branches, bamboo has rhizomatous roots, like many grasses, from which new stems grow and clumps of increasing size form.

Is it illegal to grow bamboo in the US?

As far as I am aware, at the time of writing, there is no blanket ban on growing bamboo in the garden in the United States. However, individual states and/or local areas may impose bans on growing some bamboo types (usually the running bamboos).

For example Golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) and Yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) have both been banned in New York State, and Connecticut has a law requiring bamboo to be planted away from neighbouring property. It is therefore important to check the regulations in your area if you are in the US.

Should I plant bamboo in my yard or garden?

My answer to this would always be yes. Bamboo provides height, screening, movement, and year round interest. Bamboo plants are spectacular, with their fresh green leaves and coloured culms, which can be pruned to show their beauty. Bamboos also provide an exciting annual show as the new culms sprint upwards in no time to create more density and fresh new growth. And, overall bamboo plant care is not that difficult.

However, you do need to choose carefully to ensure that the species you grow is suitable for your conditions. In particular, if you choose a running type of bamboo, make sure you have the room for it or that you put in suitable root barriers so that it does not become invasive.

Does bamboo re-grow when cut?

Bamboo grows by sending up new culms each year. Old culms die off as they become cut off from the feeding roots and, in this way, the plant renews itself.

If you cut out the old culms, or any culms that are growing where you don’t want them, they you’ll keep the plant fresh and allow light in and air to circulate around the plant. But if you cut a culm half way down its length, for example, it won’t re-grow from that point.

Bamboo does not have axillary buds (or growing points) where the branches come out of the nodes, so the branches won’t be stimulated to grow any bigger than they would have done anyway. This is where bamboo differs significantly from many other plants.

Does bamboo survive winter?

Hardy species of bamboo can typically survive temperatures of -22 degrees celsius (-7.6 Fahrenheit). So as long as your winters don’t get colder than this you should be okay. Check out further details about your plant hardiness zone here.

However, most bamboos won’t survive prolonged waterlogging, so very wet winters or areas prone to flooding will be a threat to bamboo. There are also some tropical species of bamboo, for example some of the Bambusa species such as Bambusa balcooa or bambusa atra, that are not hardy. So they will not withstand temperatures below freezing.

Does bamboo need a lot of water?

Yes bamboo needs to be well-watered, especially during its growth period in spring/summer. You can tell if bamboo needs a drink because the leaves will look dull and curly in at the edges. But, as indicated above, bamboo needs well drained soil and will not be at its best (and may not even survive) if its roots are waterlogged for any significant period. In short, if your soil is well drained, you are unlikely to ever over-water a bamboo.

Buy Bamboo – UK buyers

Umbrella Bamboo 'Selection

out of stock BUY NOW Thompson-morgan.com Fargesia murielae, also known as the Umbrella Bamboo due to its graceful arching habit, is a large evergreen bamboo growing to over 2m (6.5') tall. Unlike many bamboos, Umbrella Bamboo 'Selection' has a clump-forming habit so won't invade your garden. The elegant, arching canes are yellow-green in colour topped with bright green leaves. Perfect for adding a tropical touch to your garden this hardy bamboo has a superb dense habit making it the perfect screening plant for boundary edges and unsightly areas of the garden. Bamboo plants also thrive in poorly drained, clay soil and tolerate both sun and shade for those awkward spots. Height: Up to 4m (12?). Spread: 1.5m (5?).

Umbrella Bamboo

£59.99 in stock BUY NOW Thompson-morgan.com The Umbrella Bamboo can reach more than 2 metres tall, and quickly forms clumps of arching yellow-green canes, topped with foliage like an umbrella! This hardy bamboo is excellent for screening, and is especially useful in urban areas, where the screening can help reduce road noise and filter pollution. Bamboo are fantastically tropical looking, but are very easy and quick to grow.

Fountain Bamboo Fargesia rufa

out of stock BUY NOW Yougarden.com Bamboos can often strike fear into the heart of gardeners, as some are invasive, but fear not, this little bamboo is a very well behaved garden guest. Fargesia is one of the best types, as it is short, and has many small canes, and a much more delicate appearance than more thuggish members of the family. In fact. it's juicy new shoots are the stuff Pandas dream of!A relatively newly introduced dwarf bamboo, it produces masses of new culms (as the new shoots are called), which have a rusty tinge. They then green up, and unfurl masses of tiny thin green leaves, which are evergreen so last all year round. The canes are very slender and thin, so they gently arch over, hence it's common name of 'Fountain Bamboo'. They are spectacular in big pots on the patio, and an ideal bamboo for small gardens. They also form a neat, dense and easy-care non-trim hedge, reaching 2M and no more over many years. Just don't let them dry out in hot, dry Summers that's all, otherwise they require almost no care at all - what could be simpler? Plant them where the sun can shine through the canes, or where you can see or hear the breeze gently wafting and rustling through all year - a very sensual plant indeed!

Black Bamboo Phyllostachys nigra

out of stock BUY NOW Yougarden.com Grab your chance to get a very special offer for this spectacular bamboo plant! Phyllostachys nigra, the Black Bamboo, is slow growing, and the canes turn a rich, coffee-black colour after a year or so. They will provide a wonderful spectacle and a great centrepiece and talking point. This mature, well-established plant will provide instant impact in a large pot (keep well-watered in summer; they are thirsty beasts), looking great on patios or decking, and requiring very little maintenance. Or plant it in the ground where it will form an attractive clump over many years. It is also good for screening or dividing areas of your garden and will look lovely with the canes wafting and whispering in the breeze. Phyllostachys nigra is also much less invasive than others so you don't have to worry about it taking over. Very hardy, it needs no maintenance or pruning, so it is perfect for busy gardeners, yet gives year-round interest and texture to gardens of all styles and sizes. Enjoy! Supplied as an established plant, approx. 50-80cm tall in a 3L pot, ready to plant out.

Umbrella Bamboo 'Selection

£39.99 in stock BUY NOW Thompson-morgan.com Fargesia murielae, also known as the Umbrella Bamboo due to its graceful arching habit, is a large evergreen bamboo growing to over 2m (6.5') tall. Unlike many bamboos, Umbrella Bamboo 'Selection' has a clump-forming habit so won't invade your garden. The elegant, arching canes are yellow-green in colour topped with bright green leaves. Perfect for adding a tropical touch to your garden this hardy bamboo has a superb dense habit making it the perfect screening plant for boundary edges and unsightly areas of the garden. Bamboo plants also thrive in poorly drained, clay soil and tolerate both sun and shade for those awkward spots. Height: Up to 4m (12?). Spread: 1.5m (5?).

Umbrella Bamboo

out of stock BUY NOW Thompson-morgan.com The Umbrella Bamboo can reach more than 2 metres tall, and quickly forms clumps of arching yellow-green canes, topped with foliage like an umbrella! This hardy bamboo is excellent for screening, and is especially useful in urban areas, where the screening can help reduce road noise and filter pollution. Bamboo are fantastically tropical looking, but are very easy and quick to grow.

Fish-pole Bamboo

out of stock BUY NOW Thompson-morgan.com Phyllostachys aurea is a fully hardy, evergreen, strong-growing bamboo that holds a prestigious RHS AGM. It produces mid-green, hollow, grooved, canes, which turn to a caramel-brown colour on maturity. Slender, lance shaped golden-green leaves decorate the stems all year round. Martin Cole( Head Gardener and Founder )

Martin Cole has been an avid plant lover and gardener for more than 20 years and loves to talk and write about gardening. In 2006 he was a finalist in the BBC Gardener of the Year competition. He is a member of the National dahlia Society.

He previously lived in London and Sydney, Australia, where he took a diploma course in Horticultural studies and is now based in North Berwick in Scotland. He founded GardeningStepbyStep.com in 2012. The website is aimed at everybody who loves plants or has been bitten by the gardening bug and wants to know more.

Gardening Step by Step has been cited by Thompson and Morgan, the UK’s  largest mail order plant retailer, as a website that publishes expert gardening content.

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