Raise Some Cane - Grow a Little Bamboo

Did you know that Bamboo minimizes CO2 gases and generates up to 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees? In the right conditions Bamboo grows very quickly. For those with small landscapes it can help create immediate privacy. Bamboo is great in containers, but if you are looking to plant it directly in the ground you will want to follow the below planting instructions so it doesn’t take over your and your neighbor’s yard.

 

 

 

Most Bamboos are happiest in well drained, slightly acidic soil. Amending the soil with well-rotted compost will improve all soils by increasing porosity and moisture holding properties. Dig a hole at least twice the width of the pot and plant at the same depth as it is in the pot. Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer and keep well watered.  ** See Controlling Spreading before you plant any bamboo.

Tall varieties should be staked or guyed to prevent the wind from uprooting the bamboo. Guy with a rope tied to the culms about half way up the plant and then to stakes driven into the ground on 3 or 4 sides of the plant.

 

Mulching prevents the roots from drying out and protects from winter cold. 2-3 inches of grass clippings, compost or bark can be used, but the best mulch for bamboo is its own leaves. Bamboo naturally drops foliage each year and the foliage provides nitrogen and silica, two important nutrients for bamboo.

 

Tall spreading types of bamboo can be topped if too tall or large culms (canes) removed if growth is overcrowded. Groundcover bamboo can be mowed or trimmed with a string trimmer at the end of winter. Clumping bamboo only need dead canes removed.

 

Select a site with enough room, at least 4 feet wide and at least 20 feet away from a butyl pond liner. A bamboo rhizome barrier can be installed at the time of planting. The new runners appear only in the spring and can be easily pulled and removed before they root in.

 

Bamboo will need regular water even after established. Fertilize regularly through the growing season with a high nitrogen fertilizer, the same type for lawns. Do not fertilize after September or before March.

 

Rodents and gophers eat rhizomes and new shoots. Mites and aphids feed on the underside of the leaf. Place mouse & rat bait out for the small critters. Mites and aphids can be prevented with a systemic insecticide. Over fertilized and crowded plants attract aphids. Fertilize carefully and thin out the clump to discourage the aphids.