But is it all true what they say about bamboo? Does it really grow 1 meter a day? Does bamboo originate from China? On this page you'll discover all the real facts about bamboo! The origin of the word Bamboo comes from the Malay word "Mambu".
Malay is the national language of Malaysia and Indonesia. In the late 16th century the Dutch named it "Bamboes" after which it got its Neo-Latin name "Bambusa". Some claim that the original Malayan word was "Bambu", resembling the sound it makes when bamboo explodes in open fire. When bamboo is heated, the air in the sealed hollow internode chambers will expand and cause an explosive bam-boom sound.
Bamboo belongs to the Bambusoideae subfamily of the perennial evergreen grass family Poaceae Gramineae. It was German Botanist, Charles Kunth, that first published his taxonomic findings in Of all grasses, bamboo is the largest and the only one that can diversify into forest. Although bamboo is a grass, many of the larger woody bamboo species are very tree-like in appearance and are often called "bamboo trees".
However, there are a few essential differences between grasses and trees. A mixed forest with bamboo culms and trees. Can you tell which is which? Bamboos lack a vascular cambium layer and meristem cells at the top of the culm stem. The vascular cambium is the perpetually growing layer of a tree's trunk beneath the bark that makes a tree increase in diameter each year.
The meristem cells make the tree grow taller each year. Bamboos on the other hand do not increase in diameter or height. A single bamboo culm reaches full height in just one growing season. It then persists for several years, gradually increasing the number of side branches and branchlets, but neither growing broader or taller.
To make it grow at maximum speed, the first thing is to ensure your plants have optimal growing conditions. Do not try to buy and grow bamboo from seeds. Bigger plants have a larger rhizome system that grows larger shoots faster than if you get small seedlings.
Do not buy freshly dug plants because they are the least stable at that point. These plants will take more time to establish in the soil and that will slow down their growth. A simple way to make bamboo fill the area quickly is to get multiple plants. For example, if you want to grow a dense privacy screen as fast as possible, you plant multiple divisions of bamboo with closer spacing between them. In the first season after planting, bamboos require regular watering.
For some species, this need for water can last even up to 3 to 5 seasons. Lack of water at this stage can seriously slow down their development. After they become well established, bamboos only require additional water during drought or severe heat. Bamboo is not picky about soil conditions, but in order to speed up the growth rate, you should ensure it has well-drained, light loamy soil with high organic content.
Bamboo does not grow well in standing water, in fact, it can even start to rot away if there is not enough drainage. Add gravel, sand or mulch so that the water does not get trapped around the roots.
This is not universal, however, and you should check what kind of sun conditions your bamboo species prefer. There are bamboos that prefer full sun, partial shade or shade and the best growth rate will be achieved if you provide the preferred amount of sun to your bamboo. While fertilizing is not a necessity for growing bamboo, it is important if you want to get the best growth results possible. It is generally recommended to apply an organic slow-release fertilizer during mid-spring, to give time for bamboo to absorb lots of nutrients right before the shooting season begins.
Why choose a slow-release fertilizer? It means less leaching as well as provides nutrients gradually which helps increase the uptake of nutrients and provides them for a longer time.
Bamboo consumes a lot of Nitrogen. It also benefits greatly from Potassium, Phosphorous, and Silica. Sawdust, chipped wood, compost , manure, leaf mulch, and bark are all good mulch materials for bamboo. The layer of mulch protects the rhizomes and acts as insulation. During drought, severe heat or freezing temperatures in winter, mulching can slow down evaporation or protect soil from getting too cold. In-ground bamboo should have between 2 and 6 inches cm of mulch.
Container bamboo can do with less mulch, just enough to cover the soil is usually enough. Annual trimming of older and dead culms allows the plant to conserve more energy for producing new shoots.
A well rooted bamboo can be planted in the Summer, as long as it is watered regularly. Avoid planting fresh dug bamboo in the summer. All of our bamboo in regular stock are rooted out in pots, so they are hardy and versatile. If you live in a mild climate you can pretty much plant year round, barring severe weather, as long as you supply the bamboo with enough water in the summer and a layer of mulch for insulation in the Winter.
How far apart should I plant my bamboo and what size should I plant? If you want to produce a dense screen quickly, plant 5-gallons or larger we have bamboo up to 35 feet tall in containers feet apart and they will fill in years. If you are willing to wait, plant the bamboo 6 to10 feet apart and they will fill in within years.
Bamboo can be "trained" to run where there is a layer of loose, loamy topsoil and regular irrigation. Planting our smallest size starter Phyllostachys 1-gallon about 5 feet on center will provide you with an 18 to 30 foot tall, solid screen in years. It is usually not advised to plant bamboo closer than 3 feet apart, however some bamboos can be planted back to back, if an immediate screen is desired.
This may hinder the growth rate. Contact us to discuss the details and timeline of your project. How much space do I need to give bamboo to grow in? It depends on how big you want the bamboo to grow.
Dedicate at least 3 feet by 3 feet for the Clumpers 12 feet circumference , and 3 feet by 10 feet for the Runners 26 feet circumference , to get reasonably close to mature height. The more space the better. You can maintain bamboo in a smaller area, for example, a runner contained within a 3x5 foot planter, but it can be tricky to keep the bamboo healthy after 4 or 5 years.
Transplanting or dividing every years is recommended for small containers or planters. Bamboo in a small area will grow shorter, with thinner canes, than if they are given more space to spread.
Irrigation is critical for bamboo that has been in the same container for years. Good bamboo for containers indoors can be found here: Interior Bamboo. How deep should you plant bamboo? No deeper than it is in the pot already; bamboo needs to be shallow to be healthy. When done digging the hole, till in loose, loamy soil, wood chips, potting soil, or compost in the bottom to promote good drainage and encourage deep rooting.
Apply a thin layer of loose mulch over the top of the bamboo when done planting. What kind of soil does bamboo like? Loose, well-draining, and slightly acidic. Can I plant bamboo in a boggy area that has standing water in the winter? Most bamboo would perish, but some can grow in seasonally boggy soils that are wet in the winter and dry in the summer or vice-versa.
Phyllostachys atrovaginata, P. We recommend importing a generous amount of loose potting soil to imporve the drainage conditions for the initial planting. Yes, but if you plant a Runner you should put barrier between the pool and the bamboo, as well as edging the plant, because bamboo will actively seek water and so can damage the pool in some cases. You also should remember that bamboo sheds a lot, so you will have quite few leaves in your pool, unless you plant a bamboo species with larger leaves, such as Sasa or Hibanobambusa.
Which bamboo make the densest screens? All Fargesia will grow in tight clusters, creating dense screens of foliage. The densest Phyllostachys include P. Other bamboo that make good screens are Semiarundinaria fastuosa , Pleioblastus chino , Pseudosasa japonica , and Indocalamus latifolius. For a full list of bamboo for screens, see bamboo screens.
As a rule, bamboo with larger diameter canes will not have foliage lower down on the cane, so if you need dense screening all the way to the ground, choose a smaller species. A mature grove of tall bamboo, such as Phyllostachys nigra Henon, will not have foliage at the lower level, but there are usually enough canes to create a visual block from the ground up to where the foliage begins. Bamboo will naturally grow denser every year. Shorter bamboos such as Pseudosasa and Sasa , and Fargesia usually grow very dense.
Usually not but it can if the foundation is old and already failing. In general, we recommend not planting a bamboo too close to the side of the house; leave a couple of feet for maintenance.
You can install a barrier along the foundation, keeping some space between it and the bamboo for maintenance. We have seen bamboo squished up against a house coming up through the siding.
There was even one memorable occasion when a foundation without underground footing had been installed, and the bamboo came up inside the house through the heating ducts! These are extreme cases that can be easily prevented by proper annual maintenance, and not allowing the bamboo to grow tightly along the side of a house. I want to try growing bamboo from seed. Where can I get some? Phyllostachys aurea , for example, is on a year flowering cycle, and Fargesia all seem to be on to year flowering cycles.
For these reasons bamboo seed from specific species is usually not available. We have grown over 20, seedlings from Fargesia murielae and F. Young seedlings are very sensitive for years before they finally stabilize; until then they do best in a controlled environment, such as a heated greenhouse, in order to flourish and grow on to a size that can be planted out in the elements. You can also contact the American Bamboo Society, as members could have some seed available for purchase.
Growing form seeds will certainly not save time and effort to produce a bamboo grove or screen, but it can be a fun, educational process. When do you fertilize? Bamboo is dormant in the winter, so the best time to fertilize is in the spring and summer. We usually fertilize our groves in February, about months before the bamboos shooting period, and again in the July or August, as the rhizomes are expanding. If the bamboo is in a container, it may need to be fed more often to maintain good appearance.
The application rate depends on the type of fertilizer used. What kind of fertilizer do you use? For bamboo in the ground, organic fertilizer, such as mushroom compost, aged horse manure, fish meal, feather meal, or blood meal are all good options. Composts will break down into a layer of rich topsoil which provides the bamboo a premium growing area and a source of food.
For a commercial fertilizer that can be broadcast on top, and for bamboo in pots, we use a slow-release turf fertilizer. The formulation is not critical, but bamboo will respond well to high nitrogen. Follow the application rate specified on the fertilizer package. Over fertilizing bamboo is difficult to do, but excessive amounts of nitrogen can lead to aphid problems or weakened canes. Are bamboo drought tolerant? Clumpers are more drought tolerant than runners because they root fairly deep, but runners have higher tolerance of dry, hot air.
In particular, Semiarundinaria fastuosa , Phyllostachys decora, P. See Landscape Uses. Bamboo planted in dry climates needs to be watered regularly for the first years until it becomes well rooted. How much water does bamboo require? Ideally, about an inch a week, the same as a law in applications per week. In many climates, after the bamboo has been in the ground for years, water is no longer necessary for survival.
Not usually, however in the Southeastern US, bamboo is native, so sometimes the deer will recognize it as a food source. Sometimes they will discover the new shoots and eat a few, but it has never been a serious problem for us. What kinds of pests and diseases can bamboo get? Bamboo is usually pest-free; however some species are prone to aphids.
There is also a bamboo mite, an import from Asia, that can damage the leaves. Both of these issues are usually more cosmetic than a real threat to the plant. In the South, in a coastal climate, Phyllostachys can develop brown spots on the canes due to a harmless fungus.
There have also been reports in the Southeast of a disease that top kills bamboo, but nothing has been discovered as to the cause. How do I get rid of bamboo? They also prefer to keep their rhizomes very shallow, which makes them easier to locate. Try to follow every rhizome and get it out of the ground.
If not possible, you can leave fragmented rhizomes in the ground which will produce small, wispy new shoots if they are no longer attached to a mature plant. Cut off the new shoots after they start to produce new leaves. This will deplete the rhizomes' energy if they cannot photosynthesize.
They will gradually rot out of the ground. Be sure to use a heavy-duty, all-steel shovel the King of Spades shovels we carry, for example as shovels with wooden or fiberglass handles will most likely break. Stump grinders, if you can get one into the area, are a good method for removing a dense mat of rhizomes quickly and effectively.
Another method is to cut the bamboo to the ground, and continue to remove all new growth as soon as it comes up. This eventually starves the bamboo out, but can take as long as three years to complete. Unfortunately, this also leaves the rhizomes in the soil, which makes replanting the area difficult. Not really. It will often cause the new shoots to abort, but the rhizomes can continue to spread underground.
You need heavy applications of seriously toxic chemicals to spray bamboo out and have it be effective. We do not recommend this, with regard to protect. If I dump salt on my bamboo will that kill it?
Most likely not; the amount of salt needed to seriously harm or kill a bamboo is massive. What types of clumping bamboo do you carry? We grow many different kinds of clumping bamboo. For cold hardy clumpers see this link: Hardy Clumping Bamboo For subtropical clumping bamboo for the south, see cold -sensitive clumping bamboo. How many plants are in each pot? One plant has multiple canes connected by a root system.
It is not necessary to pull the roots apart to promote faster growth, usually manipulating bamboo roots is counterproductive. It is possible to make divisions of your bamboo for future plantings elsewhere, but we recommend waiting at least 3 years before digging starts from your original plant. Removing pieces of the plant when it is still young will drastically slow down the growth rate. How large are bamboos you supply and ship? Our Standard shipping sizes for UPS Boxes are 1 through 5 gallon bamboos, with 10 gallons shipped on a pallet.
The height of the individual plant varies depending on the species. In general a 1 gallon size plant is feet tall, canes, sometimes feet.
A 2 gallon is feet on average, canes, but can be as tall as 5 feet. A 5 gallon is usually feet tall, canes, but can be as big as 7 feet, but plants of this size are difficult to ship by standard UPS methods. Fargesia tend to be shorter and bushier than Phyllostachys ; a 5 gallon F.
You are always welcome to call to inquire about the specific height of the bamboo you wish to purchase. We guarantee our bamboo to arrive in healthy condition, ready to plant in the landscape. Call to inquire about details. We also regularly ship very tall bamboo, 20 - 40 feet, in containers using 53 foot refrigerated semi truck.
We supply many commercial landscaping projects and even some larger residential jobs, or large retail garden centers. The main concern is that the unloading area can accommodate a truck of that size. If you want truly large bamboo delivered to your door, usually we can find a way to make it happen for a reasonable cost. Imagine an instant 30 foot tall screen, by 30 feet in length, to completely screen out your neighbors new 3 story monstrosity.
With large timber bamboo, such as Phyllostachys , this is a very real possibility; we do it all the time, just give us a call to discuss details. Many species have edible new shoots. All the Phyllostachys, for example, are edible, although some of them have a bitter or stringent after taste when eaten raw.
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