Bamboo Plant Care Guide
Bamboo, which is a type of grass, encompasses many genera, including Pleioblastus, Phyllostachys and Fargesia. It is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11. Gardeners prize bamboo for its very fast growth and lush, green appearance. Although bamboo is generally low-maintenance, several standard care practices ensure its fastest growth and greenest appearance.
Maintain a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around your bamboo plant at all times. Mulch materials include weed-free straw and shredded bark. Avoid raking up the leaves that fall from your bamboo plant; instead, let them decompose where they land on the ground. The mulch and fallen leaves conserve soil moisture by blocking evaporation and weed growth, and they improve soil nutrients and the concentration of organic matter in the soil.
Bamboo requires twice weekly irrigation during the first six months after it is planted. Thereafter, water the plant only once every 10 days. When applying water, use enough to moisten the soil to a depth of about 6 to 8 inches. That amount encourages a bamboo plant to extend its roots deeper into the ground, which improves the plant's health and vigor.
Bamboo usually does not need fertilizer, but it can quicken the plant's growth. Because bamboo is a grass, any standard, all-purpose lawn fertilizer product adequately feeds the plant. Apply the fertilizer according to its manufacturer's specific guidelines, giving one dose in early spring when the bamboo shows signs of new growth and again halfway through summer. Immediately irrigate your bamboo after fertilization to minimize the risks of nitrogen burns and to help transport the fertilizer's minerals and nutrients to the bamboo's roots.
Because bamboo has relatively shallow roots, it is especially sensitive to weed invasions. Monitor your bamboo plant for weeds, and remove weeds as necessary, although the mulch layer you maintain around the plant should help keep most weeds at bay. Remove weeds by hand or by shallow tilling with a hoe or spade. Avoid digging deeply in the soil, which can disturb your bamboo plant's root network.
Bamboo includes hundreds of varieties. In general, they can be divided into two categories: clumping bamboo, which grows in self-contained clumps, and runner bamboo, which produces fast-spreading runners into the surrounding soil. In general, gardeners should grow only clumping bamboo to avoid the risk of the bamboo escaping its boundaries and invading other areas. If you grow running bamboo, then using a root barrier -- a thick, plastic sheet that extends vertically into the soil about 12 to 18 inches deep -- can keep the bamboo from spreading. If the bamboo escapes, several control methods such as regular mowing or the spraying of a glyphosate-based herbicide, can help to control the plant.
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: Bamboo
- Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service: Shrubs for Shady Spots
- Grow: Five Things Everyone Should Know About Bamboo
- University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences: Growing Bamboo in Georgia
- Growing Bamboo: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension
- University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service: Growing Bamboo
- Auburn University College of Agriculture: Bamboo Growing in Alabama
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Bamboo Control
Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer and health journalist, relationships expert and gardening specialist. His articles and advice have appeared in dozens of magazines, including exercise workouts in Shape, relationship guides for Alive and lifestyle tips for Lifehacker. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and urban patio gardening.