Bamboo Seedlings Care

When you receive your seedlings, break the seal and open the top of the clear plastic plant shipper. Trickle lukewarm water onto each rooting block to replenish moisture. 

Fill half-gallon nursery pots 2/3 full with pre-moistened good quality organic soil mix. We prefer a mix of:

• 8 parts quality organic potting soil (ie Miracle-Gro potting mix)
• 1 part vermiculite
• I part perlite
• 1 measure bone meal per manufacturer’s instructions

 

Carefully remove each block from the plant shipper and gently place on top of the pre-moistened soil. Carefully add additional soil around the rooting block, gently pressing on the newly added soil to compact it a bit. Fill with soil until the top of the soil is even with the top of the rooting block. Add a little water, and sprinkle a little more soil mix to level the soil surface.

Water your bamboo seedlings to maintain consistently moist, but not overly saturated soil.  When watering the soil surface, use care to avoid disturbing the soil/roots. If watering via the soak method, add water to the tray beneath the pot and allow to soak for a couple hours, then discard any excess water. Don't allow your bamboo plants to sit in water for extended periods of time.

Bamboo seedlings and plants benefit from a light daily misting of water, especially in low humidity environments. If you observe leaves curling inward, the plant likely requires additional moisture. If leaves are yellowing/wilting, that is often a sign of too much moisture. Leaves that are drying/browning often indicate overexposure to sunlight. Please refer to our Germination Guide for additional troubleshooting information.

Maintain your potted bamboo seedlings indoors or in a controlled environment for the first several weeks, then gradually begin exposing the seedlings to outside conditions, making sure to always avoid any exposure to direct mid-day sun.

Once your seedlings have fully acclimated to your daytime and nighttime outdoor temperatures, you can maintain them outdoors with filtered sunlight. Keep soil moist with regular watering. After two weeks, you can supplement with a diluted fertilizer solution (ie Miracle-Gro or Ironite) per the product instructions for feeding seedlings or new grass. Do not over-fertilize!

When the seedlings have reached a minimum of 12” height, they can be planted in the ground or in outdoor planters after all danger of frost or freeze. If you intend to plant them in a location with plentiful sun, be sure to first incrementally acclimate the young bamboo plants to increasing sunlight before planting in the ground. Young plants should always be protected from intense mid-day sun.

For clumping bamboo, dig a hole at least twice as big as the plant root ball. Add some quality soil/compost to the bottom of the hole, and moisten. Gently remove the bamboo plant from the nursery pot and place in the hole, centered atop the soil/compost layer with the top of the root ball at the base of the plant flush with ground level surrounding the hole.

Infill with soil around the transplant. Gently water and lightly compact the soil as you fill the hole to ground level and even with the base of the transplant. Add an additional layer of quality compost around the base of the plant to retain moisture and protect the roots from excessive temperatures. 

For running bamboo planted in the ground, prepare as above and also install seamless bamboo rhizome barrier around the area in which you want the bamboo contained. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for installation and maintenance. Rhizome barriers are typically recommended to a depth of at least 30” to contain underground roots and rhizomes, with an additional 4-5” of barrier above ground to discourage surface level runners.

Water newly planted bamboo daily for the first month, and continue doing so during high heat and/or low humidity conditions. Adjust watering accordingly per your climate conditions and temperatures, paying particular attention to sufficient hydration during hot windy weather. Soil should always remain moist, but never soggy. Slow drip methods are the most effective and efficient to deliver adequate moisture at depth. 

As the bamboo plant matures, you can incorporate shed leaves into the mulch layer at the plant base. Remove excess dead leaves, branches and culms in Spring to encourage new, unobstructed growth and maintain good air circulation and light to discourage mold, fungus, or pest issues.

Refer to Cold Weather Bamboo for helpful tips on protecting bamboo from extreme Winter conditions. Refer to the many helpful articles and videos online about maintaining, pruning, and transplanting bamboo in the landscape; we recommend Bamboo Garden and Bamboo Sourcery as experienced knowledgeable informational resources for maintaining established bamboo. You can also consult with a reputable local bamboo nursery near you for advice specific to growing bamboo in your climate, soil, water, and other environmental conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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