Growing Bamboo from Seed

The instructions provided below are for properly germinating your bamboo seeds indoors. If you require instructions for a different type of seed, please see the excellent online reference Seed Germination Theory and Practice, by Dr. Norman C. Deno. This is a free PDF of his book that covers germination of most every imaginable seed type. His encyclopedic germination guide is provided courtesy of the USDA, and the detailed information about seed germination contained in this classic reference is unmatched.

 

Germinating and Growing Bamboo from Seed

 

• In a small bowl, thoroughly mix 1 teaspoon salt with 1/2 cup warm (NOT hot) water. Place the bamboo seeds in a strainer and lower that into the salt solution.  Let the seeds soak in this solution for fifteen minutes. This step softens the seed hulls for removal, and treats the seeds with a natural antifungal and antibacterial solution. Gently rinse and strain the seeds, and discard the salt solution.
  
  
• Carefully peel away and remove the fibrous outer husk from each bamboo seed, placing the hulled seeds back into the container. Some find it easier to wear nitrile gloves, or to use needle-nose tweezers. Discard the husks.
  
  
• Gently rinse the hulled bamboo seeds with lukewarm water. Then fill the container with enough water to cover the seeds. Cover the container (plastic wrap works well). 
  
  
• Soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours in a warm location where they won't be disturbed. Gently strain them to dry.
  
  
• Make a half-and-half mixture of perlite and peat moss. Moisten the mixture until you can grab a handful and just barely squeeze out a drop. Place the soil mixture in a flat planter box with a lid. A plastic sweater box with holes poked in the bottom is the ideal size and shape for this project. (Please note, we do not recommend using "peat pots" as they are notorious for  encouraging fungal growth, and they do not fully disintegrate until long after the seedling roots become over-crowded which compromises viable root  and plant growth.)
  
  
• Draw rows in the soil mix about 1 inch deep and plant a sprinkling of seeds along each row. Alternately, dig a round hole 2 inches across and 1 inch deep. Sprinkle about 10 seeds in the bottom of the hole. Cover the surface of the mix with these holes. Cover the seeds with very fine soil mix. Place the lid on the box and move the box to a spot where it won't be disturbed, it receives sufficient natural light (but not direct sunlight), and the temperature remains constant at 68F-78F. A seed tray heat mat is recommended. Plant only seeds of one type of bamboo in each tray, as different bamboo species germinatate and sprout at different rates.
  
  
• Remove the lid every three days to give the plants fresh air. Moisten -- but do not oversaturate -- the soil mix during this time if it has begun to dry out. Replace the lid after you have watered the mix.
  
  
• Remove the lid permanently after the seedlings reach the lid inside. The  bamboo seeds with characteristic fast germination will sprout after two to three weeks, and the bamboo seeds with longer germination times (such as Fargesia) will take longer to sprout into seedlings, sometimes up to 4-6 weeks depending on the species.
  
  
• Mix an all-purpose houseplant fertilizer according to the package directions. Pour the fertilizer into a clean spray bottle and mist the plants once they are four weeks old.
  
  
• Transplant the seedlings into individual pots after they have been growing for a month. Depending on your climactic conditions, you can keep the seedlings indoors or in a controlled greenhouse until conditions are optimal to begin incrementally hardening the plants outdoors for eventual planting in the ground after all danger of frost has passed.  

 

Germination Rates

Like all embryos, not all seeds are biologically viable upon formation. Please note that de-husking your bamboo seeds prior to germination significantly aids in visually identifying non-viable seeds (ie unformed, deformed,  dessicated, etc.). Dehusking seeds also reduces the amount of decaying organic matter that is an ideal breeding ground for unwanted molds and fungi, and enhances your germination efforts overall.

Because each person's growing environment, conditions, equipment, practices, and expertise are unique and completely out of our control, we can not guarantee germination.

Like all other seeds, different types of bamboo seeds have widely varying germination rates, with the Fargesia and other higher elevation mountain/cold hardy bamboo types typically having longer germination periods (typically a month+). Appropriate and consistent germination procedures and care are key to all seed germination, with consistent and controlled temperature, moisture, environmental hygiene, and light the most critical elements.

Begin the germination process as soon as possible  after receiving your bamboo seeds to ensure optimal seed freshness and viability. Always store seeds in a cool, dry, air tight location away from direct light until you are ready to germinate them. With proper airtight refrigerated storage conditions, most bamboo seeds will remain viable for a year, with some retaining viability for up to 18 or 24 months.

Troubleshooting Checklist

We have found that the most common reasons for difficulties with seed germination include:

• Incorrect or inconsistent temperatures
• Mold/fungus, either already present in the soil/medium or airborne. 
• Oversaturated moisture
• Insufficient moisture
• Insufficient light

Please review the information provided above for recommendations to best support successful germination.

And Now a Word About the "Floating Seed" Myth

No matter how many times the myth is repeated on the Internet, it's still not true that if a seed floats when placed in water, that's a surefire indicator that it's not viable. Some seeds may float because they're hollow, lightweight, or have air pockets. Seeds can have different sized and distributed air pockets depending on the species. Impermeable seed coats can also contribute to buoyancy. Fibrous bamboo seed husks are inherently buoyant.

There are just as many reasons why viable seeds will float as there are reasons why some seeds simply aren't viable, and very few of those reasons are demonstrated by a seed's relative buoyancy. Mother Nature has countless ways to deprive a seed of viability, and while a visually damaged, defective, or desiccated seed might quickly reveal likely nonviability, there are many other invisible reasons -- such as genetics, disease of the mother plant, environmental conditions, seed immaturity -- that any one seed may never successfully germinate, and only time will tell that tale.