Bamboo belongs to the grass family, a characteristic most frequently emphasised. There are at least 1,000 species known to botanists and more are being documented. The huge differences between bamboo running and clump-forming bamboo give bamboo growers a wide range of plants to grow in the garden. So, if you are asking the question 'What Bamboo Can I Grow', you've come to the right place.
Here we take a look at the standout bamboo cultivars that feature prominently in many gardens around the world.
What bamboo grows best near me?
Bamboo plants range from the Southeast Asian giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus giganteus), which may grow to be 30 metres tall, to the 45 cm long pygmy bamboo (Pleioblastus pygmaea).
Bamboo plants are common in Asia and are also native plants of North America, the Pacific, and Africa. Some species also are native to the United States and Mexico.
For Europe and the United Kingdom landscapes, the clump-forming bamboo species are greatly preferred over running types, which can be invasive. Also, running species grow best in warmer parts of Europe.
Here in the UK, many clump-forming bamboos such as Fargesia murielae Simba perform well. Unlike popular belief, they can be slow to grow in the cooler areas however thrive when mature.
Feature bamboo: Bamboo murielae rufa is a variety of Fargesia cultivars from Southeast Asia. Plants grow rapidly and feature dense (umbrella) canopy, ideal for privacy screens.
What bamboo plant can I grow?
One of the award-winning running bamboo species in Europe and the UK is the Black Bamboo Nigra.
The Black Bamboo is outstanding because it behaves like clump-forming bamboo in the cooler area. This cold-hardy bamboo plant grows 4 to 6 metres tall in rich soil. It produces chocolate dark stems where there is plenty of direct suns.
For dense screens along boundaries, grow the bamboo plants 2 - 4 metres apart.
The umbrella bamboo cultivars owe their elegance to densely packed leaves and arching foliage. Their sheer thickness bends the bamboo stems, giving the impression of cascading plumes of foliage that sway in the slightest breeze.
Where can I buy bamboo plants?
Clump-forming bamboo plants range in height and provide additional options. One of them is Seabreeze bamboo, which grows rapidly to 12 metres in height. It tolerates pruning well, so it’s often used as a soft hedge.
A favourite of bamboo lovers in mild areas is the Phyllostachys aurea (Fish-pole golden bamboo), a 2-4 metres slender stem bamboo that gives the best garden sticks. It is winter hardy to - 20 degrees Celcius.
Many gardeners grow bamboo in containers because it is a fast-growing screening and hedging plant.
Growing bamboo plant in containers is not hard if you know how to do it correctly.
Selecting a suitable container
The first thing you need to do is find a container that will be large enough for your bamboo plant. Select a pot with drainage holes, so the water can drain out when it rains or when the container overflows.
Also, select a container with a stable base, so that the plants do not wobble and fall as they grow tall.
Prepare the soil for growing bamboo in a container
The next thing you need to do is prepare the soil to fill the pot with bamboo, so they can grow well and become strong and healthy. You should mix compost with soil and sand because this will help with drainage and water retention.
After filling your pot with soil, add some fertilizer, which will help your bamboo grow quickly. Now all you have to do is put your container outside in a well-lit area.
Care for a new bamboo plant in a container
The bamboo plant that grows in a container is easy to maintain. The most important thing about the newly planted bamboo plant is that it needs to be watered regularly.
The soil should also be kept moist and not allowed to dry out too much, but not overwatered either.
If the weather is hot, it should be watered every day if possible, or at least twice a week.
The location of the plant also affects its watering needs, as some areas are drier than others naturally.
Bamboo plants thrive in container
The bamboo plant is an evergreen, winter-hardy plant. It’s easy to grow in containers.
1) Bamboo is a sustainable plant that’s environmentally friendly.
2) It grows at an extremely fast rate, making it great for container gardens.
3) Bamboo is easy to care for, as it can be pruned or sheared when desired.
4) There are many different types of bamboo with different appearances and uses.
5) It is a fantastic container plant.
Growing bamboo in containers is a better way to stop the root from invading the garden and give it a vibrant natural look. It is also easy to maintain bamboo plants in containers.
Bamboos have features, structures and properties that are interesting to know, especially if you are a keen gardener.
Some bamboo can grow to more than 10 metres high in the wild. There are over 10,000 known varieties of bamboo plants in the tropical jungles in Asia and the Pacific.
The tropical bamboo plants can be found at Kew Garden Palm House in London.
Facts About Garden Bamboo Plants
Bamboos are winter-hardy and evergreen all year round. They are great screening plants and many of them thrive in the UK, either as clump-forming (Fargesias) or running (Phyllostachys).
Here are 10 interesting facts about garden bamboo plants for a bamboo grower in the UK.
Evergreen all year round.
Roots are difficult to remove.
Grow well in pots and containers.
Can withstand cold British winter.
Splinters are sharp. Cuts can be nasty.
Are invasive and need care and attention.
Costs depend on the size and height and cost.
Great sticks for staking plants in the garden or fencing.
Are either running or clump-forming bamboo varieties.
Suitable for garden décor and centrepiece, borders, fences and privacy screens.
GIANT TIMBER BAMBOO [Kew Garden Palm House in London]
Bamboo Plants UK - running vs. clump-forming
Running bamboo
The Phyllostachys bamboo plants have horizontal underground stems called rhizomes.
These running bamboo plants are great for tall borders and screens and are becoming popular in recent years because of the spectacular colours of the stems.
This variety is invasive and needs close attention to stop it from spreading.
Clump-forming bamboo
Fagesias are fantastic garden and pot plants. They are non-invasive plants compared to their cousins, the Running bamboo plants. The running bamboo plants have great stem colourations, whereas the clump-forming have dense foliage.
The evergreen foliage of the garden bamboo plants is adorable all season.
Its strong and hardy stems make for a strong fence. The sticks are fantastic for staking beans and sweet peas.
The bamboo plants, whether grown as privacy screens, hedges or used as staking sticks, are growing in popularity among gardeners and homeowners in the UK.
Check out GBP Blog's archive and YouTube Videos for tips and tricks to Grow Bamboo Plants in the UK. It has an updated collection of articles on ALL-YOU-NEED-TO-GROW-BAMBOO plants.
I grow the Golden Chinese Timber Bamboo, Phyllostachys vivax f. areosulcata from Rhizome cuttings in August last year. The bamboo plants are a year old and are looking great.
It has been a year of learning to grow bamboo from cuttings. It requires care for the delicate new shoots where I kept the snails away, staked the new bamboo shoots and watered them during the warm summer months.
The fast-growing bamboo shoots reached over 60cm in 8 weeks (2 months).
By the end of the 12th month, the height of the longest bamboo was 106cm which means that the bamboo shoot grew only 40cm in 10 months.
But, something interesting happened during that time. [Watch the 1 Year Video Update to find out what happened]
VIDEOS UPDATES: How to Grow Bamboo from Rhizome Cuttings
This raw video list shows the work that I did over the period of 12 months, from the summer of 2021 to 2022.
Video 1: Grow Bamboo in the Propagating medium (2 weeks growth)
I used a bucket as a bamboo propagator. Planted the rhizomes in the bucket for 2 weeks until the roots and shoots germinated before transplanting them into Holding Pots.
Video 2: Bamboo Growing in the Propagating medium (4 weeks growth) New Growth Eaten by Slugs
I had to stop the slugs from eating the new shoots by applying slug & snail pellets. It worked.
Video 3: Transplanting new bamboo from Propagator to Holding Pot (4 weeks growth)
Video 4: Calculating the Growth Rate of Bamboo in the Pots (8 weeks growth) - how fast does bamboo grow in a day?
In this video, I measured the height of the new bamboo shoots for 8 weeks and found the growth rate of this bamboo.
Video 5: How tall a bamboo grows in one year
From my observations, a new shoot will grow super fast in the first two months.
Then, put out branches and leaves and establish the rooting underground.
The first shoot can reach a metre to two metres, eventually doubling the height as it grows.
Video 6: What happens as a new bamboo plant grows? [Expected Height by Year]
Like most plants, a newly planted bamboo will not reach its full height in the first year.
Each year the bamboo will grow taller, in some cases twice as tall as the previous plant.
It will reach its matured height in 4-5 years and last for as long as 20-30 years.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 lists nearly 40 non-native invasive plants. They must not be planted in gardens or caused to grow in the wild.
Other laws briefly stated in this post cover tall hedges and property damages.
Tall hedges
The Anti-social Behaviour Act, 2003, covers tall hedges but it does not cover garden plant invasion.
Property damages
The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act, 2014 enables local authorities and police to issue community protection notices where plants cause damage to neighbours’ gardens and properties.
The protection notice can be issued when it is shown beyond doubt that the individual in question has persistently acted in a way that has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those around them.
Is bamboo legal to grow in the UK?
Currently, no specific legislation covers the sale and planting of bamboo plants in the UK.
The UK Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Updated 11 December 2014, now the Guidance to Invasive Non-native Plants) does not classify bamboo plants as an invasive species.
Not all bamboo plants are invasive
Of the two varieties, the clumping bamboo plants are non-invasive whereas some running bamboo plants are invasive.
Black Bamboo, Scottish Bamboo and Phyllostachys aurea are running bamboo plants but behave like clumping bamboo in cooler climates.
Running bamboo options
Choose the clump-forming bamboo, Black Bamboo, Scottish Bamboo or Phyllostachys aurea.
These bamboo plants have attractive stems and evergreen foliage.
They are good for privacy screening.
Use root barriers to grow running bamboo
Running bamboo rhizomes have the potential to damage built-up areas and cross garden boundaries.
Grow bamboo plants in barriers. This is the best way to grow bamboo screens and hedges
Black Bamboo nigra is a fast-growing bamboo, known to be an invasive variety of running bamboo. It is a spectacular bamboo with ebony dark black to matured expresso black stems.
At an average height of 4 – 5m at maturity, the black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) is a tall and slender arching bamboo variety, fully hardy to -20 degrees Celsius.
Bamboo Nigra is known as one of the most distinctive bamboos of the Phyllostachys group. There are different cultivars of black bamboo nigra. Check out the full collection on GBP Blog.
How to Propagate Black Bamboo Nigra
The three ways to propagate Black Bamboo are
seed propagation,
separation of the clump-base and
culm (stem) or rhizome (root) cuttings.
Bamboo seeds are often hard to buy near you because they do not flower regularly. The best way to propagate the black bamboo is by base separation or roots and culms cuttings.
Experiences of Propagating Bamboos
We tried the different ways of propagating bamboo and know that it requires a lot of prep and effort to get the bamboo growing.
Yet, watching the germinating bamboo is often rewarding.
Black Bamboo Care
Although black bamboo is a low-maintenance plant, the new growths will require care and attention.
Beware that the slugs adore the tender new growths, they can widen them if left unprotected.
If you are propagating bamboo plants from rhizomes or culms cuttings or planting a recent purchase, protect the new growths by adding the slug killers.
Here is my YouTube video showing a 4-week-old bamboo attacked by slugs.
Grow Black Bamboo Plants UK
When growing the Black Bamboo Nigra, perhaps an important factor to consider is the invasiveness despite showing some common features of the clump-forming bamboo.
If you are growing bamboo in the garden, put it in an area where there is room to spread.
The old black bamboos will thrive in well-drained soil with high moisture and nutrients, but like most bamboos, they do not like compacted dry soils.
It will require re-potting when it outgrows the pot so if you want to keep it longer, use a large pot or container. As a rule of thumb, the size of the pot should be twice the size of the base clump.
If you see browning in the culms or the bamboo leaves turning yellow, check the soil. Here is an article on how to revive your bamboo plants in a case where there is a sign of distress.
Black Bamboo preferred sites
Although the Black Bamboo Nigra is an elegant variety, it is an invasive bamboo. As mentioned earlier, it requires a lot of space to grow.
The arching culms and evergreen dark leaves can spread 4 – 6m on average. It is important to take this into consideration when choosing a site to plant to grow the black bamboo nigra.
As a pointer, this peculiar bamboo is ideal as an individual plant in the garden or contained in large pots and containers for balconies and terraces.
Over the last 8 weeks, we attempted to answer the question 'How fast does bamboo grow in a day?' We identified the growth rate of the running bamboo that we propagated from the rhizome cuttings.
Though this work is ongoing, we are excited to reveal the rate at which the bamboo is growing.
Bamboo Phyllostachys aureosulcata spectabilis grow at a rate of 1.43cm per day.
We are monitoring the growth rate of the bamboo Phyllostachys vivax aureacaulis and Phyllostachys aureosulcata spectabilis to show how fast bamboo grows in the UK.
These two running bamboo plants are common and we hope that their growths will give some answers to the question.
See the GBP video on our YouTube channel, Amazing Bamboo Plants, here. This video is the 4th of a series about Growing and Caring for Bamboo Plants.
Propagate bamboo rhizome cuttings
We propagated the rhizome cuttings from a recent pruning, see the work we wrote about earlier. We also noted that there are several factors that can affect the growth rate.
The obvious factors are the changes in seasons. We propagated the bamboo at the end of Summer. The Autumn to Winter conditions can affect the rate of growth.
Slug eating the leaves of the bamboo is another factor that we mitigated successfully by applying Slug and Snail Killer around the new bamboo.
In our experience, slugs disturbed the bamboo shoots and leaves from growing. As we added the protection, the bamboo shoots and leaves we left undisturbed.
How to propagate rhizome cutting in two steps
We propagated the bamboos in a 'growing medium' (a bucket with nutrient-rich soil) for 4 weeks, then transplanted the rhizomes cuttings into 'holding pots'.
A two steps propagating technique that gives the cutting a 100 percent chance of growing.
The result, as indicated in the 4th video, was astounding!
How to calculate the growth of bamboo shoots in a day
We calculated how fast bamboo grows in a day by taking the measurements at two weeks intervals. Then, we divided the length by the number of days it took for the new plant to grow.
Bamboo growth rate = length/number of days
The measurements from the 4th and 8th weeks indicated that the new bamboo shoot grows at a rate of 1.43 cm per day.
As mentioned earlier, we propagated the bamboo in two steps, from the 'growing medium' to the 'holding pot'. So, we used the measurements from the 'holding pots' to minimise the margin of error.
If you do not have bamboo plants and want to buy potted bamboo plants, check out the UK retailers here.
Find out how fast bamboo shoot grows in a day
Follow GBP's YouTube channel as we track the progress of the Phyllostachys aureosulcata vivax and other bamboo plants we grow.
So far, we have 4 videos, each showing the different stages of propagating bamboo from rhizome cuttings.
This is an important question because after growing a bamboo plant, you’d be anticipating that lush evergreen screen. Right?
The video info gives clarity on how a bamboo plant grows from year to year. If you want to know how fast bamboo grows, check out this article.
But, bamboo plants like other plants will take time to grow to reach full height and maturity. This video shows first-year growth.
Under the right conditions, bamboo plants will provide that beautiful greenery within 3 years. The first growth will continue to mature for up to 5 years and, interestingly, remain evergreen for up to 20 years.
The new shoots will be taller than the previous growth until the bamboo grove reaches its maximum height.
Thereafter, the bamboo grove will remain evergreen for as long as it can.
As the bamboo matures, you will need to prune the old bamboo culms and rhizomes to promote new growth. Or transplant the ones that outgrow the pots.
Here are some guides to bamboo Care and Maintenance Tools that you will find useful if you have older bamboo plants in your garden.
Watch videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Related articles on Evergreen Outdoor Privacy Screen
Readers' note: This article is so long that we split it into several parts. Here are the related parts that you may also like to read:
Bamboo plants in pot and container planters are great for instant privacy screens. Besides, you do not have to worry about the bamboos’ invasiveness because the planters are barriers.
They also provide the benefit of moving them around to optimise on space available, perfect for small and narrow spaces.
There are more benefits to using the plants. However, growing bamboo in pot and container planters requires extra care and attention, unlike the garden hedging bamboo screens.
In this article, you will find out about how to:
choose the best bamboo for small outdoor spaces,
select the best planters to grow bamboo and
provide long-term care for the bamboo plants.
How to select the best pots and containers?
There are a lot of recommendations for larger and bigger bamboo planters, but these are not often the best recommendations for narrow outdoor areas like the deck, patio, balcony or porch.
Unless, of course, use a bigger planter if the outdoor area has enough space for a bigger plant.
When choosing a pot or container for growing bamboo, size, weight and stability matter!
That begs the question what is the best pot or container for planting bamboo plants?
The three-pointers will help you to identify the bamboo planter that suits you.
A strong and durable frost resistant pot or container planter will act as a root barrier and protect the plant against the cold. Avoid the thin plastic pots because they do not stand a chance against the bamboo rhizomes and clumps in compacted space.
Avoid growing bamboo in containers that have small openings and heavy tops. If you use these planters, it will be hard to remove the bamboo plants for repotting, or the tall plants will topple to the ground.
Perhaps the important point to consider when selecting a pot or container for growing bamboo is the space available on your porch, patio, deck or balcony. Most of these spaces are usually narrow.
Ideally, the narrow rectangular heavy-duty containers are best for this kind of space. For the corners, you may want to choose a heavy-duty square container planter.
Some DIY wooden and metal containers are great for other plants, but not ideal for bamboo plants.
Furthermore, the metals pots do not have good insulations as they either absorb or lose heat pretty quickly in Summer and Winter, respectively.
If you still wish to use DIY wooden containers to grow bamboo, the best thing to do is to use the treated timbers that can last longer than 5 years.
As for the metal containers, ensure that they are well insulated from heat and cold.
Above all, ensure that the pot and container planters for growing bamboo are strong and stable, are well insulated, and have good drainage.
Choose large pots or container planters
You can move the bamboo into a larger pot or container planters. It is going to be a tedious operation getting the bamboo out.
However, if you are using the square and rectangular container box, you’ll find it easier to uproot the plant and repot it while saving the old container box.
In a case where it is difficult to remove the plant from the container planter, you will have to decide whether to keep the plant or keep the planter box. That means that you will have to destroy one and save the other.
The best time for repotting a bamboo plant into the container planters is early Spring when the new growths are prominent.
Avoid environmental stress in confined areas
Like other potted plants, bamboos in pots require attention if they were to thrive in the confined space.
One of the main reasons why bamboo leaves turn yellow (more info here) is the lack of moisture and nutrient in the soil.
Undoubtedly, bamboo in pots and container boxes will grow well where there is good moisture and nutrient in the soil.
Many pot and container planter boxes have a hollow bottom where the water drains out pretty quickly.
Bamboo plants tend to lose more water through transpiration through the thin and slender leaves compared to other thick leaves plants.
Poor drainage and a high rate of transpiration are often the main reasons why the soil in pot planters becomes devoid of nutrients and moisture. This is the main cause of the yellowing of bamboo leaves and browning culms.
How to improve soil condition in pots?
There are two things you can do to improve the soil moisture and soil nutrients in pot and container planters.
Firstly, fill the base of the pot and container planters with pebbles, gravel or a porous pot filler to stop it from losing water.
Do not block the hole at the bottom of the planters completely because the bamboo plants dislike waterlogged containers.
In addition, leave a spacing of about 10cm to 15 cm at the top of the pot and container planters after you’ve planted the bamboo. This space is very important for mulching and fertilising the plants later.
Secondly, use nutrient-rich loam soil and or potting compost when potting bamboo plants into containers to give them the best start.
Here is the right mixture of clay to sand to silt to create an ideal loam for growing bamboo.
Alternatively, a 50/50 mix potting compost contains the right nutrient and moisture for new bamboo plants to thrive in the pots.
If you need more information on how to grow bamboo, check out the Instructional Guides from YouGarden.
How to stop tall bamboo in pots from falling down?
Ominously, the tall bamboo plants will sway in the wind and topple to the ground if the pots are unstable. When this happens, you are likely to have a damaged plant, or pot, or both.
To avoid bamboo in pots falling to the ground, choose a pot or container planter with good stability.
A regular occurrence is when the tall bamboo culms lean out of the bamboo cluster or grove. In this case, use the garden ropes to tie them back.
Protect potted bamboo roots and rhizomes from cold and frost
The bamboos in pots and container planters require insulation in Winter when the temperature falls to negative values.
Although the bamboo plants are tough and hardy, the roots and rhizomes are above ground level and are directly exposed to the weather, unlike the plants on the ground.
The bamboo plants in the planter pots are prone to frost, frozen soil and, even, the Winter’s chill.
The best way to protect the bamboo in the planters is to add mulch and cover the base of the pots with an insulating blanket, bubble wrap or special plant insulation fleece.
Do these when bamboo in pot and container planters grow big
The running and clumping bamboo plants will reach full growth in the pots and containers within 2 – 5 years. That is the period when the plants are at their peak.
They’ll display evergreen foliage, shiny culms and beautiful leaves – an ideal time to enjoy the beauty of your bamboo plants.
The plants will thrive for more than 5 to 10 years in large pot planters under the right conditions and care mentioned in this article.
To continue to enjoy them, there are a couple of things you can do to keep the plants in the pot longer.
How to maintain bamboo plants in pots and containers?
Bamboo plants are relatively hardy bamboo and can withstand air temperatures as low as – 20 degrees Celsius in normal growing conditions.
However, bamboo plants in pots and containers without the right insulations will struggle to survive at such very low temperatures.
So the first thing to do before planting them is to insulate the containers by using styrofoam which is light and great for extra insulation.
In addition, the new bamboo plants are prone to slugs damage. Add Slugs and Snail Killer to protect new shoots and rhizome tips.
Here are some general protection measures to apply when planting bamboo in pot and container planters;
Apply Slug and Snail Killer around your new bamboo.
Add organic mulch.
Tie the long culms to bamboo sticks or poles.
Add insulation inside the pot and containers.
Cover the pots and containers with additional insulation fleece or blanket when the temperature drops to negative degrees Celsius.
‘Thinning’ bamboo in pot and container planters
Remove the old unhealthy culms (canes) to give the new shoots a chance to reach full height. In fact, the new shoots will be stronger and taller than previous bamboos, so encourage new growth if you want taller and healthier plants.
After 5 – 10 years, you will have to carry out ‘thinning’. Remove the older bamboo culms and rhizomes from the pots and containers, and separate the culms into segments for repotting. This activity is best done in Spring.
At this juncture, we provided insight into how to select and grow the perfect bamboo plants in pots for the small outdoor space at home, the office or the rental place.
Growing bamboo in pots is the best way to stop them from spreading. It makes it easier to move them around and can be used as screens indoors and outdoors.
Despite the benefits, there are also limitations to growing bamboo in pots.
There are two groups of bamboo plants to grow in pot and container planters - the running bamboo and the clumping bamboo.
The former has horizontal stems called ‘rhizomes’ that can grow up to a metre away from the parent plant in just one growing season.
The latter forms a tight base around the parent bamboo, forming dense clusters of canes (culms) and tend to expand in time.
Growing bamboo in pots and containers is an effective way to stop the invasion and or expansion of the running and clumping bamboo plants.
They provide a formidable barrier, restricting the rhizomes from spreading.
Limitations of growing bamboo in pot and container planter boxes
Most bamboo plants are tolerant of pests and diseases and thrive in variable outdoor conditions.
This group of plants are, in fact, tough and hardy but are limited to the size and conditions present in the pot and container planters where they are growing.
Here are likely limitations for growing bamboo plants in pots, containers and planters.
Bamboo plants will succumb to environmental stress in containers.
Tall bamboo in pots will sway and fall in breezy conditions.
Bamboo roots and rhizomes are exposed to cold and heat above the ground.
Running and clumping bamboo will outgrow the planters in 2 – 5 years.
The plants will not grow to the maximum height and will not attain the maximum spread.
To grow bamboo in pot and container planters, you should create (and maintain) the best possible conditions for the plants in the confined space.
The pots contain soil and water. They are practically immovable.
You can move the smaller bamboo pots by using old cardboard boxes to slide them across the floor.
If you need help moving the heavier bamboo pot and container boxes, the Hand Truck will make the heavy work easier.
With some help, you can arrange (and rearrange) the bamboo pots and container boxes neatly to suit your design and liking.
In some cases, you may have to move the bamboo in pots to a site where there is enough sun. The bamboo varieties prefer sun to shade or part shade. By doing this, you can get the best out of your plant.
In other cases, your bamboo may not grow well in the planters. These bamboo plants will need to be removed.
In fact, growing bamboo in pot and container planters is a great way to provide privacy screening for a small space, home, office or rented place.
Bamboo plants are great shade plants. They are also undemanding, shade and drought tolerant. Some varieties are invasive whereas the others are non-invasive.
The new bamboo in pot and container planters will need the right amount of water and attention in Spring as the roots start to develop.
Pay extra attention when planting the bamboo cuttings in late Spring or early Summer as they will need water every other day to support the new growths.
Mulching is highly recommended at this stage too, as it will help to retain moisture in the soil or in the pots and containers.
For the older bamboo plants, you will have to add NPK fertilisers, fresh organic mulch and water to keep them happy.
The best way to check for moisture in the soil is to dig out a layer of soil to a depth of 5cm. It is an effective way to inspect the soil for moisture content.
The soil in the pots and containers should be nice and moist, not too dry or too wet.
If it gets too cold in Winter, move the plant into a sheltered area like the garage, patio or veranda to keep them warm and safe from the chill and wind.
Add more mulch or grass cutting to provide the added layer and heat.
Growing bamboo in pot and container planter boxes for privacy screening might seem like hard work, but frankly, it's not.
These stunning plants, like other privacy and hedging plants, will need just the right attention to thrive in contained spaces.
The bamboo plants require watering, feeding and mulching. They’ll also demand separation and repotting.
Generally, bamboo plants will thrive in container planters for 5 – 10 years. All the while, producing the evergreen foliage and providing natural privacy screens.
The common running and clumping bamboo plants in the UK will grow well in large planters. Many bamboo cultivators of both bamboo kinds are notable for their tolerance to small spaces.
In fact, bamboo plants are low demanding, hardy and drought resistant.
They are great plants to grow in pots, containers and plants indoors and outdoors.
Clumping bamboos do not have running rhizomes, instead, the roots are packed around the base forming a clumped base, hence the name clump-forming bamboo.
When separating the clumps, take care to preserve the parent plant.
If you already have matured bamboo plants, then you can use the cutting from the branches, culms (stems) or rhizomes (roots) to propagate a new plant.
Take care when separating bamboo rhizomes.
Use a hacksaw (or a pair of garden loopers) and cut at 45 degrees angle, 5 – 10 cm away from the node. Avoid splitting them.
The best time for propagating new bamboo cuttings is in late summer or early Spring when they reach their full growth and the new shoots are starting to grow, respectively.
Take extra care when taking the new cuttings off an old bamboo plant to preserve the parent plant.
Treat the new cuttings delicately for them to grow.
Hacksaw or a pair of secateurs for cutting the culms and rhizomes.
Planting: Materials you will need to plant bamboo cuttings
Soil
Bark or organic materials for mulch
Pots and containers for planting the bamboo cuttings.
Rainwater or tapwater (avoid using chlorinated water)
Essentials for propagating running bamboo cuttings
Separate the cuttings from the parent plant early in spring or late in summer. Take the bamboo cuttings from the rhizomes, culms or even the base of the parent plant.
Rhizomes cuttings: Cut the rhizomes with 4 - 6 buds long, use a pair of secateurs or garden loopers. The best tip is to look for new shoots at the buds. The shots have a high chance of germinating.
Stem cuttings: Cut the culms 5 – 10 cm away from the node. Plant them deep in rich soil, either in a container or directly in the ground.
New culms: This is my favourite because they grow every time. Check for new culms that have a couple of branches. Carefully, dig them up and prepare them for propagation in pots.
Water the new cuttings/plants thoroughly.
Mulch the new bamboo plant using bark or other organic materials.
5 factors affect the growth of bamboo new cuttings
Propagating bamboo plants is a long-term affair. Take these 5 factors into consideration when growing new bamboo plants.
1. Choose the site carefully
The two bamboo plant varieties in UK gardens are tough plants. But the new plants are susceptible to the weather.
New bamboo plants grown from cuttings should be propagated in locations where there is a good amount of sunlight and away from direct wind.
2. Identify the garden feature you want
Running Bamboo plants are ideal for growing in the garden.
They have tall colourful stems, unmistakably evergreen. Winterhardy, are permanent screen all year round.
Bamboo plants can grow from stem cuttings, but it is not as effective as growing bamboo from base separation and rhizome cuttings. It will also take a long time to germinate.
Follow the steps below for successful propagation by stem cuttings.
Step 1: Cut some cuttings from a three or four-year-old bamboo plant at 45 degrees angle.
Each cutting must have at least two nodes and one internode.
Cover the ends of the bamboo cuttings with wax to save them from rotting or drying.
Use rooting hormone
Step 2: Dip the bamboo cuttings in rooting hormone and ensure that the fresh cuts are covered with the hormone before shaking the excess off.
Use good soil!
Step 3: Fill large a pot or container with potting mix or loam soil (mixture of equal parts sand, silt and clay). Make several holes in the soil and plant the culm cuttings.
Depending on the number of cuttings, you may need more than one pot.
Ideally, an 20cm garden pot should hold not more than 6 new culm cuttings.
Water & humidity promote growth
Step 4: Cover the cuttings with a clear plastic bag to keep the soil moist.
Put the pot of newly planted culm cuttings in a warm area, out of direct sunlight.
Water the cuttings to keep the soil moist as water and humidity promote new growth.
Continue early-stage care
Step 5: When you see new shoots, it means the cuttings are putting out roots and rhizomes in the soil.
Continue to water the cuttings until they are ready to move into new pots or planted straight in the garden.
Bamboo plants grow well from rhizome cuttings - use the steps for growing healthy bamboo plants.
This propagation method works for the running bamboo because they have elongated rhizomes. Note that the rhizomes are in fact underground stems with nodes and internodes.
Cut carefully along the nodes as new bamboo plants germinate at the node.
You can use the 5 steps to propagate both clumping and running bamboo for their rhizomes.
Careful at the nodes
Step 1: Separate the rhizomes from the parent bamboo plants.
Careful not to break the rhizome tips and new shoots or buds growing at the rhizome’s nodes.
Preserve new shoots
Step 2: Cut the rhizomes 4 - 6 buds using pair of secateurs.
The best tip is to preserve new shoots at the nodes as they have a high chance of germinating when propagated into pots.
If you are taking cuttings from the main clump, leave 2 – 3 small culms on it.
You can also use the rhizome tips/shoots as new cuttings.
Water immediately
Step 3: Water both the new cuttings and the parent bamboo plant thoroughly.
Place the new cuttings straight into a bucket of water so that they don’t dry out.
You can dip the bamboo into growth hormone to boost root growth.
Plant cuttings in good soil
Step 4: Fill a large 20 – 30 cm pot or container with potting mix or loam soil (mixture of equal parts sand, silt and clay).
Step 5: Make several holes in the soil and plant the rhizome cuttings with the shoots and rhizome buds facing up. Water the newly planted rhizomes cuttings thoroughly.
Depending on the size of the cuttings, you may need more than one pot. Place the pot in a shaded area, away from direct sun.
The Rhizomes will take about four to six weeks to grow. So, water consistently but do not overwater.
