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Growing a Bamboo Garden

When people think of bamboo, they might think of their favorite Asian cuisine, bamboo flooring or even bamboo cutting boards. Because bamboo’s durability makes it a highly versatile wood, people are finding new and inventive ways to use these plants.

Aside from using bamboo as a construction material, more and more gardeners and plant lovers are turning to bamboo for its visual appeal and outdoor uses. While some people love to grow vast bamboo gardens in their yards, others use bamboo as a material for their fences, which effectively shield their yards from neighbors. Still, some people simply like to grow bamboo in containers and use it to accent rooms within their homes.

The Benefits of Bamboo

Aside from being pretty, bamboo is a popular plant for a number of reasons, including:

Bamboo is deer-resistant.
Bamboo is edible.
Bamboo is evergreen, meaning it maintains its vibrant color throughout the year.
Bamboo is fast-growing.
Bamboo is virtually pest-free.

Growing a Bamboo Garden: Indoors or Outside?

If you're considering growing a bamboo garden, you'll first want to decide how you plan to use your bamboo. Will you create a field of bamboo in your back yard, will you use the bamboo as a border plant or will you keep the bamboo potted indoors?

Your answers to these questions will decide not only the type of bamboo you grow but also the methods you use to care for your bamboo.

Types of Bamboo

More than 1,000 types of bamboo exist worldwide. With so many different kinds of bamboo available, you'll find these plants in a variety of colors, sizes and textures. Similarly, while some types of bamboo thrive in hot, humid climates, others enjoy cold areas. In fact, some bamboo plants can grow in areas where the temperature drops to -20 ˚F!

Though there are more than 1,000 types of bamboo, all of them can be grouped into one of two categories: running and clumping.

Clumping Bamboo, also known as non-spreading bamboo, grows in a tight bunch of stalks and does not spread to cover a large area. Clumping bamboo will expand only a few inches each year.
Running Bamboo, sometimes called spreading bamboo, spreads quickly to densely fill an area. Thus, running bamboo is a good choice for people who are looking to use bamboo as a fence around their yards. Some types of running bamboo can spread almost 10 feet in one year.

Growing Bamboo Outside

If you will be growing your bamboo garden outside, consider your climate before selecting the bamboo you will plant. You will also need to decide whether you want your bamboo to spread over a large area or grow in a confined space. If you are having trouble determining whether or not a certain type of bamboo plant is right for your garden, talk to experts at your local nursery or gardening center.

Once you have chosen and purchased your bamboo, follow these steps to plant it outside. Keep in mind that new bamboo shoots are extremely delicate, so handle them with care:

Dig a hole that is as deep as and twice as wide as the bamboo's container.
Add a mix comprised of half compost and half soil to the hole, making sure to leave enough room for the plant. Do not add fertilizer or manure to the hole.
Place the plant in the hole.
Fill in the area around the plant with soil until it is level with the ground.
Water thoroughly.

Keep in mind that bamboo should not dry out during its first year of growth. If the leaves start to roll up, the bamboo needs to be watered.

Fertilize your bamboo garden in March, June and September with either high-nitrogen fertilizer or turf fertilizer.

Growing Bamboo Inside

Clumping bamboo grows well indoors in containers. When growing bamboo inside, keep the following in mind:

Select a container that is at least as wide as it is tall. Most bamboos will do well in a container that is 18 inches to 24 inches deep.
When potting your bamboo, use a potting medium with good drainage.
While the bamboo is actively growing, fertilize it once a month with a full-strength, high-nitrogen fertilizer. When growth slows, fertilize once a month with half- to quarter-strength fertilizer.

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