How to Grow Bamboo
How to Grow Bamboo - Article Contents
Growing Bamboo - Introduction
Cultivating bamboo can be a significant challenge for many growers. A grower must factor in climate, soil, placement, and the bamboo type, along with many other variables. On the plus side, growing bamboo is relatively inexpensive and can add amazing beauty to your garden. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on growing bamboo for ornamental and garden purposes, although we also cover methods for using bamboo as a hedge and ground cover. This 5 part guide will serve as a step-by-step tutorial to help you gain a basic understanding of what it takes to grow and care for bamboo.
Giant Bamboo at the Jungle Supply Company Nursery
Most bamboo species will have the greatest success in tropical and temperate climates. The bamboo species list and climate chart is a good place to start if you’re not sure which bamboo variety to grow. In optimum conditions, bamboo has the potential to grow more than three inches per day, making it the fastest growing woody plant in the world! It comes as no surprise that bamboo is highly valued throughout the world, especially in Asia. It is used as a building material, food, and even has medicinal value.
Understanding the behavior and ecology of bamboo is essential for successful propagation. Having a basic knowledge of the nature of bamboo will prevent you from making mistakes and make the overall process of growing a more rewarding one. It is also crucial to make give your bamboo plants the correct placement. Bamboo has specific requirements when it comes to climate, soil composition, sunlight, wind exposure, and spacing. Once you have done the proper planning and purchased your specimen you will be ready to move on to the actual planting. Planting bamboo is fairly straight forward, but there are a few basic guidelines to follow. Depending on your location, you may need to use growing accessories which are discussed in detail later in this article.