Gardeners and hobby gardeners use various options for growing bamboo plants. Each type of breeding has its advantages and disadvantages. It is important to choose the right option according to your own needs. Growing bamboo – different options at a glance:
What methods are there to grow bamboo?
There are various options available to grow bamboo: rhizome propagation, propagation by division, cutting propagation, sowing and meristem propagation. The most common and successful are rhizome propagation and propagation by division, which produce full-fledged bamboo plants.
- Rhizome propagation
- Reproduction by division
- Propagation of cuttings
- Propagation by sowing
- Meristem proliferation
Growing bamboo – make many from 1
If you want to grow bamboo plants quickly, you have to propagate them through rhizomes or divide the root ball. These are the two most proven breeding methods for home gardeners. Both variants deliver fully-fledged bamboo plants identical to the mother plant.
Whether rhizome propagation or division – start growing bamboo at the right time and with the ideal weather. Divide, propagate or transplant the bamboo either in March or late summer. Because new stalks grow from April to June. The roots must not be disturbed.
A cloudy, humid day is recommended for professional sharing or narrowing down. Ideally after a rain shower when the soil is moist and loose.
Growing bamboo by rhizome propagation
Bamboo plants reproduce predominantly vegetatively via root propagation (rhizome). The starting material for new bamboo plants is obtained through separated, rooted rhizome pieces. To do this, partially dig up the bamboo or expose individual rhizomes and remove them from the bamboo. Continue as follows:
- Remove rhizomes from soil
- separate young bamboo shoots individually
- Let the cut dry for a day
Then simply keep the bamboo shoots slightly moist in the loose, sandy soil and let them grow. Also works in the pot. Important: do not use peat soil! This one is too sour.
Growing bamboo by division
You can propagate the garden bamboo (Fargesia) as a clump-forming bamboo species by dividing the root ball. Water the root ball in advance. Then continue working in the following steps:
- Tie up the plant
- Share the root ball with a sharp spade (€29.00 at Amazon) several times
- Cover separated root pieces immediately with moist potting soil
- then plant in the prepared location or in a planter
Propagate bamboo through cuttings
Only works on some tropical bamboo species if root systems are present in the axillary buds. Bamboos in temperate latitudes do not have this property.
Growing bamboo from seeds requires patience
Some types of bamboo only bloom every 80 to 120 years. The others produce few germinable seeds after the bamboo blossoms. The bred offspring often differ from the mother plant.
Bamboo from meristem cultivation
Plant tissue or meristem propagation is only possible in the laboratory.
Tips & Tricks
Be careful when buying bamboo! Many bamboo plants from meristem breeding do not develop in a way that is typical for the species. Therefore only buy if the mother plant can be examined.