In winter, when summer plants are bare and empty, evergreen plants such as rhododendrons or bamboo add color to the garden and delight our senses. Even though most types of bamboo are hardy, there are a few special bamboo winter tips for care.
How do I properly care for bamboo in winter?
To protect bamboo in winter, potted plants should be watered regularly as they need water for photosynthesis. For hardy bamboo, such as Phyllostachys and Fargesia, frozen leaves and stalks may not be removed until spring. New plants need a lot of attention.
As an evergreen plant, bamboo converts carbon dioxide into oxygen via photosynthesis, even in winter. For this it needs water even in the cold season. Specimens planted in the garden get their water from the soil. A bamboo in a pot or as a container plant now needs your help to get through the cold months unscathed.
What can you do for your bamboo in winter?
The soil in the planter quickly reaches the outside temperature. As soon as this drops below freezing point, the earth and water in the container also freeze. The bamboo roots cannot transport water and the bamboo curls up its leaves because it is thirsty. Watering helps now. Depending on the type of bamboo, the winter hardiness is up to -30° degrees. The hardiest bamboo species include:
- Phyllostachys
- Fargesia
In harsh winters, even the leaves of hardy bamboo sometimes freeze. Don't cut them off! In spring, new leaves sprout and the frozen ones automatically fall off.
Identify winter damage to bamboo in good time
You should pay particular attention to newly planted bamboo plants. In the first two years they are not as hardy as plants that have survived several winters. Winter damage can be recognized:
- Dried leaves that lose their color and fall off. This is less tragic because new leaves sprout again in spring.
- Dried stalks that are pale and pale. When new growth occurs, these stalks are replaced.
- Dried roots, on the other hand, mean the highest level of alarm! This can happen with plants that overwinter outside in containers or with young plants that were planted in the fall. The result: The bamboo dies or only produces weak new shoots in the spring.
Tips & Tricks
After a harsh winter, the bamboo may not green up again until summer because it has longer to recover. Give it a chance and don't throw it away too soon.