Bamboo Planting and Care

Bamboo planting begins by digging a hole slightly wider and deeper than the pot.  You can add some cow manure compost into the bottom of the hole as well as some lawn lime fertilizer.  

Prepare the tightened bamboo roots by scoring with a box knife along the bottom and on the sides.  Make sure to only cut the stringy, fibrous roots and not any hard rhizomes towards the top which send up shoots and support the culms.  Mix a soluble root stimulator in a watering can and soak down the roots thoroughly prior to planting.

Move the clumping bamboo into the hole and position it higher than the soil level by about a half-inch to an inch. There is a saying here at Fat Grass Bamboo Nursery and generally in the plant world; “Plant it high, it won’t die. Plant it low, it won’t grow.” This is usually true for most plants as they would rather not be in a trough below the soil level with frequent standing water that can’t drain and rots the roots.

Use excess soil, or add more, to build up a berm a few inches high all the way around about 6 inches away from the outermost culm. This holds the water directly above the roots while the bamboo is getting acclimated to its new location.  Since this berm is above the soil level, the water can still eventually drain and not “stand” forever as mentioned above.  This berm will eventually dissipate over time.  Add another layer of cow manure compost as a top-dressing.

Apply granule fertilizers by sprinkling evenly around over the root area and even out further since the roots will spread.  You can use any grass fertilizer that is close to about a 19-5-11.  If it includes micronutrients, that is even better.  In addition and especially if your soil is more on the acidic side, you can add lawn lime fertilizer which is high in calcium and magnesium.

Spread natural-looking brown hardwood mulch on top to help with moisture retention and weed suppression.  Over time, once there is enough leaf drop, you can allow the fallen bamboo leaves to be your mulch since it is actually one of the best foods for clumping bamboo. Use a leaf blower throughout the year to blow the leaves from around the area onto the base of the bamboo.  

Fertilizers such as Milorganite or compost/grass clippings are the natural way to do it, but if organic fertilizer is not priority for you, then you may use the following:

Soluble Fertilizer to use year-round as much as you want: Pour this directly over the roots when you plant your bamboo and then use it often throughout the year. Use a "showering" watering can (as shown in the image to the right).  Fertilome Blooming & Rooting Soluble Plant Food 9-58-8

Lawn Fertilizer (Apply in March and September) 2 feedings:

Grass fertilizer (granule) that is around a 19-5-11 and a slow-release will work great a couple times per year.  If you can find one with added micronutrients, even better.

Lawn Lime Fertilizer (Apply in March and September) 2 feedings:

Lime fertilizer (granule) adds Calcium and Magnesium to your soil which improves soil conditions and neutralizes soil acidity.  Vigoro Organic Pelletized Lawn Lime