How to Plant and Grow Bamboo

Bamboo, although often associated with the jungles of South East Asia, is a wood forming grass with distribution throughout the world from South America to China. Whilst the plant will bring an exotic touch to the garden, specimens are often easy to grow and many are tolerant of a variety of soil and weather conditions. In many cases the art of growing bamboo may be associated with its management and control rather than keeping specimens alive.

Site and Preparation for Bamboo

Bamboos are suited to a wide variety of soils and conditions, most will thrive in any ordinary garden soil and once established will tolerate both wet and drought periods. Some species such as Phyllostachys Nigra the black bamboo do particularly well in damp heavy soils.

One of the most important considerations in the site and preparation for a bamboo is to consider the root system of the chosen specimen. Bamboos have two kinds of root systems with varieties such as Fargesia Murielae Simba forming neat clumps whilst others such as Phyllostachys spread rapidly via a running root system.

In many cases bamboos can quickly become invasive species especially those varieties with running root systems. As such in planting one may consider either the use of containers or if planting directly into the ground, some form of impermeable barrier should be inserted into the ground to prevent spread outside of the desired area.

Varieties of Bamboo to Consider for the Garden

There are a whole host of bamboos which make good garden plants; the following however have been selected as having a special interest. Phyllostachys Nigra, the black bamboo, is one of the most striking of all bamboos; the plant is fully hardy and will tolerate a damp heavy soil. Culms emerge a dark green colour and turn to a glossy jet black over a number of seasons. The black bamboo can reach up to 5 meters in height and is relatively slow growing.

A faster growing variety is Fargesia Murielae Simba; again the specimen is a hardy one, this time however the culms remain a light apple green and the plant tends to exhibit a weeping form allowing even a small specimen to add volume to an area. Fargesia Murielae Simba is particularly suited to container growth and the gardener will be rewarded with rapid results if sufficiently watered.

Finally Pleioblastus Variegatus is a bamboo from Eastern Asia with variegated yellow and green leaves. The plant is, unlike many varieties, a dwarf specimen reaching no more than 2 meters and often much less. The plant does however have a tendency to spread if left unchecked. Again the specimen is fully hardy and will tolerate a variety of soil conditions.

Buying a Bamboo

Bamboos are often considered as specialist plants despite the ease of growth and prolific nature of many varieties. As such prices can be on the high side especially if bought from specialist nurseries. In order to save costs it is recommended that small specimens are purchased. Bamboo in many cases grows quickly as such small specimens will soon reach the size of their more expensive counterparts.

As with all grasses the strength of the plant lies in its root system as such one should inspect the root system of a specimen with a great deal of care ensuring that the root are neither dried out or pot bound.