How do you Grow Bamboo?

There are a ton of different bamboo species and each one of them will have pretty different growing conditions, so it’s important to do your own research according to which species you have chosen to grow. But still, we’ve prepared some pointers on how to try to keep your bamboo plant happy at home:

Soil & Potting

Let’s establish something right off the bat: bamboo plants are remarkably easy to care for. These plants really just want to grow, so there isn’t all that much you could throw at them that they won’t take in stride.

That being said, planting bamboo in soil that is loamy and slightly acidic is a sure fire way to ensure very quick growth. Amending soil with compost will also improve drainage and increase the nutrient content of the soil as well.

Watering

Watering your bamboo plant is going to take up a bit of time. Bamboo plants love moisture and they will especially need extra moisture if they are growing indoors as a houseplant.

It is best to water bamboo at least twice a week in the temperate months of the year, but that can be increased to 5 times a week in the hot months of the year. Bamboo also appreciates being regularly misted if growing indoors.

Younger bamboo plants are quite drought tolerant once they’re mature and established, but younger plants can be a little sensitive if they are deprived of moisture. Just look out for yellowing leaf tips, this is an indication they’re not getting enough water.

Sun Exposure

It is difficult to provide a general rule for how much sunlight a bamboo plant will prefer as this will vary according to species. Some types will prefer to receive direct sunlight for the majority of the day, whereas others tend to prosper in more shaded areas or indirect light.

Fertilizer

Another aspect of bamboo care involves fertilizing! If you’re really intent on encouraging your plants to grow quickly, you can provide them with fertilizer every couple of weeks during their active growing season.

Pruning

The biggest efforts that you will have to make when caring for bamboo is maintaining the size. If you would prefer to it stay a certain height, it will need to be pruned very regularly in order to keep that height.

*Pro Tip: if you are growing bamboo indoors and it seems to be struggling, try moving it outdoors! Since bamboo plants are naturally meant to grow outdoors, transferring it outdoors for a period of time will give it the boost it needs to get back on track.

FAQs

Are there any types of houseplant bamboo?

An indoor bamboo plant can be a tricky thing to care for, considering that they grow so quickly and to such great heights, but there are in fact types of houseplant bamboo available. A few worth mentioning are black bamboo, large leaved bamboo, heavenly bamboo, or lucky bamboo.

Is it hard growing lucky bamboo?

Lucky bamboo care is incredibly easy to do, which is why it makes the perfect house gift! Growing lucky bamboo only requires a couple of things: tray, water, and sunlight. Lucky bamboo grows in water, so it just needs to be placed above a tray that is filled with pebbles and fresh water.

What is special about tropical bamboo?

Tropical bamboo is known because of its speed of growth and its sheer size. Because of the direct sunlight, humidity, and heat, bamboo grows super quickly because it is experiencing its ideal growing conditions!

Is bamboo palm a true bamboo or a palm tree?

The bamboo palm is more of a palm tree than it is a bamboo plant. It has very thin green stems with nice lance shaped leaves, and gardeners love it because they prefer to grow in low light conditions.

Is a snake plant a type of bamboo plant?

The snake plant is not at all a bamboo plant, but coincidentally it is cousins with the lucky bamboo plant as they are both part of the asparagus plant family!

Can bamboo grow in indirect sunlight?

There are tons of different bamboo species and their preference of sun exposure will vary. Some will prefer low light, others indirect sunlight, and some direct sunlight.

Is giant cane a type of bamboo?

Giant cane (arundo donax) is also known as elephant grass, Spanish cane, or Colorado river weed. It is a reed species that has a similar growth habit to bamboo as it has hollow stems that grow to be 20 feet tall that grow from strong rhizomes.

So though arundo donax looks very similarly and grows in a similar fashion, it is actually a perennial grass and not a bamboo plant.

How often should a bamboo plant be watered?

Watering your bamboo plant is going to take up a bit of time. Bamboo plants love moisture and they will especially need extra moisture if they are growing indoors as a houseplant.

It is best to water bamboo at least twice a week in the temperate months of the year, but that can be increased to 5 times a week in the hot months of the year. Bamboo also appreciates being regularly misted if growing indoors.

Younger bamboo plants are quite drought tolerant once they’re mature and established, but younger plants can be a little sensitive if they are deprived of moisture. Just look out for yellowing leaf tips, this is an indication they’re not getting enough water.