Bamboo is appreciated for its tall stands of slender culms with lush , airy foliage , and growing it in containers is an fantabulous path to relish these plants in small blank space – or to keep them from take over your yard !
tight growing and versatile , their lush increase is superb for creating leafy accents on decks and patio , or to imprint evergreen barrier , orchard , hedges , and privacy screens .
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With the veracious type of soil plus adequate spark , nutrients , space , and body of water , container growth produces lush bamboo plants while easily managing their size and bed cover .
The clip-clop type are irksome to spread than the rapidly colonize run eccentric , but all potpourri bring out robust rootage systems , so large containers are want .
Are you quick to create your own tropic grove of bamboo planters ? Then let ’s dig into how to grow bamboo in pots and container .
Editorial credit: Laurence Berger / Shutterstock.com
Here ’s a peep at what ’s ahead :
What You’ll Learn
Clumping and Running Types
Container requirement
Species and Cultivars
Preparing and Planting
Container Care
Maintenance and Pruning
Bamboo grows and spreads from rootstalk , the deep , overweight ascendent that branch readily and dwell the top six to 12 inches of grease .
A subfamily of true grasses ( Poaceae ) , bamboo ( Bambusoideae ) , is categorize into two unsubtle types – clumping or running variety – which describes their root and growth style .
Clumping varieties are normally of tropical origin with stem that amplify at a steady , but reasonable pace and they ’re more susceptible to damage from cold temperatures .
Running types are temperate plants that are generally more cold - fearless and have extravagant , running origin growth that can quickly take over any available space .
This stand for the escape type necessitate to be split up or repotted more frequently than the clunking varieties .
But even the clumping types need regular repotting . Even though their growing is less aggressive than the runners , it ’s still vigorous and it does n’t take long for the plants to become potbound .
Both case adapt well to originate in containers , give you a smart style to ascertain their size and spread .
If you ’d like to learn more , check out our guide to thedifferences between clumping and course bamboo .
Containers for growing bamboo can bemade of any fabric , including concrete , ceramic , rosin , terra cotta , and Mrs. Henry Wood .
The main consideration for container ontogeny is space , and lots of it – the bighearted the planter , the happier and healthier your bamboo plant will be . And you wo n’t have to repot or divide as frequently as you would if you planted it in humble pots .
A 10 - gal mental ability should be the minimum size for any type , and as mentioned , in the case of bamboo , bounteous is better . Especially for running mixture – a 20 - gallon pot is more their style .
Large planter also have the vantage of providing better detachment for the root if immobilize winter temperatures are a business concern .
And the weight they provide aid to counterbalance the plenteous foliage of mature plant and prevent them from tipping over .
Also , any container used must have drainage holes to forestall the theme from standing in soggy conditions , which can make root bunkum .
A single hole that ’s about half an in to an column inch in diameter is okay , but three or four drain holes would be better . utilize a Mandrillus leucophaeus to create extra holes if needed .
line the bottom of the pot with a suitably sized part of polypropylene shade textile or landscape painting weed dominance fabric solve well to preclude the drainage holes from becoming choked with dirt or roots .
The cloth lend no weight unit to the good deal , but whatever you use must be porous to allow water to run through – a tarpaulin or piece of charge plate wo n’t work for this purpose .
Also , avoid container with a vase - alike shape or that have a narrow top than the consistency – they tend to make repotting dense roots very difficult . The top of the pot should be at least as panoptic as its base .
The bottom of the container want to be broad enough to support your plant life on a visionary daylight – the dim foliage can work like a sail that catches the breaking wind and can well tumble narrow - bottomed pots .
Species and Cultivars to Select
Bamboo varieties of both clumping and running type are suitable for container maturation .
It should be noted that container - grow bamboo typically does n’t farm quite as tall or all-inclusive as those planted in the terra firma – expect your potted plants to be about 10 to 20 percent minor than their call mature size of it .
Here are a few idea to start out with :
Alfonso Karr
sleep together for its dense , clumping growth with bright , yellow fleeceable leaves that prevail the full distance of its culms , Bambusa glaucescens‘Alphonso Karr ’ has beautiful halcyon culms often accent with green streaking .
particular for its lavish foliage , ‘ Alphonso Karr ’ is a clumping variety that ’s well - befit for barriers , hedgerow , patio planters , and privacy screens .
‘ Alphonso Karr ’
flora grow 10 to 30 feet tall with a spread of four to six feet but are easy maintained at any desired height with an annual pruning . Hardy in Zones 7 to 10 .
Two- to three - feet - magniloquent container plantscan be found at Fast Growing Trees .
Black
Black bamboo ( Phyllostachys nigra ) feature elegant Olea europaea immature leaves and culm that start out unripened then mature into a deep , true black , giving plants a full of life astuteness .
This variety march both clip-clop and run characteristics , staying contained in clumps in juiceless , lean condition and more apt to run in moist , plentiful grunge .
Black Bamboo
Plants reach a mature height of 10 to 20 feet with a cattle farm of six to 10 foundation and look gorgeous when container are clustered into a backcloth , hedgerow , or privacy screen or as a standalone emphasis . Hardy in USDA zone 7 to 11 .
Plants in a variety of sizes areavailable at Fast Growing Trees .
Dragon Head
With slow growth and a compact size , dragon head bamboo ( Fargesia dracocephala‘Rufa ’ akaFargesia rufa ) is a democratic clippety-clop type with orangey - cerise shoot that mature to red - color culm with an abundance of pretty , grass gullible leave .
A beautiful option for balconies , decks , or concealment screens , works farm six to 10 feet marvelous with a spread of six to eight feet and are hardy in Zones 5 to 8 .
Plants in # 1 ( one gallon ) container areavailable at Nature Hills Nursery .
Golden Goddess
A non - invasive clip-clop character with an easy - to - observe size , ‘ Golden Goddess ’ ( Bambusa multiplex ) has a beautiful arching form with chartreuse to grass - gullible leafage and glowing , golden culms .
‘ Golden Goddess ’
With its luxurious growth and a compact tiptop and spread of six to 12 foot , it ’s ideal for backdrops , containers , planters , and in Asian or Zen garden . Hardy in zone 7 to 11 .
Three to four foot container flora areavailable at Fast Growing Trees .
For container growth , use a soil mix that holds moisture evenly while also allowing free flowing drain .
Avoid using native soil from your backyard which is typically too gravid for potted plants .
you’re able to employ a near caliber commercial potting soil or mix your own plantation owner blend .
Here ’s a honest three ingredient formula for container plants that I care to expend :
If you ca n’t come up pumice stone , perlite or vermiculite make safe substitutes .
Place your containers on a catchment saucer then add your grime blend until the pot is three - quarter of the way full .
fructify the roots in place so that the top of the theme bollock posture about two in below the container ’s brim .
Backfill with filth , gently tamping as you add turd and checking to insure the plant life is sit down horizontal surface with the culm erect . Keep adding soil until it ’s an inch or two above the top of the beginning ball .
immobile in place then water gently but thoroughly , or until water start to come forth from the drainage holes .
Add a one- or two - inchlayer of mulchto the soil Earth’s surface to help oneself retain grime moisture . Use stuff such as shredded barque , sphagnum moss , or gravel .
For inviolable growth , provide aboutone column inch of waterper week to potted plant .
Keep the soil light moist but allow the top one to two inches of soil to dry out between applications .
Also , in teetotal or raging temperatures , full Dominicus , or windy conditions , spray the foliage with a scant mist from the hose to maintain some ambient moisture .
Container - grow bamboo needs plenty of ignitor to mature vigorously .
Provide plants with a full to fond sun emplacement with at least six hour of sunshine per twenty-four hour period in temperate region .
In areas with abrasive , vivid sun and searing temperature , provide light afternoon ghost .
Although they ’re not super gruelling confluent , bamboo plant have a intelligent appetite and react best to fertilizing twice a year .
utilize a granulate , dim - release fertilizer applied in early spring to cope with the needs of new maturation and again in midsummer to fill again depleted nutrient .
For the best results , use a ware that has an NPK pattern with slimly higher levels of atomic number 7 to develop an abundance of foliation .
Belonging to the Poaceae family of rightful grass , a formula design for lawns is a proficient alternative for bamboo .
Or look for feeds with a ratio such as to 10 - 4 - 8 ( NPK ) – you want the first number , the nitrogen , to be higher than the other two .
Down to Earth Bio - Turf
Down to Earth ’s Bio - Turf , useable at Arbico Organics , has a ratio of 8 - 3 - 5 NPK that ’s well suited to bamboo .
Depending on the container size , potted plant can maturate for three to five eld before needing to be repotted into a larger container or dividing the root for replanting in the same pot .
Division can be done in early spring or late autumn through wintertime but should be avoid during the alive mature periods of saltation and summer .
Here ’s how to separate potted bamboo :
For winter sustainment , mulch the territory surface with two- to four - column inch of constitutional materials such as bark mulch , shredded leaf , orstraw .
The origin can also be protected from freezing temperature by envelop the sess in bubble wrap or burlap for extra insulation .
transfer catchment saucers in winter to guarantee the dirt drains freely .
If needed , move dope into a sheltered location to protect them from dehydrate winds that can tear up leaves – but they ’ll still call for plenty of shining light .
plant can be thinned in winter by cutting the culms close to the soil surface .
To do this , first clean and trim out impoverished , damaged , or dead culms then pick out large , onetime culms to dilute as desired .
To reduce the height of your bamboo , cut the culm just above a node .
Potted Airy Elegance
To enjoy the airy elegance of leafy bamboo , get plant into with child containers and planters is an idealistic agency to manage their bed covering and size !
Whether you choose the clop or running types , ascertain your container have raft of drain holes to promote levelheaded roots .
Give them rich stain , fertilize double during the growing time of year , and pee regularly to maintain moist , but not sloshed , soil .
Then repot into a larger container or divide the root ball every few years for vivacious flora that are ideal as accent objet d’art on pack of cards and patios or arranged in run-in for barriers , hedges , or privacy screens .
Andfor more bamboo know - how , add these template to your reading listing next :
Photo by Lorna Kring © Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfield RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product picture via Arbico Organics , Fast Growing Trees , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Lorna Kring
