Bamboo plants are amazing, as they can be grown indoors or outdoors, in direct soil or in pots and planters. Regardless of the way you wish to grow your bamboo, when you buy from us, it comes planted, healthy and well-rooted in a 1 or 3 gallon pot. So, if you intend to have a healthy and beautiful potted bamboo, there are a couple of things you should know about how to plant a potted bamboo.
Planting Potted Bamboo
Owning a potted bamboo can not only be highly satisfying, but also provide a tropical aesthetic appeal to any space you choose. In fact, you can even grow a bamboo privacy fence in containers! However, there are a few things you should know about potting a bamboo plant.
When buying our 1 or 3 gallon potted bamboos for pots, we recommend transplanting into a pot or container that is 10, 15, or 20 gallons. This ensures that the plant has plenty of room to root out and grow.
It is important to ensure that the container and soil are both well-draining. Bamboo is not a plant that responds well to ‘wet feet’. You can do this by adding rock, sand or some other well-draining medium to the bottom of your container. If you’re using a potting soil mix, then you may only need to add some mulch as most potting soil mixes are pre-formulated to drain well. However, if you are using yard soil, then you should definitely add a well-draining medium to the bottom of your container and mix the soil thoroughly with mulch, compost or some other organic material.
When potting, ensure that the hole is twice as big as the root ball or pot that your bamboo comes in. A small amount of mulch, compost or peat at the bottom of the hole also ensures good drainage as well as additional nutrients for your plant.
- To improve the soil’s quality, you can mix it with 50/50 decomposed manure, peat or mulch.
- When you plant the bamboo, make sure it is planted at the same depth as it was in the pot. Avoid planting it deeper or shallower.
- Place the soil mix around your bamboo’s root ball and ensure it is well firmed in.
- After you plant it, water it deeply and thoroughly. Wait a few days until you water it again. Make sure you don’t let the soil dry out, neither keep it constantly soggy.
Caring For Potted Bamboo Plants
Depending on the variety of bamboo, some of do much better in pots than others. This is probably one of the main things that you’ll consider before making your purchase, as you’ll need to know how you wish to grow your plants.
As long as you provide the correct soil and container for your plant, you can easily grow bamboos in pots, even if you opt for big timber bamboo species. Some of the main things that you need to consider when growing bamboo in pots include:
- Water
- Space
- Light
- Nutrients
During dry periods, you need to irrigate your bamboo plants regularly. However, overwatering the soil could damage the plant’s roots, so try to avoid doing this. During winter, it is recommended to place potted bamboo plants in a sheltered area, to protect them from winds and freezing.
When grown in pots, bamboos grow smaller than they typically do in-ground. However, keep in mind that bamboos are fast growing plants, so it is best to use large pots for your bamboos.
Recommendations For Potted Bamboos
Although bamboo plants can be grown in pots, it is recommended to repot or divide them every two to five years. This is best done in the early spring, before the plant begins its shooting season.
You need to keep in mind that pots and other planters restrict the culm size, so that potted bamboos grow smaller than they normally do when planted in direct soil, outdoors.
When grown in pots, bamboos need more care, because they are slightly more vulnerable to environmental stress, such as cold, heat, winds and dehydration. Also, pots and containers may often overheat, thus drying the bamboo’s roots. Therefore, it is recommended to water potted bamboos between 3 and 5 times a week. However, even when grown in pots and containers, bamboo is still an amazingly hardy plant that can survive in a wide range of environments.