Growing Tall Bamboo In Containers

Big 25 to 30 gallon 95 114 l wine barrels are ideal.

Growing tall bamboo in containers.

Container grown bamboo also does not have the insulating effect of the soil surrounding the roots during the winter making it naturally more exposed. If your container grown bamboo is in a smaller pot you ll have to either transplant it or divide it every few years to keep it healthy. In a container bamboo won t grow as tall as it would in the ground. Part of caring for bamboo in pots is making sure it has ample room for its roots.

The most important thing when choosing a container to grow your bamboo plant in is size. A bamboo plant is a form of grass though with a woody stem culm the bamboo plant is a fast growing woody grass. Ten gallons 38 l is the smallest reasonable container size and bigger is always better. Choose a container that will allow the bamboo s root system to grow for two to three years before moving up in container size or having to remove divide and replant.

The height it reaches in containers is usually about half or 75 of its maximal possible height. It will also require more watering in the summer than if it was in the ground if you live in the drier climates or choose to place the container indoors. Any given variety of bamboo will be less hardy when grown in a container than it would be in the border due to the stress of the constrained growing environment. Make sure that your container has sufficient bottom holes to prevent waterlogging while growing bamboo in pots.

To improve drainage add a thin layer of sand at the base of the pot. As bamboo prefers slightly moist soil water it twice a week and increase the quantity if the air is dry and hot.