Most bamboo have many tiny thin leaves. Because of this, bamboo tends to lose a lot of moisture by transpiration. Watering is critical during the first month. Daily watering is recommend for best results. It is uncommon for your site to be the same as the bamboo native site, so it will need extra water to acclimate to the new conditions. Rain water and humid air are the natural conditions of most of our bamboo. Watering between normal rainfall and even between frost will help the bamboo even after the initial establishment period of three years. Over the next couple of weeks, water the plant regularly. If your plant does begin to loose leaves, it may be just adjusting to its new home and sunlight conditions. Even under most all conditions, the bamboo will retain 70% of its leaves. After a period of time, it should put on new leaves to replace the ones it dropped during the transition. During the hot summer time even established bamboo will roll their leaves to prevent transpiration. This is a neat characteristic of bamboo so do not be alarmed to see your bamboo roll up its leaves. If you water it during very hot times that is great and will assist the bamboo during its growth. Once established, bamboo needs little care and normal rainfall is generally all that is needed. Watering daily if you have well drained soil is great!
Remember the bamboo canes on your existing division are through growing. Most all the growth now will be underground. Each Spring new canes will emerge taller and larger in diameter each year until mature size for your species and climate zone are reached.
Fertilizers
Please do not fertilize with chemical fertilizers such as 13-13-13 etc. for the first year. Please allow the bamboo root system time to establish. Hot chemical fertilizers can burn up the feeder roots, damaging or killing new bamboo divisions. For the first year it is best to add organics to your plantings. This is accomplished by adding mulch (like bark, leaves, hay, grass clipping, etc.) and compost to your bamboo. This will help retain nutrients while amending your soil.
You can safely fertilize your bamboo once it has been in the ground for one year. A time release fertilizer such as Scott’s Miracle Grow or Osmocote will work great. We are a little partial to the Scott’s name brand because they have great products and they have purchased bamboo from us for some of their personal homes. I would recommend a fairly well balanced formula such as 10-10-10 or 15-9-12. Just sure that you are using a time release formula so the plant has adequate time to absorb the nutrients. Follow the directions on the fertilizer and water well for a couple of weeks.
The three numbers are important factors. The first number represents nitrogen. Nitrogen is the element for growth. The second number is phosphorus and it has to do with the transfer of carbohydrates. Carbs are essential for the bamboo to store nourishment in the rhizomes. The last number represents potassium and is necessary for photosynthesis. This is very important for the plant's metabolism. Extra amounts of this element helps the bamboo to withstand drought, heat and cold.
We fertilize twice a year. Fertilize in early spring (to encourage new growth) and then again during the middle of the growing season (replace any nutrients that may be getting depleted). Sun
The larger the bamboo the more direct sun light it should have is the general rule. The large temperate species of bamboo such as the ones we grow are woodland under story plants. They are found in their natural habitat at the edge of forest. They will grow into the shaded areas and outward into full sunlight. Smaller shrub bamboo under 16 feet in height require less direct sunlight conditions and will be more likely to thrive in partly shaded planting sites. Ground cover bamboo 6 feet and under love shaded sites and will do best out of the direct sunlight.
Shade
This term is confusing to many and hopefully we can shed some light on the subject (sorry). There are basically three categories of shaded sites. The first type of shaded site will be deep shade. These sites never receive direct sunlight during any season of the year. These sites are not in the forest, but within the city where buildings, overhangs and other man made structures completely block sun light year around. Sites under most trees will receive filtered sun during Fall and Winter months unless the trees are evergreen. Evergreen trees can provide deep shade if the branches and foliage are dense enough. Ground cover and shrub bamboo do fair in these planting sites.
The second type of shade are sites where the sunlight gets through during different times of the day. This type of shade changes with the time of year and day. It is provided by natural obstructions such as trees and bushes. Ground cover and shrub bamboo do well in these planting sites. Timber bamboo are slower to establish their root system (rhizomes) in these planting sites. Once established, timber bamboo can do quite well with the grove having a tall canopy of foliage due to the reduced lighting. Lower limbs on the canes are usually absent in these shaded sites. The bamboo compensates by producing more canes and taller canes.
The third type of shade is caused by man made structures such as buildings or walls. These structures allow full or direct sunlight through in the morning or afternoon only. So these sites while receiving direct or intense sunlight do so for only part of the day. Timber bamboo can grow is this type of shade with no problem and is a common planting site for many bamboo.
Our Mail Order Warranty
Acceptance of the bamboo implies that the buyer agrees the bamboo is healthy. We accept no responsibility for damage resulting from unpacking, usage or care of the bamboo. If you are unhappy with the bamboo for any reason when it arrives, just ship the bamboo back within 30 days for a full refund of the bamboo price. Returned bamboo should be packaged as they were when shipped and sent UPS ground.
Click here to go to our 'Policy' page for more details.
