Friday, May 14, 2010

Bamboo plant needs replanting. Can anyone help?

I have a small bamboo plant that is growing larger day by day. I'd like it to grow larger still. Is there a way to replant it in a larger planter? Will this help?

Bamboo plant needs replanting. Can anyone help?
I hope this helps:





Bamboos are really no different from the more “usual” houseplants, and require the same amenities: well-drained and nutrient-rich soil, sufficient light, adequate humidity and fertilizer during the growing season. Remember, true bamboos cannot grow in standing water. True bamboos are grasses, and grasses love to eat. As flowering is rare and sometimes detrimental (consuming the plant’s vigor) in bamboos, it is best to feed with a high-nitrogen, low potash fertilizer, i.e. water-soluble 30-10-10, although really most any balanced N-P-K fertilizer solution will do. Slow-release fertilizers like Osmocote 28-14-14 or Sierra 17-6-10 Plus Minors can be mixed into the soil for a complete feeding, as per manufacturers directions.





When growing bamboo in containers, it is important to use a pot with adequate room for these fast-growing plants. Use a container large enough to have a space at least two inches between the edge of the root ball and the side of the container. Squatty tub-like containers are generally better than tall, deep ones, especially for the “running” bamboos with rhizome roots that typically grow more horizontally than down deep. Bamboos with clumping root systems do not need such frequent repotting and rhizome pruning as the running kinds. Any type of bamboo will spread within the container and eventually become pot-bound. Large plants require voluminous containers. Once the bamboo completely fills the pot with root and rhizome, it will need to either be moved to a larger container - or, as with bonsai culture, growth can be restricted by removing the plant from the container, removing some of the roots (approximately one third of the total) and upon placing the plant back into the original pot, replanting with fresh soil.





The generalization can be made that the larger the leaf, the less light it requires, but one also needs to take into account whether the bamboo is natively tropical or temperate. Temperate bamboos refer to the fact that the species is indigenous to a climate that provides a cold dormancy. When temperate bamboos are grown indoors, their environment is altered and the cold dormancy is not achieved. This is not damaging to the plant, but often results in leaf drop. Aesthetically, and in terms of maintenance (house-keeping!), this must be understood, as the bamboo can appear almost naked, and water requirements are affected. It is the short days (lower light levels) that have triggered the dormancy (not the outdoor cold), and the plant is “resting.” Since photosynthesis has slowed, water is not consumed. This is important to note, as bamboos do not enjoy saturated soils and one must be careful not to over water. Saturated soils leave no room for oxygen, and without oxygen, the roots will rot and kill the plant.


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