How to grow bamboo indoors: 14 Steps (with Photo) - tips

Video: My Secret to Grow Healthy Lucky Bamboo Indoors & Propagate Easily

Content

Steps
Advice
What you need

There are hundreds of species of bamboo that you can grow indoors, from small, colorful table-top trees to centrally located majestic trees. Bamboo plants are under a lot of pressure when planted in the indoor environment, so they require careful care. Keeping an eye on moisture is especially important to ensure the plant is well hydrated without waterlogging.

Follow the poppy care instructions if your plant:
- has a species name beginning with Dracaena
- is labeled with the name of a tree called Phat Loc, womong, or lucky bamboo
- has red or orange roots when mature
– or grown in water, not in soil

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Indoor bamboo planting

Find a pot that is wide and low. Choose a pot about twice the diameter of the root system, or the roots should be at least 5 cm from the sides of the pot. Good drainage is key to the survival of most bamboo species, so make sure the drainage holes in the perineum are of the right size.
- Use a plastic film to prevent the roots from puncturing if you use a cement pot (a cement pot can damage the plant) or a wooden pot (it will make the pot more durable by keeping it away from moisture).
Consider using a humidifier. Bamboo plants love moisture, making it more difficult to grow indoors. A tray of water under the pot without waterlogging the soil is the easiest way to add moisture in the air. There are two ways to do this:
Gravel tray
1. Fill the tray with gravel.
2. Pour a layer of shallow water into the tray.
3. Place the pot above the gravel, away from the water. Sprinkle gravel
1. Spread a layer of rags on the bottom of the pot.
2. Place the potted plant in a tray of shallow water.
Fill a pot with well drained soil. Bamboo plants need porous or medium-compact soil: rapid drainage, but must be able to retain moisture. You can use standard potted potting soil or mix your own with ⅓ humus, perlite (or washed sand), and ⅓ peat moss (or compost thoroughly decomposed). Most bamboo species can tolerate a variety of soils with good drainage, so soil composition does not need to be very precise.
- You can use good quality garden soil instead of potted soil. Avoid heavy clay as it is poorly drained and difficult to reclaim.
- Bamboo plants usually do best in lightly acidic soils, with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5 but most can tolerate pH up to 7.5. Most soils have a pH in this range.
Planting bamboo at shallow depths. Place the stem and the top of the root ball above the ground to prevent decay. Compress the soil to remove air pockets and water the plants.
- If the roots are bundled together, use a clean knife to cut the roots from the sides of the pot. The roots may have difficulty absorbing water, so you should soak the root system (avoid soaking the stem) in water for about 20 minutes before planting.
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Part 2 of 3: Taking care of bamboo

Carefully water the plants. This is the hardest part of growing bamboo indoors, as it requires a lot of water and is also vulnerable to waterlogging. To start, water it until you see some water running out of the bottom of the pot. Allow 5-7.5 cm of topsoil to dry completely before each watering.
- If the top layer of soil dries quickly, dig into a depth of about 10 cm to check the moisture. Soil at this depth will almost always need moisture, especially during the first three months after planting.
Maintain moisture in the air. Most bamboo species prefer humid air, especially in hot weather. As long as you avoid over watering, you can do any of the following to keep your plants healthy:
- Place the potted plant on top of the water tray as described above.
- Use a spray bottle to mist the leaves every few days.
- Turn on the humidifier in the room.
- Place the plants close together (but keep in mind this increases the risk of disease transmission).
Find out what your plants need for light. If you know the name of the species you are growing, please seek specific recommendations. If your plant needs more light than the light in a living climate, install a night light. If you do not know what type of bamboo you are planting, follow these rules:
Need more light:
- plants with small leaves
- tropical plants
- Planted in a warm room Less light is needed:
- tree with large leaves
- temperate plants during hibernation
- Planted in cool rooms
Fertilize the plants. Bamboo plants grow fast if planted in large pots, and they need additional nutrients to support this growth. One application of slow release fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season will provide a stable source of nutrients for the plant. You can use a balanced fertilizer like 16-16-16, or a fertilizer with a high nitrogen content like 30-10-10. Fertilizers with a high nitrogen content prevent plants from blooming, causing many plants to weaken.
Warning:
–Do not fertilize within 6 months after buying. Most plants have been fertilized with enough fertilizer in the nursery.
- Avoid seaweed fertilizers due to its high salt content.
Prune regularly. Most bamboo species have a high tolerance to pruning, so don't hesitate to pose when the tree is rooted and healthy:
- Prune excessively yellow, stunted or excess stems from the ground level.
- To prevent the tree from overgrowning a certain height, cut the tree just above the tab (where the branch is growing).
- Prune off regularly if you want to limit plant growth.
- Prune low-growing branches to increase aesthetics.
Repot or detach the plant when it comes out of the pot. Bamboo trees can grow in two different ways depending on the species. The "outstretched" type has long shoots that form a seedling, and will spiral around the large pot within 3-5 years. Type "grow in clusters" will gradually grow out and can be planted for up to 6 years without repotting.Any bamboo tree needs to be planted into a larger pot when the roots begin to tighten.
- To inhibit plant growth, instead of digging up, cut about a third of the roots and replant the old pot with new soil mixture.
- You can propagate most species of bamboo by cutting the trunk segments and replanting them in other pots. This does not work with dense or near-dense plants.
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Part 3 of 3: Troubleshooting

Find the cause of the defoliation. The phenomenon of bamboo leaves losing a lot of leaves when moving indoors or replanting is quite common. However, when the new leaves at the tips of the branch are still looking healthy, the tree will still be able to recover. If these leaves fall out or look unwell, taking the plant outdoors for several months (weather permitting) may help the plant recover. If the plant has been planted in one place for a long time, consider the following reasons:
- Temperate plants often lose their leaves in low light conditions. A period of hibernation in cold and low light conditions benefits these plants and helps reduce defoliation. The less leaves are left, the less water the plant needs.
- Many species lose their leaves in the spring (or more rarely, in the fall), and gradually replace new leaves. If there are green, yellow, and newly-grown leaves on a tree, the tree is probably fine.
Treat leaf curls and drooping. If the edges are curled inward, the plant needs watering. (Photosynthesis requires water, so the plant is reducing this process by avoiding sunlight.) If the leaves are drooping, the plant is getting waterlogged or the soil is not draining quickly.
- Too much watering is more dangerous than watering too little. Waiting until the leaves are slightly curled before watering will usually do no harm to the plant.
Treat when the leaves are yellow. If the bamboo turns yellow in hibernation, there can be many reasons:
- If the leaves appear dry and the tip turns brown or curled up, the plant needs more water. The roots may be tightly bundled and need to be transferred to a larger pot.
- The gradual fading and yellowing of the leaves is usually caused by nutritional deficiencies. You should fertilize the plant with mineral supplements.
- The sudden change in color after fertilizing is caused by too much fertilizer. Treat this by removing fertilizer from the pot and watering it with plenty of water to wash away excess minerals.
Handling pests and diseases. Indoor bamboos are susceptible to these problems, especially in well-ventilated areas. If the plant is slightly infested with pests, wash the leaves with an antibacterial soap or spray with a plant-based insecticide. If this doesn't work, or if you think the plant is sick, try to identify the disease and treat it like this:
- Black molds like "soot" are usually caused by insects. You need to get rid of aphids and ants.
- Gray / brown round or scaly fungal spots are usually not harmful to plants. Antifungals bought at plant stores may help.
- Wet, rotting patches are a sign of waterlogging but can be aggravated by pests and diseases. Dry it and treat it with an insecticide and antifungal agent.
- White sticky films may be a sign of plant pests or other insects. You can spray them away with water and use an insecticide.
- There are more than 1,000 species of bamboo on earth, so there cannot be a single guide to every problem. If your bamboo has a disease that does not match those described above, consult your local gardening center or agriculture department for advice on diseases in your area.
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Advice

Find information specific to the species of the plant you are planting whenever possible. Good indoor bamboo species include Indocalamus tessellatus, Phyllostachys nigra, and Bambusa multiplex.
Several species of bamboo do best when multiple plants are planted in the same pot. They wouldn't do as well if grown alone. However, not all bamboo species are, so it will be helpful to learn about bamboo species.