How to Plant a Bamboo Garden
Planting a bamboo garden adds a lovely evergreen to your landscape. Bamboo comes in many varieties, from dwarf plants to stately plants as tall as a tree. It can be used as an excellent backdrop for your garden. Bamboo can be planted in a container garden as long as the gardener maintains proper moisture and sunlight conditions. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Mulch Shovel Rake Hard plastic or metal sheeting, 30 inches wide (the length depends on the circumference of the garden) Metal strips or clamps, 28 inches long Bolts Drill
Instructions
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How to Plant a Bamboo Garden
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1
Select the area of your yard that best suits the kind of bamboo you've chosen. Bamboo requires sunlight every day, so choose an area that gets at least 5 to 6 hours each day. Bamboo does multiply prolifically; choose a spot where other plants will not interfere with its growth.
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2
Weed the bamboo garden plot completely to remove the leaves, stems and shoots of weeds that can choke fledgling bamboo plants. As the plant becomes stronger it will choke out the weeds.
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3
Create a containment area for the bamboo by digging a 28 inch deep trench around the bamboo garden.
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4
Install the metal or plastic sheeting inside the trench, with the sheeting slanting outward away from the bamboo garden. Make sure the seams of the barrier overlap to prevent bamboo rhizomes from breaking through the blockade; seal the barrier with a clamp or metal strip and bolts. According to BambooGarden.com, the sheeting should stick up above the soil by a couple of inches to prevent rhizomes from growing over the top of the barrier; however, the metal clamps should remain below the surface of the soil. Fill in with dirt to close up the trench.
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5
Mix peat moss and compost into the top 10 to 12 inches of the soil using the shovel or rake. Nutrient-rich soil helps your bamboo grow, thrive and multiply.
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6
Allow plenty of space for your bamboo plants to expand. Tall varieties should be spaced about 10 feet apart and giant species 15 to 25 feet. Small dwarf varieties can be planted 3 feet apart. Medium-shrub-size bamboo should be spaced at 6 feet between plants.
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7
Dig individual holes about two times the size of the root. Carefully remove each plant from its plastic pot. Squeeze the outside of the container gently to loosen the soil and roots. You can also cup your hand over the top of the planter and slowly tip the container upside down to work the plant free.
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8
Place the bamboo plant into the hole and fill in with dirt, pressing firmly on the ground around the base of the plant. Add more dirt if the soil around the base becomes depressed.
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9
Mulch around the base of each plant and the entire garden. Add other plants to fill in for your bamboo until it reaches maturity. You'll need to move these plants as the bamboo matures to allow enough room for growth.
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10
Water the area around the base of the plant thoroughly. Bamboo doesn't need constant water since it will draw on the moisture in the mulched garden.
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Tips & Warnings
Always create a physical barrier around a bamboo garden to contain the bamboo. Materials can be heavy gauge plastic, metal sheeting or concrete barriers. Monitoring and trimming your bamboo, including pulling up errant plants will help keep the garden groomed and contained.
References
- Photo Credit Kevin Rosseel
