GROWING BAMBOO FROM SEED

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Growing Bamboo From Seed

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world and some species grow so fast you can sit back and watch it happen!

It is also an attractive plant, whose properties and attractive features make it popular for many reasons.

Growing bamboo from seed is trickier than growing other plants, especially in the UK where our climate varies from bamboo native region.

Here is a basic overview of the process of growing bamboo from seed:

Prepare and spread compost into seed trays or pots.

Soak your bamboo shoots in water for about 24 hours.

Plant your bamboo seeds, and top with a thin layer of compost.

Cover your seeds with a spreading tray or plastic bag.

Wait for the bamboo shoots to sprout, usually within a few weeks.

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Transplant into pots after about a month of growth.

Go outside and slowly acclimatize to outdoor condition.

If you are growing a hardy variety outside, plant your bamboo in the garden.

When to sow bamboo

Unlike most of the seeds you can grow in the UK, some types of bamboo cannot survive their first autumn outside for the simple fact that they will not be able to survive. close up of the bamboo flower turning into fruit

The poor conditions in the UK mean that bamboo must be treated before it is planted.

We recommend sowing seeds in early spring and carefully note the requirements of the variety you are growing.

1. Prepare your compost

Bamboo does well in general compost, so simply fill the seeds with a layer of compost, then use your watering can to water the top layer.

2. Soak the seeds

Bamboo seeds should be soaked in room temperature water for 24 hours. Brown bamboo seeds placed in a cup of water placed in a seed tray filled with compost

If the water is too hot, they will die, so be careful, because the cool temperature will delay germination, instead of killing the plant.

3. Sow bamboo seeds

Once your seeds are planted, place them in your compost about 1cm between each one, then add another layer of compost (about 5mm) on top.

4. Cover seeds

If you are using a propagator, place your seeds in it and let it dry at the desired temperature, around 24 degrees Celsius.

If you don’t have a propagator, you can cover the fruit tray with a plastic bag to increase the temperature and humidity. A green propagator with plastic cover that grows indoors on a tree.

Use a stick to raise the bag above the compost and secure it to the edge of the tray with a rubber band.

Place your tray or propagator in a shaded area and not in direct sunlight.

5. Wait for germination

Now comes the expected game and the time required is different depending on the varieties.

You should expect germination to occur between 10 and 20 days.
In this step, it is important to make sure that the plastic bag (if you use one) is lifted well from the compost and seedlings.

6) Transplant your Seedlings

After 30 days, it is likely that all the seeds will germinate and finish. Transplant the shoots into small pots (about 5 cm wide) using grassy soil with a little mulch.
A bamboo stick emerges from two white plastic cups placed on a wooden picnic bench

Make sure that the neck of each tree fits the top of the soil in its container. Place each pot outside where they will have shade.

7) Keep the pots outside

Bamboo plants will be ready to emerge at different times. Hardy types can spend their first winter outside, but they must stay in their pots and have a shelter, with at least some mulch around their soil.

Weaker varieties will need to spend their first winter in their greenhouse, with occasional watering to keep them healthy.

8. Plant hardy types outdoors

Seedlings that reach about 30 cm in height are strong enough to survive the transition to outdoor life.

So if you’ve chosen UK variety, plant it in your garden and enjoy it while it continues to grow!

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