Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the world's most versatile plants growing in most well-drained soil types providing peace & tranquillity to any garden.
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Bamboo is a giant-sized perennial member of the grass family, Poaceae.
Bamboo is one of the world’s most versatile plants, with a myriad of practical uses aside from garden planting. Bamboo is used as scaffolding on building sites, fresh shoots are used in cooking, the fibre goes into paper and textiles, and stems are used for flooring timber and household items.
Bamboo is among the world's fastest-growing plants!
Some bamboo species have a well-deserved reputation as invasive garden weeds, so here's how to choose cultivars that are appropriate for a home garden.
Bamboo is classified by growth habit, into running or clumping types.
Running bamboo spreads aggressively by pushing out long underground rhizomes (runners), that can quickly form dense mats of rhizomes that out-compete and exclude other plants. Clumping bamboo is much less invasive; it has shorter rhizomes that spread slower and it tends to stay in a tight cluster as it grows.
To minimise risk with bamboo, always stick to clumping types, rather than aggressive running species. Slender weavers bamboo (Bambusa textilis var. gracilis) is a well-behaved clumping option.
Pro Tip: If you want to plant bamboo as a privacy screen or hedge, first check your local Council’s Pest Management Plan, to confirm your chosen bamboo isn’t on the regional list of banned invasive species.
How to Grow Bamboo in a Garden
- Choose a position in full sun or part shade with well drained soil.
- Enrich the soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food. If the soil is clay based, add gypsum and fork in well.
- Dig the planting hole twice as wide and to the same depth as the root-ball. Remove the plant from the container and gently tease the roots.
- Position in hole and backfill, gently firming down. Form a raised ring around the plant, creating a well so that water will go where it’s needed most. Water in well.
- Mulch with an organic mulch like woodchip or pea straw.
- Water deeply, once or twice a week, depending on weather conditions.
- Feed with Yates Thrive All Purpose Granular Plant Food. TIP: for an added boost apply Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.
How to Grow Bamboo in a Pot
Choose a smaller growing variety, suitable for pots.
- Choose a large pot at least 600mm wide.
- Choose a position in full sun or part shade and fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Premium Potting Mix.
- Remove the plant from the container and gently tease the roots.
- Position in hole and backfill with potting mix, gently firming down.
- Water in well.
- Feed with Yates Thrive All Purpose Liquid Plant Food. TIP: for an added boost apply Yates Thrive Fish Blood & Bone Plant Food Concentrate.
Growing Tips
- A safeguard to prevent bamboo spreading out of control is to plant it in a trench lined on either side with plastic root barrier or sheet metal. The barrier doesn’t need to go deeper than about 45cm as bamboos are naturally shallow rooted - this is enough to deter their underground rhizomes from spreading.
- Keep new bamboo very well watered until it's established, as bamboo doesn't like to dry out.
- Cut back bamboo regularly to keep it under control. Cut culms will stay at the same height, so it’s possible to control the height and shape of bamboo hedging.
- To minimise problems with bamboo, choose clumping varieties of bamboo rather than spreading types.
- To eradicate unwanted bamboo that has got out of hand, cut the canes down to ground level, and apply Yates Zero Super Concentrate Weedkiller as per label instructions. Any suckers which emerge later should be similarly treated, being careful not to let the spray drift onto other plants.
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Recommended products
Yates Thrive All Purpose Granular Plant Food
Easy-to-use granular plant food specially formulated with both fast acting and gradual feeding for up to 3 months, in the garden or pots.
Yates Thrive All Purpose Liquid Plant Food
A liquid plant food suitable for most types of plants and provides balanced feeding to promote stronger, healthier growth and greener foliage. Feeds through the leaves and roots for fast results.
Yates Premium Potting Mix
A premium potting mix, ideal for all potted plants and shrubs, including ornamentals, fruit trees, vegies and herbs.
Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food
Releases nutrients slowly, improves the structure and moisture retention of the soil and encourages earthworms and beneficial soil micro-organisms.
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