Bamboos are a whole subfamily of grasses whose scientific name is Bambusoideae. These are high-growth plants that can reach up to more than 20 meters in ideal conditions but can also be grown in much smaller spaces thanks to their great adaptability.
If you want to learn more about the care of bamboo in a pot and the care of bamboo outdoors, join us in this article where you will see a practical guide on how to care for a bamboo , one of the most emblematic plants of Chinese origin.
Location for bamboo
Bamboo forms a rhizome from which its stems grow, and it is important to note that in most species, it is a very invasive plant. Its roots are very strong and can even penetrate brick and ceramic. Therefore, before planting in soil it is important to find a suitable location for the bamboo and, if necessary, prepare resistant and low-cost polypropylene root barriers.
In terms of light, this plant appreciates direct light when the environment is humid enough, but many of its species can tolerate shade very well, so decoration with bamboo plants indoors is quite popular.
Watering the bamboo
These plants require a lot of humidity, so it is very important that they receive abundant and regular watering , although always without flooding their roots. With your bamboo outdoors or in a pot, always water by moistening without letting the soil dry out but without getting waterlogged.
Soil or substrate for bamboo
Bamboo needs loose soils that offer good drainage and are rich in organic matter . The bamboo on land or soil must be located in an area that meets these characteristics, providing if necessary an adequate mix of land before planting. In a pot, a mixture of peat, coconut fiber and worm castings will give excellent results.
Bamboo fertilizer
Due to its rapid growth, bamboo requires a regular supply of organic matter. You can use organic fertilizers, such as worm castings or others made at home, especially in spring and summer .
Bamboo flowering
All bamboos bloom, but their flowering takes between 35 and 120 years to occur depending on the species, so it is very common to think that they do not give flowers. This flowering also consumes so much energy from the plant that it usually fails to recover after it and ends up drying out.
A very curious fact about the flowering of bamboo is that all plants of the same species flourish simultaneously throughout the world, regardless of the climate or place where they are, a phenomenon for which there is still no firm explanation. .
Bamboo pests and diseases
Bamboo is not particularly vulnerable to any specific pest or disease, thus affecting the most common ones, such as aphids, spider mites, rust and powdery mildew . They can be treated in the bamboo in the usual way, with ecological remedies and prevention being preferable.
How to care for a bamboo when it turns yellow
Bamboo is an evergreen plant that, like the others of this type, constantly renews its leaves. When this happens, some of its old leaves are allowed to dry so that the new shoots receive the nutrients, so it is normal to occasionally see leaves that are gradually yellowing on the plant. In spring, during its peak growing season, it is common to see more yellow leaves due to the growth of new ones.
However, if there are many yellow or falling leaves, it may be due to iron chlorosis due to too acidic soil, or to the lack of nitrogen in the substrate, being necessary to apply an ecological fertilizer, such as humus.
How to care for a good luck bamboo
Lucky bamboo gets its name from the appearance of its stems, which look like bamboo canes, although it is actually Dracaena senderiana , a plant of the Agavaceae family, like the trunk of Brazil . It is common to grow this bamboo in water with some substrate indoors. These are the basic care of lucky bamboo :
- Light: well lit area but without direct exposure. Tolerant of shade. A lucky bamboo with white leaves will mean that it needs more light.
- Temperature: preferably between 18ºC and 24ºC , although it supports a greater range.
- Watering: in a container with water, it is important to change it weekly in the cold months and fortnightly in the warm ones.
- Humidity: it needs water to vaporize on its leaves every 72 hours in the warm months.
- Water: both for irrigation and vaporization, always without chlorine.
- Pruning: You can cut the roots of the lucky bamboo as well as the stem when they get too big.
