How to care for water-rooted bamboo?
I adopted a bamboo plant that came in a very small pot filled with beads and water. I want it to get bigger, so recently I transplanted it to a bigger container of beads and water. The growth of this thing seems to be really slow, so I’m wondering what I can do to make the plant flourish.
For example, would it be okay to add some diluted plant food to the water? What nutrients would make the bamboo really happy?
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14 Answers
You’re thinking of the venus fly-bamboo.
@AlenaD: Your problem will be the gigantism of the bamboo..It is a rampant and invasive plant. You may wake up some morning in a bamboo stockade.
@gailcalled – If you saw how tiny it was, you’d laugh like I am now at the idea of a bamboo stockade. Seriously, that’s quite a ways away. :P
P.S. This will always be a container plant, I know what a pain in the ass it is to neighbors and such once planted outside.
Heh.Heh. HeH. Bwahahahaha. I just planted a very healthy runner bamboo next to the fence of a neighbor that has a dog that wont stop barking. Planted this spring, it has taken a liking to the dog poo laden earth on the other side of the fence. I’m looking at giant black bamboo for next spring.I will build my fence with a beautiful bamboo jungle, with root barrier on my side. I have a double barrier on another section with an eye towards a natural deer fence.
@majorrich : You may regret all that in the future. Hope you have a pet that can dial 911.
Oooh, perfect! Thanks, Gail!
The Deer barrieer experiment comes from a zoning thing on my property, and my neighbors ( the whole development) According to the County extension service, I am living in an area that is home to over 120 deer per sq mile. Being in the City Limits doesn’t help. Many neighbors have begun erecting stockade fences, funneling the deer directly into my garden. I have ditch witched 38” x 12” and lined it with Tyvek. I, and my other neighbor the arborist are conducting this experiment in the hopes of an organic barrier if Tyvek can contain runner bamboo. (as opposed to clumping bamboo.)
I’ve got cancer anyway, rather am no longer in remission, will find out more Monday; I dont care about pets that dial 911. Why would that even enter the equation? are you a committed bunnyhugger? Try me..
The little ‘lucky bamboo’ plants in water are actually from a different genus than bamboo. I will ask Paul if cuttings can be made to grow simply by a larger container, or through fertilization (generally something like 8–20-16 or something close to that) only in tiny amounts.
@AlenaD….We have several container bamboos that are doing nicely on liquid Miracle Grow (diluted twice more than their recommendation for house plants). See ya….Gary/wtf
Went to Wickipedia under the species Dracaena Sanderiana. Grows better in soil than in water. Paul called back with the same info. Shallow roots when you plant to the top of the existing root clump. Well drained potting soil will do.
@majorrich – That’s exactly it, the Dracaena sanderiana. Extra lurve for identifying the species, that helps quite a bit. :)
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