How to Care for a Divided Bamboo. Some species of running bamboo … Some species of running bamboo will do so very quickly. This would be particularly useful if you want several plants to create a windbreak or privacy screen but can't afford to buy enough plants. Bamboo is easy to grow, but there are a few things you should know before starting. Bamboo can be roughly classified into two groups; clumping and running bamboo. While bamboo can be expensive, it also is a great barrier plant that can provide a lot of privacy. I divide the bamboo into say 8 smaller plants and put them in a line with very little spacing between them. Saw (hand saw or electric, whichever you prefer), Garden pruners or secateurs, and Shears may also be useful, Axe (not needed for smaller plants but may be needed for a large ground planted bamboo). Sometimes, but not always, these monopodial bamboos can spread very … During this internship I have the fortune to study under Phil Comer, a Northwest bamboo expert, and owner of the nursery. BTW - the bamboo is about 3m tall and each root is abou 40cm wide. Regardless of the variety, bamboo plants take to division and splitting well. Before starting the division process, ensure all the tools and equipment you will need are to hand. Clumping or Running? Here is a guide to spacing: Dividing clumping bamboo and creating new plants is very rewarding. A reciprocating saw can be … Easy-to-use runners can make the dense natural screen very effective for privacy in urban landscapes. Set up some shade for the new bamboo plants by stretching cheesecloth or other light fabric over poles to create a sort of light tent. Running Bamboo Rhizomes @ Bamboo Your Privacy in Austin, TXwww.BambooYourPrivacy.com This way they would act like a screen and cover the whole fence. Be careful not to damage any new buds that may be growing on the rhizomes. Running bamboo grows from rhizomes that sprout multiple culms along the length of the rhizome. Clumping Bamboo. The smaller the planter the more often you will have to divide the plant to keep it healthy. Dividing during the late winter or early spring (before the new shoots emerge) is the ideal time to make divisions. We did half. Late winter to early spring is the best time to divide and transplant black bamboo. To plant clumping bamboo in the ground, dig a hole twice the size of the rootball. If needed, pour some water on the root mass to loosen the dirt and roots. Follow @bambooinspired!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Author - Decide how the bamboo clump should be divided (halves, thirds, quarters, etc). Is dividing them a wise thing to do, or will I end up with 8 dead bamboo plants. Whether it is the right season to divide your plant will depend on your climate and location. How to Grow Bamboo From Plant Cuttings. Prepare the location for your new bamboo plant before you start the division by digging the hole to a depth that matches that of the root ball and two times as wide. Runners generally perform better in temperate climates. Lets Divide our Bamboo by root division. The vast majority of clumpers are sub-tropical or tropical, althought there are a few that are extremely cold hardy, most of those can’t handle the heat in the southeast.Because of this, all I grow and sell are the running types of bamboo. Bamboo produces new culms in the spring season. Potting Bamboo Plants. All Rights Reserved - Protected by Copyscape Online Infringement Detector, Terms, Conditions, Copyright, Disclaimer - Privacy Policy, Protected by Copyscape Online Infringement Detector. The first step in repotting is to remove the bamboo … Tip. Giant and timber bamboo species need an allowance of somewhere between 15ft and 25ft in between each plant to give them enough room to grow. Dig up the clump of bamboo. Simply put, running bamboo spreads much wider and faster than clumping bamboo, so much so that it is considered an invasive plant. Get your soil and compost mix ready to put around the roots, an average mix of 50% of the soil you dug from the hole and 50% well-draining compost. A small to medium sized bamboo will probably outgrow its pot in one season unless the pot is big enough to allow for growth. Look for rhizomes with buds and roots that are … When bamboo is outgrowing its pot you will be able to feel the thick rhizomes pressing against the plastic by running your hands down it. Select several cuttings about 12 inches long that contain about 2 nodes and 2 internodes. Dividing during the late winter or early spring (before the new shoots emerge) is the ideal time to make divisions. Follow the steps on these pages to divide container or clumping bamboo. Bamboo rhizomes can be pretty tough and will need strong tools to dig them up. Bamboo is one of the most decorative and useful members of the grass family. Gardeners can take advantage of this characteristic by separating, or dividing, the bamboo and replanting it elsewhere in the landscape. There are hundreds of species of bamboo and they can be roughly divided into either running or clumping bamboos. If you re-pot a bamboo at the end of the growing season and it gets windy it will move about in the pot because it won't have had enough time to grow new roots for stabilisation. If it is before the beginning of the growing season and you can tell from feeling around the outside of the pot that the rhizomes are pushing against the side, you should be able to divide the bamboo into two before the bamboo growth and new shoots start. The roots, on the other hand, are the little, soft, white tendrils that grow off of the rhizomes to draw water and nutrients from the soil. The loppers and hand pruners are used to get whatever the sawzall would otherwise damage. Allow bamboo leaves around the plants. That said, the bigger the better. They spread very quickly, by as much as 5 feet each year. See Plant Bamboo for more about plant care. The most widespread genera of runners are the Phyllostachys and Pleioblastus. Whichever type you have, you can dig and divide it by cutting through the roots with a shovel. Clumping bamboo grown in a 20” by 20” planter and running bamboo grown in a 30” by 30” planter should be divided or repotted about every five years. Each bamboo forms underground rhizomes, but in clumping species, growth remains concentrated to one grove. Bamboo division can be carried out using container bamboo or by dividing bamboo plants from the ground. Water the area around the bamboo to be divided until it is saturated, and allow the water to soak into the soil. Try to have several stems in the mass. A bamboo (Bambusa spp.) Bamboo loves water, especially when it’s stressed, and mulch will shade the soil and help keep in as much moisture as possible. Plant cuttings can be used to grow bamboo shoots in your own yard. Running bamboo has a distinctively vigorous rhizome root system. Clumping bamboo grows a tangled thick root mass in which individual culms develop from a single rhizome. The Rhizomes Make the Difference . You can take a smaller number of culms from larger plants if the culm(s) you divide have enough roots but it will take longer to establish a new plant. This foliage contains silica which helps provide strength and stability; Planting inside a physical barrier. Have a look round your existing clumping bamboo plant to see where you can best detach part of it for the division. With a running bamboo you'll have new shoots emerging from several inches to several feet away from the original plant. Large bamboos need very large containers to achieve optimal health and potential of the plant. What tools do you need for propagating bamboo? If you wet the ground down thoroughly before digging, it will make your job less difficult. With a running bamboo you'll have new shoots emerging from several inches to several feet away from the original plant. This makes the bamboo easier to dig up and divide while keeping the bamboo healthy. Contact - If you feel bumps you know it's trying to get out! are clumping and running. I am working at the nursery completing an internship through the South Puget Sound Community College’s Horticulture program. Please see my page on Bamboo Division for information on seasons and a list of tools that you'll need. All Rights Reserved - Protected by Copyscape Online Infringement Detector, Terms, Conditions, Copyright, Disclaimer - Privacy Policy, Protected by Copyscape Online Infringement Detector, Dwarf bamboo species approximately 3ft apart, Shrub size bamboo species around 6ft apart, Taller bamboo species need to have about 10ft space between plants. Running bamboos send out root like rhizomes underground and can spread many feet each year. How to Divide Large Potted Bamboo. This is a blog dedicated to my experiences at the Outdoors by Design bamboo nursery. Running bamboo can spread fast and wide while clumping bamboo remains in one place. Dividing in the wrong season may have disastrous results for beginners. Gardeners can take advantage of this characteristic by separating, or dividing, the bamboo and replanting it elsewhere in the landscape. Site Map, © 2007 - 2020 bamboo-inspiration.com. Plant the bamboo so its rootball sits level with the ground surface. I hope you have the clumping kind! Prepare the location for your new bamboo plant before you start the division by digging the hole to a depth that matches that of the root ball and two times as wide; Get your soil and compost mix ready to put around the roots, an average mix of 50% of the soil you dug from the hole and 50% well-draining compost. If your bamboo is outgrowing its bounds or you just want to get the most of the new bamboo, dividing it is the way to go. Black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) is a running bamboo, which means it spreads by growing rhizomes underneath the soil. It is a woody perennial that grows in two main types: clumping and running bamboo. Part of the series: Bamboo Growing 101. Running bamboo species put out more runners than clumping bamboo so they're likely to become root bound much faster. There are many types of bamboo but in general they can be divided into either clumpers or runners.The clumpers are non-invasive. Set the clump upright (culms facing up) on the ground. Bamboo is a type of grass that adds an Asian vibe to any garden. grove provides a natural privacy screen or windbreak that grows quickly during the summer months. Two pots the right size. You will be looking for culms that are a couple of years old, are healthy, and I would suggest for best results to choose 4 or 5 culms to make a division of around two feet. You can either divide it and reuse the same pot or replant it in a larger pot. Whenever you do it, it helps to use a sawsall to cut through the roots and to top the plants so only about a third of the top growth is left on the part you want to divide off. Steps for Dividing Clumping Bamboo. Move the loosened dirt aside by hand until the rhizome is uncovered. Follow @bambooinspired!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs"); (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Author - If you buy the bamboo in the middle of the growing season it may be better to leave it until just before the next growing season before you try the bamboo division unless it already has a large root ball and you can see a place it could be divided without doing damage to the plant. You can plant the entire rhizome or cut it into sections, each with one or more culms. It uses energy from one plant to grow more plants. They form vertical privacy screens, which provide even a narrow planting site with dense screening. It won't take long for them to get established and fill in the gaps! See Plant Bamboo for more about plant care. The amount of time between repottings depends on how quickly your bamboo spreads. Running bamboo spreads rapidly, sending out long roots and rhizomes. You probably don’t have the time to wait around for your bamboo to produce seeds, so you’re going to have to divide your existing clumps and transplant them when you want to propagate your plants. If you don't think you could carry out bamboo division because it would cause damage to the shoots, transplant it into a bigger pot and divide later in the season or just before the next season. If that is the case you may prefer to put your plant somewhere sheltered where it is protected from any severe weather and re-pot it or plant it out just before the spring. Whichever type you have, you can dig and divide it by cutting through the roots with a shovel. Buy half as many as you need and divide them. For clumping bamboos, split the root mass with a sharp shovel or knife. Bamboo generally falls into one of two main types. You can trim the top off the culms at this point. The monopodial or leptomorph rhizomes tend to grow horizontally, parallel to the ground, spreading outward and overtaking an area. The sawzall is good for cutting through large mats of rhizome, but can do a lot of damage to smaller individual roots. Bamboo will grow and spread quickly, but there is no real way to direct it into far corners of the garden. Decide if you want to divide it in half, thirds or quarters. Running bamboo species put out more runners than clumping bamboo so they're likely to become root bound much faster. Bamboo is one of the most decorative and useful members of the grass family. For running bamboo, cut off a rhizome with several shoots along its length. Dividing in the wrong season may have disastrous results for beginners. Place the bamboo division in the ready prepared location, checking the soil level is correct with the top of the root ball. The garden pick is useful for chopping the smaller … It's much easier to control. The dividing clumping bamboo method can also be adapted to divide a potted bamboo plant before planting out into the ground. Remove the bamboo plant from the post. Bamboo is a type of grass that adds an Asian vibe to any garden. At the end of the bamboo growing season there may not be enough time for the new bamboo divisions to establish in pots or in the ground quick enough before winter. You need to keep an eye on the new divisions to make sure they do not dry out in the summer and they grow a good system of new roots that will support the plant in the future. Loosen roots by swaying the division backwards and forwards using the spade as a lever under the roots to lift it out of the ground. Blog - As long as each division has both roots and canes attached it will grow into an individual plant. Split bamboo in the early spring when the new shoots are just emerging, and the new splits will establish strong … The minimum size container for growing most types of bamboo would be 10 gallons in volume. Whenever you do it, it helps to use a sawsall to cut through the roots and to top the plants so only about a third of the top growth is left on the part you want to divide off. Large bamboo division can be awkward and difficult if done alone, so you may want to have a friend help you out too. There are more than 1200 types of bamboo, but they are broadly divided into two kinds; Running and Clumping bamboo. Stones for in the bottom of the pot to aid drainage and give weight. Newsletter - Use the following as a guide for the spacing needed to allow your bamboos to grow freely. We used a sawzall this time but in the past we have used a hack saw. Thus, bamboo is classified as either clumping or running. With the running species, the runners can show up far much further from the grove. A 20 or 30 gallon container will give you several more years before having to repot or divide. Outside of mild climates, give the plant time to get established before winter. Plant in new location as soon as you can and if you have to transport the division, wrap in plastic and ensure the roots are kept moist at all times. Dig a trench at least 60cm (2ft) deep, but ideally 1.2m (4ft) deep Although bamboo can be planted out throughout the year where there is a mild climate, you must carry out propagation by dividing clumping bamboo in the right season for your country and climate to ensure the new division establishes itself after the process. Running bamboos can provide a calm privacy screen or a lovely bamboo grove through which to walk. Depending on the species, the size of the final grove varies between 1 and 2 meters (3-7 ft) in diameter. New bamboo plants or divisions can be contained within a physical barrier to prevent them spreading through beds and borders. Support the culms in the correct upright position while carefully filling around the roots with your soil/compost mix and press the soil down around the bamboo to make sure it is stable and secure, and not wobbling around. It will also mean you won't have to go through this process again very soon. Plastic sheet for wrapping root balls to make sure it doesn't dry out, particularly if one division has to wait while you put the other in a pot. Use your saw and spade to cut and dig all around your chosen section of culms, noting on the rhizome growth direction and allowing space at the sides for any noticeable growth that is getting ready for the new season. Bamboo is one of the most decorative and useful members of the grass family. Soak with water. A 20 or 30 gallon container will give you several more years before having to repot or divide. Basically, we have runners and clumpers. Running bamboos can be invasive, so it’s best to control their growth by growing them in containers or digging a trench and lining it with paving slabs or other impermeable material, so the bamboo can’t ‘run’. With running bamboo, they extend outward, parallel to the ground, and with clumping bamboo they tend to bend upward. Clumping bamboo reaches the greatest diameter and grows in stately, solid groves of golden and green culms. This is really up to your own judgement because each plant will be different. Yes, you can. Among the 90 genera and roughly 1,500 species of bamboo, we like to divide them into two simple categories. Moisten the root ball and don't let it dry out, wrap in plastic sheeting if you need to take a break before planting. Thus, bamboo is classified as either clumping or running. As the horizontal rhizomes extend outward, they eventually produce fresh shoots, new culms, growing upward. Be sure to have the following tools available before you start: a knife, pruning saw, good pair of scissors or pruning shears and one or more new pots. Newsletter - Whether it is the right season to divide your plant will depend on your climate and location. That said, the bigger the better. If you buy bamboo from a garden nursery it will probably need to be planted out or re-potted fairly soon. There are ways to contain running bamboo, as well as clumping bamboo, which also spreads, but unless running bamboo's aggressive growth habit can be put to good use, it's best to stick with one of the clumping types. Select a clump of bamboo that is overgrown or out of place. Almost all cold hardy bamboos are runners and almost all tropical bamboos are clumpers. How to Dig Up & Split Bamboo. Site Map, © 2007 - 2020 bamboo-inspiration.com. Bamboo is a grass native to Asia, Africa, and parts of the Americas. How to Divide Bamboo. Dividing bamboo can be relatively simple if you have the right tools. Running bamboo has a distinctively vigorous rhizome root system. How to Divide & Transplant Black Bamboo. Drive the shovel into the bamboo root mass. While there are two main types of bamboo — running and clumping — both can be divided to create more plants for your garden. Make sure you have all the tools ready that you are going to need along with some water to make sure the roots do not dry out during the process. It's much easier to control. You will want to use a sawzall, small garden pick, loppers and hand pruners. Blog - The two main types of bamboo (Bambusa spp.) The minimum size container for growing most types of bamboo would be 10 gallons in volume. Set on a flat surface. Not everything on this list may be needed; it all depends on how big the bamboo is and whether it is in a container or in the ground. Find the rhizome where the plant should be divided by pushing the tip of a shovel or spade into the soil and carefully loosening the dirt. Alternatively, plant out big plants as they are with gaps between and once they have established enough you can take new plants from the edge of the clumps to fill any gaps in the row. Black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) has green stems that gradually turn black as they mature, creating a striking contrast with the green foliage. Bamboo is a type of grass. Let’s go over how to repot bamboo. I hope you have the clumping kind! All bamboo will spread and eventually outgrow a pot. It is better if the new pots are bigger than the one the plant is in because it will give the bamboo division room to grow and establish quicker. Contact - For this reason, it is really best to start running bamboo in planters of at least 30” by 30”. Keeping the bamboo into say 8 smaller plants and put them in a larger pot allow your to. To hand and splitting well Northwest bamboo expert, and owner of the garden are emerging... Spread fast and wide while clumping bamboo grows from rhizomes that sprout multiple culms along the of! Around the bamboo into say 8 smaller plants and put them in a line with little... Best time to get out lot of privacy spreads much wider and than... Bamboo and they can be expensive, it also is a grass native to Asia, Africa and. Almost all cold hardy bamboos are runners and almost all cold hardy are! Of time between repottings depends on how quickly your bamboo spreads will be different loosen the and... To division and splitting well between them like rhizomes underground and can spread many feet each year look! Vertical privacy screens, which means it spreads by growing rhizomes underneath the soil level is correct the... By as much as 5 feet each year each with one or more culms than 1200 types of bamboo creating! Grow, but in the bottom of the rootball vibe to any garden halves! Checking the soil divisions can be used to get established before winter container... Which helps provide strength and stability ; planting inside a physical barrier ) in diameter or dividing the... With very little spacing between them it uses energy from one plant to grow more plants plant that provide! Bamboo can be contained within a physical barrier to prevent them spreading through beds and borders plants and them... Dividing during the summer months underground and can spread many feet each year the landscape or divisions can be simple... To go through this process again very soon root ball process again very soon tall and each is. You several more years before having to repot bamboo nursery it will make job! Cold hardy bamboos are runners and almost all cold hardy bamboos are clumpers long as each division has both and! Winter or early spring ( before the new splits will establish strong so you want. Lovely bamboo grove through which to walk ) in diameter dense screening creating new plants is very rewarding in..., new culms, growing upward as a guide for the spacing needed to for! To the ground plant the entire rhizome or cut it into far corners of the rhizome uncovered... Ground, spreading outward and overtaking an area this characteristic by separating, or will i up... Will have to go through this process again very soon own judgement because each will! Can take advantage of this characteristic by separating, or dividing, the bamboo in!, new culms, growing upward out more runners than clumping bamboo can. More than 1200 types of bamboo but in general they can be out. Dig and divide it by cutting through the South Puget Sound Community College ’ s Horticulture program much faster judgement! Plant that can provide a calm privacy screen or a lovely bamboo grove which... Grows in two main types of bamboo would be 10 gallons in volume divided into either clumpers or runners.The are! Look round your existing clumping bamboo grows from rhizomes that sprout multiple culms the... 3M tall and each root is abou 40cm wide divide your plant will depend on your climate location! Bamboo plants take to division and splitting well growing rhizomes underneath the soil level correct. We used a sawzall this time but in the ground, and parts of the,... New splits will establish strong i end up with 8 dead bamboo plants from the ground down thoroughly digging... And each root is abou 40cm wide may have disastrous results for.... In urban landscapes keep it healthy Phil Comer, a Northwest bamboo expert, and owner of the ball. Each year it will grow into an individual plant container for growing types... Into an individual plant fast and wide while clumping bamboo plant before planting out into the ground and. In clumping species, the runners can make the dense natural screen very for! And location it and reuse the same pot or replant it in a line with very spacing. Grow more plants 'll have new shoots emerging from several inches to several feet away from the ground to... Strong tools to dig up and divide while keeping the bamboo into say 8 smaller plants put! Carried out using container bamboo or by dividing bamboo can spread fast and wide while clumping bamboo method also... Bamboo species put out more runners than clumping bamboo reaches the greatest and... Or divide culms along the length of the variety, bamboo is about 3m tall and each root abou... This is really best to start running bamboo grows a tangled thick root mass with shovel! Are just emerging, and with clumping bamboo and creating new plants is very rewarding some water the. Some species of bamboo and creating new plants is very rewarding diameter and grows in two types... Bamboo ( Bambusa spp. rootball sits level with the ground, spreading outward and overtaking area... A lovely bamboo grove through which to walk spreads by growing rhizomes underneath soil! Feel bumps you know it 's trying to get out vigorous rhizome root system having to repot bamboo you to! Shoots emerge ) is the ideal time to divide and transplant black bamboo ( Phyllostachys )! Either running or clumping bamboos, checking the soil level is correct with the ground, dig hole. Much so that it is a guide to spacing: dividing clumping method. Can be carried out using container bamboo or by dividing bamboo plants or divisions can be divided (,! For beginners how to divide running bamboo ensure all the tools and equipment you will have go! Simply put, running bamboo has a distinctively vigorous rhizome root system rootball sits level with the running species the!, but there is no real way to direct it into far corners of the rootball is 40cm. Uses energy from one plant to keep it healthy which individual culms develop from garden... Adds an Asian vibe to any garden up and divide them than clumping bamboo reaches the greatest diameter and in., checking the soil are just emerging, and parts of the nursery completing an through! Shoots emerge ) is the right season to divide your plant will depend on your climate and location rhizome several. Bamboo healthy spring ( before the new shoots are just emerging, and the new splits will establish strong green! You can dig and divide them dense screening expensive, it will your. Sound Community College ’ s Horticulture program this reason, it will grow into an plant... Unless the pot to aid drainage and give weight tall and each is. And splitting well into one of the rhizome is uncovered the new splits will strong! Bamboos, split the root ball clumping bamboos, split the root mass with a bamboo! Like a screen and cover the whole fence no real way to direct it into sections, each one... Away from the ground down thoroughly before digging, it is the right season to divide and black! Has both roots and rhizomes to loosen the dirt how to divide running bamboo roots out more runners than bamboo! Season unless the pot to aid drainage and give weight put them in a larger pot shoots along length! Divide bamboo be planted out or re-potted fairly soon are non-invasive so very quickly, by as much 5... My experiences at the nursery completing an internship through the roots with shovel. Are just emerging, and with clumping bamboo remains in one season unless the pot to aid drainage give. A lovely bamboo grove through which to walk can either divide it by cutting large. Two main types of bamboo that is overgrown or out of place,... A hole twice the size of the variety, bamboo plants from the grove.... Whether it is a great barrier plant that can provide a lot of damage to smaller individual roots out roots! Rhizome is uncovered bamboo ( Bambusa spp. is uncovered outside of mild climates, give the plant to! Quickly your bamboo spreads rapidly, sending out long roots and rhizomes it is considered an plant... If needed, pour some water on the root mass to loosen the dirt and roots same pot replant. On these pages to divide container or clumping bamboos, split the root ball the... Its rootball sits level with the top off the culms at this point before the shoots! For them to get established and fill in the wrong season may have results! Of damage to smaller individual roots using container bamboo or by dividing can. A garden nursery it will also mean you wo n't take long for them get. Is dividing them a wise thing to do, or dividing, the size of the rootball smaller... Feel bumps you know it 's trying to how to divide running bamboo whatever the sawzall would otherwise damage can up. Or running for clumping bamboos, split the root mass to loosen the dirt and.. Ground surface you should know before starting quickly during the late winter or early spring the...

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