When do you prune bamboo

This is unnecessary and can affect the rest of the plant. Similarly, you can also cut down any fully grown culms if you want to now reduce the size of the grown bamboo. Different species of bamboo grow to different densities, meaning some can have a very 'full' clump with lots of culms; where other species have an 'open' clump with fewer culms with lots of space between them.

If your preference is to maintain your bamboo in a less dense state, you can:. Prevent your growing bamboo from becoming too full throughout establishment. Each growing season the bamboo will send up a certain amount of new shoots. You can pick and choose how many of these shoots you wish to keep in the clump to grow, and how many you remove. While still young, the bamboo shoots are soft and 'snappable' almost like a carrot.

Do not remove them from their 'roots'. These new shoots are also edible! This is how they are harvested. The second way you can thin out your bamboo clump is after your bamboo has established and grown too dense for your preference, you can cut down any fully grown culms. You can again pick and choose which culms you remove and which you keep.

Thin out your bamboo as much as you want! For larger canes, a pruning hand saw and sometimes heavy-duty loppers are useful. Gloves and eye protection are a good idea when you are working inside a grove, because sometimes branches are hard to see when you are up close and personal.

If you are creating a small hedge or maintaining a ground cover bamboo, a hedge trimmer is helpful. A ladder is usually not needed — even a 25 foot tall cane is easy to grab and bend down to trim. Pruning for Aesthetic Form and Function:. Facebook Twitter. Search for:. Learn About Bamboo. Another way that you can help a flowering bamboo is to make sure that the base of the plant is clear to allow good air circulation.

Thin out any thick root clumps. For established bamboo plants, look at the base and see if the roots appear above the soil. If they do, use your trowel to dig out and remove some of the roots. But, pulling out some will help it to get water and air. Method 3. Pull out new shoots of clumping bamboos. Look over the open ground near your established bamboo plants. Clumping bamboos spread by extending new, small clumps of bamboo shoots that sit near the dirt surface.

To prevent or control this, use a trowel and pull up these clumps. Install a plastic barrier for running bamboos. This type of bamboo is known for sending out both above- and below-ground shoots to aggressively expand. To slow down the spreading process, buy a thick plastic rhizome barrier from your local garden store. Bury the barrier in this trench and re-cover it. This will help to prevent deep bamboo shoots from spreading underground. Dig out and break up the root system.

This works best for young bamboo plants that are beyond being shoots but are not fully established. Then, use a shovel or spade to pull it up from the ground. Dig a trench to stop the spread of bamboo shoots. Your trench will need to be 2 to 4 feet 0. Even if the plant browns and the leaves fall off, it will likely send off fresh shoots in new directions.

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Join the RHS today and support our charity Join now. Save to My scrapbook. Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. Quick facts. Cultivation notes Bamboos thrive in moist, but well-drained soil in a sheltered, sunny spot. There are bamboos for nearly every garden and here are some popular choices: For a shady spot: Chimonobambusa For direct sun: Phyllostachys For an exposed site: Bashania, Pseudosasa , or Sasaella and consider erecting a temporary netting windbreak during plant establishment For any garden: Pseudosasa and Indocalamus are completely unfussy Types of bamboo Bamboos are either classed as running or clump-forming bamboos.

Planting Plant in spring so that the food reserves in the rhizome are used to produce a good flush of fresh canes in summer. Dig the soil over and add organic such as well-rotted manure or garden compost to condition the soil and improve its water-holding capacity The planting hole should be dug so that the rootball sits slightly low, with cm 1in of soil covering the original surface When filling in around the rootball and firming with the soil and compost mix, take care not to damage the young rhizomes Water and mulch after planting Watering and Feeding Water regularly during dry periods Bamboos require a high level of nitrogen in spring and a balanced fertiliser through the rest of the growing season until late August Allow bamboo leaves around the plants.

This foliage contains silica which helps provide strength and stability Planting inside a physical barrier New bamboo plants or divisions can be contained within a physical barrier to prevent them spreading through beds and borders. Dig a trench at least 60cm 2ft deep, but ideally 1.

The protruding edge can be disguised with decorative mulch or stones The planting hole should be dug so that the rootball sits slightly lower than the original depth, with cm 1in of soil covering the original surface Firm well when backfilling, taking care not to damage the young rhizomes Water well and mulch after planting Container cultivation Smaller bamboos make ideal container plants grown in a large pot at least 45cm 18in across and deep in loam based potting compost such as John Innes No 3.

Routine bamboo maintenance With a little effort it is easy to keep bamboos looking good and prevent them from becoming a nuisance in the garden. In spring, remove any weak, dead, damaged or spindly canes, cutting them to ground level with secateurs or loppers At the same time remove any debris at the base of clumps To show off plants to their best, remove some of the foliage from the bottom of the canes.

Either snap the side branches off with a swift downward motion wearing gloves or cut them back with secateurs, pruning as close to the main cane as possible to leave a smooth finish Irrigate in dry spells, as bamboo prefers moist but well drained conditions Bamboo flowering Contrary to popular myth, bamboos do not always die after flowering, although the chances of full recovery are not good.

Flowering can weaken a clump, but the following steps may result in recovery: If you see the odd flowering shoot, cut it out promptly to discourage more from forming If the whole clump starts flowering, allow it to do so undeterred, even if the clump looks terrible. Continue to feed and water. The following spring, cut back the clump to ground level and feed with a high nitrogen fertiliser such as a spring lawn feed to encourage new green growth from the base.

Propagation Divide in mid-spring, splitting clumps apart with a mattock or axe, or lifting smaller clumps and cutting them in half with a saw. Rhizome cuttings can be taken in early spring; Choose one, at most two year old canes and cut the soil away from around the plant Cut the rhizomes from the main plant Reduce the canes to at least 30cm 1ft in length Place the cutting horizontally in a deep tray of gritty compost and cover lightly Water the cuttings and place the tray in a plastic bag in a warm position such as a warm shed or house Plant out in the following spring when the risk of frost is passed Bamboos can be propagated from seed , although, because supply is irregular, it is a less common method of propagation.

Some to consider include; Fargesia nitida - good for hedges, 2. Problems Bamboos are usually trouble-free, but may occasionally suffer from rust or root rots. You may also like.