Bamboos will thrive best in loosely textured, well aerated, and slightly acidic soils. The soil should be able to drain quickly, however still retain moisture at the same time. Remember that soggy, saturated soils do not allow air to the root system of the bamboo plant. If your planting area is made up of a clay soil, then you might want to add sand as well as some organic material to area. The soil should be loose and cultivated only about 1-1/2 to 2 feet (.5 m to .6 m) deep which will give the rhizome plenty of room to grow.
Mulch/Fertilizers
Bamboo plants will receive a huge benefit by placing mulch around the plant. The mulch will act as a layer of insulation that will keep the soil moist and warm. By keeping the soil moist and warm it will allow the rhizome and root system to grow plus greatly reducing possible freezing or heat damage. The mulch will also provide many needed nutrients that are needed for healthy growth. Mulching promotes new shoot growth and extends the shooting period.
You can use many different sources for mulch; such as, leaves, composted manure, straw, hay, lawn clippings, pine needles, wood chips, etc.
A full range of fertilizers can be used from phosphorus, potassium, and higher amounts of nitrogen work well. However, organic materials are the best to apply. Some suggestions would be rotten cow and horse manure, decayed plants like rice and wheat plants, rice and barley bran, and other vegetable matter.
The best time to fertilize is when the new shoots are forming underground. This can be different depending on your climate region. Most likely it will be sometime between February through April. Do not fertilize when there is a threat of a winter freeze. This can due damage to the bamboo.
Watering
Watering once a week is normally good enough for well established bamboos. Do keep in mind that when the weather becomes very hot and dry you will want to water more often. You want to keep the soil moist so that if you would stick your fingers into the soil it would be moist. Also in hot, drier climates bamboo plants benefit from mist. The mist creates a more locally humid environment and helps keep away many pesky insects.
Ample soil moisture promotes shooting in much tropical bamboo and starts a period of active growth.
Heat & Light
Heat and light tolerances very quite a bit. You will have to make sure that you check the specific requirements for your bamboo. There many bamboos that require or should I say prefer shade, however many bamboos can thrive in both situations sun and shade. Many ground covers prefer shade will many of your tropical species enjoy a lot of sun light. Remember that if your bamboo is in mainly sun than you will want to pay specific attention to watering and mulching.
Trimming/Pruning
You will want to trim and prune all dead and dying culms that are on your bamboo. By pruning the culms you are allowing the plant to provide proper nutrients to the new and well established culms. Pruning and trimming also allows you to thin out your bamboo to allow more sunlight to the ground, which will keep the soil warm and help produce new shoots.
Another type of pruning or trimming is with bamboos kept in containers. These bamboos need to have the rhizome pruned once every year or two. If the rhizome becomes to big then it will not absorb the water that it needs correctly, hence killing your bamboo slowly.
By paying special attention to these 5 steps your bamboo garden will flourish providing you with many years of enjoyment.
