Pruning Bamboo

Pruning Bamboo

Winter is the best time to prune your bamboo.  Be careful, however, not to prune your bamboo until it has become more established. It generally takes about 3 to 5 growing seasons for it to become established.  The time it takes for your bamboo to become established will depend on several factors: planted area, species, climate, water or moisture, sunlight, soil and nutrients.

Pruning your bamboo will help its overall health. The health of your plant will be improved by preventing overpopulation of canes and the removal of older canes that have reached the end of their life cycle. Canes can last for about 8 years so removing the older canes will create more room for new growth. 

Bamboo can be sculptured or hedged to any height.  Once the plant has reached the desired height then prune the tops off.  This can be achieved by either carefully pulling the canes down or by using a tool like a brush-cutter.

Preaching bamboo is a technique of lining up your plants and then removing the bottom leaves. This gives a bare look at the bottom of the plant with a full bushy look at the top.   This looks stunning as an ornamental feature to your garden. You can remove the leaves to any height to give whatever look you desire.

Pruning can be achieved using Pruning Shears, Hand/Garden saw or Reciprocating Saw.

Bamboo in Pots

Bamboo can be grown in pots as well as in the ground. They can make great ornaments for a balcony or courtyard without the need to have a garden bed. People have also used planter boxes to create a bamboo screen.

Choosing the right pot for your bamboo is just as important as choosing the right bamboo for your situation.  Bamboo is quite shallow rooted so would prefer a shallow pot.  This can also aid in keeping the bamboo and the pot more stable.  With a shallow pot the weight is lower so will be more stable in higher winds.

If you are using the bamboo in the pot to provide a little privacy then a running bamboo may be better.  Running bamboo seems to grow higher in a pot than a clumping type of bamboo.  We can always assist you to decide the best type of bamboo for your situation.

As with most plants in pots, bamboo will eventually become root bound. Like you need to do with other plants, you will need to either re-pot the bamboo into a larger pot or divide the bamboo. This will need to be done approximately every 4-5 years depending on the bamboo chosen. The quicker the bamboo grows (which is great for your privacy) the quicker it will become root bound. Don't forget to put your bamboo into your pot plant watering regime.  Bamboo need to keep moist so water on a regular basis.

As with any bamboo situation, if you are unsure about the type of bamboo that is appropriate for your situation then either email us at info@bamboo-plants.com.au or give us a call on 1300 654 454.