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With the right care, a bamboo grows in a bucket with a dense foliage and up to a height of five meters. It is therefore ideal as a mobile privacy and sun protection. In the bucket, however, it sometimes places different conditions on care than planted in the garden soil. This is particularly evident in relation to casting. The most important care details for healthy and lush growth are described below.

Bamboo in the bucket

There are currently 116 known subcategories of the sweet grass family. Not every bamboo variety is ideal for potting. The reasons are primarily the immense and powerful root growth as well as the height with the corresponding weight and ultimately the powerful rhizome formation that can cause any pot to explode. The Fargesia varieties, which can be easily influenced in their final height and in which no rhizomes form, show themselves optimally. The most popular varieties include:

  • Chinese tram bamboo 'Fargesia spathacea'
  • Ivory Bamboo (Fragesia 'Ivory Ibis')
  • Fargesia nitida 'Jiuzhaigou Geneve'
  • Fountain bamboo (Fargesia nitida 'Fontäne')
  • Umbrella Bamboo (Fargesia murielae)
  • Zebra Bamboo (Fragesia robusta Campbell)

location

The right location is a basic requirement for magnificent growth and a long lifespan. Some specimens are suitable for almost any location, such as the jade bamboo. If you don't know exactly which type of bamboo is available, the following location characteristics are always a good choice:

  • Sunny to shady - semi-shade is tolerated
  • No midday heat or direct sunlight
  • sheltered from the wind
  • High humidity - ideally at least 70 percent

bucket/ pot

Once a bamboo has been bought, it can be quickly removed from the "sales container", because these usually quickly become too small and the quality of the substrate often leaves something to be desired.

For the correct planting of bamboos in tubs and pots, it is important that they are of sufficient size and ensure that the roots have enough room to develop for the next two to three years. Wide, rectangular planters, which are rarely offered in stores, are ideal for this. In addition, bamboos should always be planted in a plastic container and only then placed in a planter. Otherwise, the roots can get stuck on the walls of the bucket/pot and, in the worst case, the plant can only be planted out with "force", which usually leads to a break.
The following preparations/prerequisites should be in place:

  • Pot height: at least 40 centimeters (adjust according to the respective planting height)
  • Ideal pot width: from 60 centimetres
  • Fill the space between the planting pot and the cachepot with styrofoam (protects against docking of the roots as well as cold and heat)
  • Planters and cachepots should have drainage holes (to avoid waterlogging)
  • A rolling stand is ideal for moving/moving heavy plants in an uncomplicated manner
  • Lay out a drainage layer of gravel or quartz sand about two centimeters thick on the bottom of the pot (to avoid waterlogging)

substrate

When it comes to the substrate, bamboo has relatively high demands. Because he could get massive problems with compacted soil, it is essential to pay attention to a high-quality substrate. Finished products, such as special bamboo soil, have proven to be optimal. Other options can also be used from experience:

  • Mixture of loam, sand, coarse peat, clay granules and pine bark with a grain size of seven to 15 millimeters
  • Mix normal potting soil with about 20 percent clay granules (optimizes water storage and loosens soil)
  • Mix normal substrate with 10 percent perlite and styrofoam balls
  • Pure clay granules (such as Seramis)

tip: Fine substrate should be avoided, as this has a higher risk of soil compaction.

repot

Regular repotting is essential if bamboos are to thrive for many years. The following instructions should be adhered to:

  • Repot every two to three years
  • Best time: early spring, before new leaves and stalks form
  • Always replace old substrate with new
  • Choose bucket and pot size about two sizes (at least three centimeters) larger
  • Don't forget drainage

manual

  • Watering the bamboo - makes it easier to loosen the soil from the pot
  • Lay the plant on its side
  • Grasp the lower stems and gently shake them up and down a few centimetres
  • Gently pull out of the pot
  • Remove old soil from roots
  • Cut off rotten root parts
  • Fill the substrate into the pot and place the bamboo at approximately equal distances from the pot walls
  • Lightly press
  • Spray substrate and leaves with water
  • Check the moisture content more frequently for the next one to two weeks

pour

When watering, the balance between high water requirements and at the same time avoiding overwatering is important. Above all, bamboos do not tolerate waterlogging, but are also sensitive to drought. The instructions show how the watering works ideally:

  • Season: all year round (there is a risk of drying out in winter)
  • Frequency: check daily in summer with a thumb test
  • Water early in the morning when temperatures are high - during midday water evaporates too quickly
  • Alternative to watering: shower off (plant absorbs moisture through leaves)
  • If showered off, reduce/stop watering the substrate
  • Water less in winter, but don't let it dry out

notice: The thumb test is the best way to determine whether or not to water. If the soil can be pressed in less than two centimeters with the thumb, there is still sufficient moisture in the pot.

Fertilize

Bamboo is one of the weak consumers, but since there is only a limited volume of substrate/soil in pots, nutrients are used up relatively quickly. For this reason, regular fertilizing is essential. Proceed as follows when fertilizing:

  • Fertilization time: between the end of March and the end of June
  • Fertilizer rhythm: every four to six weeks
  • Fertilizer: Bamboo fertilizer is ideal
  • Alternatively, liquid complete fertilizer with a high nitrogen content
  • Be sure to follow the manufacturer's dosing recommendations

wintering

Only a few specimens are fully hardy, but planted in tubs and pots, these varieties should also be protected from the cold. This is due to the fact that the roots are not protected by thick layers of earth. As a result, the cold penetrates the roots just as "unfiltered" through the walls of the pot and tub as it does through the soil. Ideally, a bamboo hibernates frost-free in a winter quarter - non-hardy varieties even have to be frost-free between three and seven degrees Celsius. Only tropical varieties can spend the winter in heated rooms, but this is less recommended. For plants that remain outdoors, the following protective measures should be taken:

  • Place in a sheltered place
  • Place the planter on an insulating surface (e.g. styrofoam or wood)
  • Cover the container with foil or fleece
  • Fill the substrate/soil with a thick layer of leaves, straw, brushwood or pine needles
  • Water only on frost-free days and only with lukewarm water

tip: When hibernating in closed rooms, such as a conservatory, it is important to ensure regular air exchange and around four hours of light. If it is missing, the plant quickly withers and the stalks soften and then collapse. Too much winter sun, however, quickly leads to burns.

propagation

The ideal time for propagation is to transplant in early spring. The most effective and most promising method is the division of the roots, which is also the only option for the Fargesia varieties. How to proceed:

  • Take the plant out of the pot
  • Remove soil from root
  • Shorten roots that are too soft and completely cut off moldy and dry roots
  • Divide the root into two or three equally sized areas (depending on the root circumference and the desired number of divisions)
  • Use a sharp knife to cut through the root ball at the division boundaries
  • Plant each section in fresh substrate
  • Water well (avoid waterlogging!)
  • Fertilize for the first time after about two weeks

Diseases

The most common diseases in bamboo are caused by incorrect care and, in particular, too much watering:

overhydration

Yellow leaves and loss of stability are clear signs of overwatering. In this case, you should act immediately, because rotting takes place quickly, which in most cases leads to the death of the plant. This is to do:

  • plant out plant
  • Remove soil from root and allow to air dry for 24 hours
  • Plant in new, fresh and dry substrate
  • Do not water for the first three to four days
  • After that, limit yourself to just spraying
  • Normal watering can begin after around ten days
  • Be sure to adjust the amount of water
  • fungal infection

Usually also as a result of too well-intentioned watering, one can fungal infection occur in bamboo, albeit less frequently, but more often in bucket bamboo. In most cases, this is the fungus "Botrytis cinerea". This is the cause of gray mold rot. This fungal infection can be recognized by the whitish carpets of fungi. The plant is deprived of vital nutrients and bamboos die of the consequences of the disease if they are not combated at an early stage. However, there are various countermeasures to choose from:

  • Immediately isolate plant to prevent spread
  • Cut off all affected parts of the plant
  • Dispose of cut off parts of the plant in a plastic bag or similar in the shortest possible way (otherwise spores could fly around)
  • Reduce air and plant moisture
  • Chances of success: Good with early action and continued observation

fungicides

Fungicides are among the chemical plant protection products that are used specifically for fungal infections. With respect to the environment, their use should only be considered if previous control measures are unsuccessful. They are available in plant shops.

pests

In principle, a bamboo in a bucket/pot is no less endangered than garden bamboos in a bed. However, the more frequent watering of potted plants means that there is higher humidity in the environment, which is less the case with bedding plants. This allows many a pest to come to the plants more often.

lice

Aphids, scale insects, mealybugs and mealybugs are attracted to bamboo. Some sit on the undersides of the leaves, while others prefer the leaf surfaces. They show up mainly in colonies, which mainly gather on the stalks and leaf stalks. They are only a few millimeters in size and their colors range from whitish to red tones to gray, brown and black nuances.

  • damage picture
  • Yellow and/or brown spots on leaves
  • withered leaves
  • Increased leaf drop
  • Plant increasingly loses stability
Mealybug

combat

All of the types of lice mentioned can be easily and effectively combated with a simple household remedy: soapy water. That is how it goes:

  • Dissolve 100 grams of soft soap in one liter of water
  • Pour into a spray pump
  • Spray dripping wet bamboo (from all sides)
  • Repeat every three days for a week or two
  • Otherwise do not shower the plant, just water it lightly (less water, but water more often)

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Garden plants