Keeping bamboo in the bucket: care ABC

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

Bamboo in the bucket

There are currently 116 known sub-categories from the sweet grass family. Not every type of bamboo is ideal for potting. The reasons are primarily the immense and powerful root growth as well as the height appropriate weight and ultimately the mighty rhizome formation that makes every pot burst can bring. The Fargesia varieties, which can easily be influenced in their final height and in which no rhizomes form, show optimally. The most popular varieties include:

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

Location

The right location is a basic requirement for splendid growth and a long service life. Some specimens are suitable for almost any location, such as the jade bamboo. If you don't know exactly which bamboo variety is available, the following location properties are always good:

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

Bucket / pot

If a bamboo has been bought, it can be quickly removed from the "sales container" because it is in the As a rule, they quickly become too small and the quality of the substrate often leaves something to be desired leaves.

It is important for the correct planting of bamboos in tubs and pots that they have sufficient Size and the roots enough room to develop for the next two to three years guarantee. 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 to the walls of the tub / pot and in the worst case scenario, the plant can only be planted out with "force", which usually leads to breakage.
The following preparations / requirements should be in place:

• Pot height: at least 40 centimeters (to be adjusted according to the respective plant height)
• Ideal pot width: from 60 centimeters
• Fill the space between the planting pot and the planter with styrofoam (protects against docking of the roots as well as cold and heat)
• Plant pots and pots should have water drainage holes (to avoid waterlogging)
• A rollable base is ideal for moving / relocating heavy plants in an uncomplicated manner
• Lay out a drainage layer of gravel or quartz sand around 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 it could have massive problems with compacted soil, it is essential to ensure that it has a high-quality substrate. Ready-made products, such as special bamboo soil, have proven to be optimal. Further options can also be used from experience:

• Mixture of clay, sand, coarse peat, clay granulate and pine bark, with a grain size of seven to 15 millimeters
• Mix normal potting soil with approx. 20 percent clay granulate (optimizes storage of water 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 followed:

• Repot every two to three years
• Best time: early spring, before the formation of new leaves and stalks
• Always replace the old substrate with a new one
• Choose the tub and pot size about two sizes (at least three centimeters) larger
• Don't forget to drain

instructions 

• Watering the bamboo - allows soil to loosen better from the pot
• Lay the plant on its side
• Grasp the lower stalks and carefully shake them up and down a few centimeters
• Pull carefully out of the pot
• Free roots from old earth
• Cut off rotten parts of the root
• Fill the substrate into the pot and insert the bamboo at approximately the same distance from the walls of the pot
• Lightly press
• Spray the substrate and leaves with water
• Check the moisture content for the next one to two weeks

to water

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

• Season: throughout the year (exists in winter Danger of drying out)
• Frequency: check daily in summer with a thumb test
• If the temperature is high, water it early in the morning - water evaporates too quickly during lunchtime
• Alternative to watering: take a shower (plant absorbs moisture through leaves)
• When showering, reduce / stop watering the substrate
• Water less in winter, but don't let it dry out

Note: The thumb test can be used to determine whether or not to pour. If the soil can be easily pressed in less than two centimeters with the thumb, there is still enough moisture in the pot.

Fertilize

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

• Fertilizing time: between the end of March and the end of June
• Fertilizer rhythm: every four to six weeks
• Fertilizers: Bamboo fertilizer is ideal
• Alternatively, liquid complete fertilizer with a high nitrogen content
• It is essential to follow the manufacturer's dosage recommendation

wintering

Only some specimens are fully winter hardy, but when planted in pots and tubs, 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 through the walls of the pots and tubs, just as “unfiltered” as it does through the soil. Ideally, a bamboo winters frost-free in winter quarters - non-winter-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 it is less recommended. The following protective measures should be taken for plants that remain outdoors:

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

tip: When wintering in closed rooms, such as a winter garden, it is essential to ensure regular air exchange and around four hours of light. If there is no such thing, the plant will quickly decay and the stalks will soften and then collapse. However, too much winter sun can quickly lead to burns.

Multiplication

The ideal time for propagation is when it is replanted in early spring. The most effective and most promising method is the division of the roots, which is the only option with the Fargesia varieties. This is how it works:

• Take the plant out of the pot
• Free the root of the earth
• Shorten roots that are too soft and completely separate off moldy and dry roots
• Divide the root into two or three equally sized areas (depending on the circumference of the root and the number of divisions required)
• Cut through the root ball at the dividing line with a sharp knife
• Plant each area 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, by giving too much water:

Overwatering

Yellow leaves and loss of stability are clear signs of overwatering. In this case, action should be taken immediately, because putrefaction takes place quickly, which in most cases leads to the death of the plant. This is to be done:

• Plant out the plant
• Remove the soil from the roots 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
• Then limit it to spraying only
• Normal watering can begin after around ten days
• It is essential 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 often, but more often in bucket bamboo. In most cases it is the “Botrytis cinerea” fungus. This is the cause of gray mold rot. This fungal infection can be recognized by the whitish mushroom carpets. Vital nutrients are withdrawn from the plant and, without early control, bamboos die from the consequences of the disease. However, there are various control measures to choose from:

• Immediately isolate the plant to prevent it from spreading
• Cut off all affected parts of the plant
• Dispose of plant parts that have been cut off in the shortest possible way in a plastic bag or the like (otherwise spores could fly around)
• Reduce air and plant moisture
• Chances of success: good with early action and further observation

Fungicides

Fungicides are among the chemical pesticides 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 specialist plant shops.

Pests

A bamboo in a bucket / pot is in principle no less at risk than garden bamboos in a bed. However, the frequent watering of potted plants increases the humidity in the area, which is less common with bedding plants. This makes some pests more likely to come to the plants.

lice

Leaf lice, scale lice, mealybugs and mealy bugs are attracted to bamboos. Some sit on the underside of the leaf, while others prefer the leaf surface. They show up mainly in colonies, which mainly collect on the stalks and petioles. They are only a few millimeters in size and their colors range from whitish to red tones to shades of gray, brown and black.

• Damage image
• Yellow and / or brown spots on leaves
• Dry leaves
• Increased leaf waste
• Plant increasingly loses stability

Combat

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

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