Fertilizing bamboo: when, with what and how?

The exotic bamboo is now also at home with us. We show when, how and with what to properly fertilize the bamboo and supply it with nutrients.

Bamboo (Bambusoideae) is known for its rapid growth. Even without any action, bamboo grows like a weed towards the sky. But if the Asiatic sweet grass (Poaceae) is to grow to its full height and to a lush green beauty, additional nitrogen fertilization is inevitable. This is because bamboo is one of the strong consumers and has a special need for the chemical element. The plants need a lot of nutrients and minerals in order to be able to generate enough energy for the enormous budding.

So that your garden shines partly in a green sea of ​​leaves even in winter, it is important to supply your bamboo with the optimal amount of nutrients and minerals. In other words, you have to pay attention to the right fertilization. But which fertilizer is particularly suitable for bamboo and when and how much should you fertilize?

Fertilizing bamboo: the best time

The bamboo can already be supplied with nutrients for the first time when it is planted. For this, the potting soil is mixed with well-ripened compost. There is also special bamboo soil that is supposed to promote growth through an adapted composition. If you plant your bamboo in special soil, you don't need to fertilize again for the first three months. The nutrients within the substrate, whether compost mixture or special soil, should normally be sufficient and provide the plant optimally.

After this time - in the case of older plants from mid-April - fertilization is carried out shortly before the stalks sprout. You should use the fertilizer two to three times at an interval of about four weeks. So that your bamboo gets through the winter as undamaged as possible, the last fertilization is carried out at the end of August at the latest. So the new stalks have enough time to mature before frost. When fertilizing with a long-term fertilizer, a single application of fertilizer in spring is sufficient. This promotes the growth of new stalks. If you choose an ecological fertilizer in organic quality, you will not only do your garden a small favor, but all gardens on this planet.

Summary: when is the best time to fertilize bamboo?

• When planting, compost or another organic slow-release fertilizer can be mixed in with the potting soil
• The first fertilization takes place after 3 months or in the case of existing plants from mid-April
• Fertilize with an organic fertilizer three to four times every 4 weeks
• The last fertilization takes place at the end of August at the latest

Bamboo fertilizer: how and with what fertilizer?

Bamboo has a lot of appetite, with a focus on the supply of nitrogen, but also of potassium. A nitrogen-heavy one NPK fertilizer is therefore ideal for taking care of your plant. There is also a special fertilizer for bamboo. This supplies the new shoot with a high proportion of nitrogen. The leaf structure is strengthened by silicon and the plant as a whole more resistant. An additional charge of potassium makes your bamboo fit for the winter.

When buying fertilizers, however, one should not only pay attention to the composition of the material, because there is more to every product than its purpose. When buying, it is best to look out for organic fertilizers. These contain the nutrients in a form that can be released into the soil in the right dose over a long period of time. This not only saves you constant re-fertilization, but also minimizes the risk of over-fertilization. Because not just too little, too much nutrients damage a plant.

Instead of special bamboo fertilizers, you can also use lawn fertilizers such as our Plantura Organic lawn fertilizer To fall back on. Because just like bamboo, lawns also need one NPK fertilizer with a high nitrogen content. Our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer offers an optimal supply of mainly organic nutrients without using animal products. In this way you promote the soil life in a biological way and reduce the risk of over-fertilization through a slow release of nutrients.

Tip from the professional: Especially in gardens with low-potassium soils, additional fertilization with potassium-rich autumn lawn fertilizer in August helps the bamboo to become frost-hardier and more robust. Our Plantura Organic autumn lawn fertilizer offers this extra potassium with high-quality and animal-free organic quality at the same time. The potassium helps with the water supply in winter and allows your bamboo to get through the winter more safely.

Summary: How and with what fertilize bamboo?

• Use nitrogen-heavy NPK fertilizer; mainly organic fertilizers like our Plantura Organic lawn fertilizer offer the advantage of a slow release of nutrients and vital soil life.
• Special bamboo fertilizer contains silicon for a strengthened leaf structure and increased resistance, as well as potassium to increase frost tolerance.
• Do not remove browning or fallen leaves (more on this in the following section).
• A fertilization with our Plantura Organic autumn lawn fertilizer supports the frost hardiness of your bamboo.

Organically fertilize bamboo

Bamboo takes a lot of strength to grow to full size. Organic variants naturally ensure a balanced nutrient ratio in the soil in the right amount. You can use organic liquid fertilizers and granulates such as our primarily organic Plantura Organic lawn fertilizer use, but also the following products:

• guano
• Mature manure with a high nitrogen content (cattle or horses)
• More mature compost
• Horn shavings/Hornmehl

Silica, or the silicon it contains, is also important for bamboo, as this ensures that the stalks are firm. Therefore, the falling bamboo leaves should not be removed. Conveniently, the sheets contain the required silicon. If not enough leaves have accumulated or if you want to remove unsightly brown leaves straight away, you can fertilize with horsetail broth or stone meal - such as bentonite or Lucian stone meal. The whole thing is then applied extensively and superficially in the root area.

Tip from the professional: An additional thin layer of bark mulch also stores moisture and thus reduces the watering effort. Even weeds only sparingly come through the mulch layer.

Long-term organic fertilization: instructions and dosage quantities

So that your garden resembles an Asian place of calm and not an overgrown panda reservoir, it is important to supply the right nutrients in the appropriate amount. Below we have a step-by-step guide to bamboo happiness with our Plantura Organic lawn fertilizer prepared:

1. Before planting, work 100 g / m² (0.2 liter jar) of our Plantura organic lawn fertilizer into the upper soil layer
2. Pour the soil and freshly used bamboo well so that the granules can dissolve well
3. With maintenance fertilization starting in mid-April, you should again add 40 - 60 g / m² (min. 10 teaspoons) fertilize

Fertilize bamboo with minerals

If you keep your bamboo in a pot or bucket, you can also use a mineral one Liquid fertilizer Apply in the irrigation water. However, you should Blue grain and Co. only use carefully and in small amounts. However, it is best to avoid mineral fertilizers in bamboo because of the high salt content. Use one instead organic fertilizerin order to save a few fertilizers or even losses due to over-fertilization and salinization when cultivating in pots. A quick energy boost from mineral fertilizers makes sense if your bamboo has yellow or brown leaves due to a lack of magnesium, silicon or nitrogen. Here you can also use a mineral fertilizer for quick help. The rapid release of nutrients is an advantage in an emergency, but really only then. It is better to take preventive action and use slow-release fertilizers as early as spring.

Fertilize bamboo with home remedies

You can also use a Liquid manure from nettles or put on comfrey. The plant remains are immersed in rainwater for two weeks. The liquid manure is finally ready when it stops bubbling. The whole thing is diluted in a ratio of one to ten with water and then used to water the plant. Other home remedies such as coffee grounds also provide unimagined amounts of nitrogen. It is simply distributed in the root area or added to the irrigation water. All-round care is provided by a mix of coffee grounds and Horn shavings. This mixture of forces is worked superficially into the soil in the root area. Then another layer of grass clippings is applied. However, coffee grounds have a lowering effect on the soil pH value, which can lead to acidification. If the soil pH is acidic, however, as an aid, crushed eggshells can be worked into the soil once a year. These provide lime and thus increase the pH value.

More information about Coffee grounds as fertilizer You will find here.