Sprouting bamboo seeds at home. Bamboo from seeds at home. What will you need

Bamboo is the tallest grass in the world. Among Feng Shui worshipers, bamboo symbolizes universal love, fidelity, eternal youth and indomitable energy.

Therefore, many seek to decorate their home or office with it.

In Japan, before the New Year holidays, the entrance to the dwelling is decorated with bundles of bamboo and pine branches to attract happiness and prosperity.

Japanese legend says that if you cut an empty bamboo stalk, then a thin girl of unusual beauty will come out of it.

True bamboo comes from the grass family. And they call it a room dracaena Sander, since the ornamental plant is a kind of dracaena, but in appearance it resembles a reed.

Appearance

graceful stem and wedge-shaped bamboo leaves inspire oriental artists and writers. East Asian art draws attention to the attractive combination of colors of the plant.

Life cycle. Having reached the maximum life span, the plant blooms and dies after the seeds ripen, making room for a new generation.

reproduction

Rooted

In the wild, bamboo reproduces by rhizomes, because. it blooms very rarely - once every 60 - 120 years!

Moreover, regardless of location, sprouts from one stem bloom at the same time. Botanists cannot solve the mystery of such a communal bloom.

cluster division

And on plantations it is planted by dividing the bush. Strong root shoots with two to three knots are separated from the dug out roots and transplanted into prepared soil. It is important to ensure regular and abundant watering, but without stagnant water.

For reproduction in our area, it is better to bring a small root offspring with a piece of rhizome from a trip.

Cultivation and care

Where to buy bamboo

You can buy bamboo in many specialized stores.

decorative bamboo

Tied straws, with rosettes of green leaves, offered in stores, in fact - Fragrans.

Interestingly, this plant feels good both in water and in any soil.

It can be grown alone or combined into interesting semantic compositions.

The stalk of decorative bamboo is bare or leafy with bright green leaves at the top.

It all depends on how it is grown. But there are also general principles.

Location: according to feng shui - in the southeast side of the room, under diffused lighting.

Air humidity: It doesn't really matter, but bamboo loves to be dusted.

Growing in water

shoots

Offspring and apical shoots are also not easy, it will take a lot of time and effort.

The best time for cuttings is spring. If there is a need to transplant a plant, then at the same time it can be propagated.

Soil is suitable for rooting young bamboo, like the main plant. The main thing is to regularly water and loosen the soil in a timely manner.

Transfer

Whichever way you grow decorative bamboo, you need to replant it annually or when deposits appear during water cultivation. The container is thoroughly washed, fresh water is poured and the plant is placed back.

A flower growing in the soil is transplanted in early spring.

When growing bamboo in glass vases, flasks, glasses, decorative substrates are used - pebbles, glass pebbles, and granulate.

pruning

Diseases and pests

Indoor species of lucky bamboo is not prone to disease.

Poor care can cause a number of problems:

dry and cool air - the tips of the leaves curl or dry;
in the absence of dressings or in old age, the lower leaves slowly turn yellow;
in direct sunlight - dry spots on the leaves.

In neglected form, in dirty water or in the vicinity of infected species, red spider mites or mealybugs. In this case, it is necessary to treat with insecticides or replace them with new ones.

Bamboo (lat. Bambusa)- a genus of evergreen perennials of the subfamily Bamboo family Cereals, or Bluegrass. In garden culture, plants are grown that belong not only to the genus Bamboo, but also to other genera of the Bamboo subfamily, but for simplicity, all these plants are called bamboos. And in our story we will call them that way, however, in the section on the types and varieties of bamboo, you can find out which species and genus this or that plant grown in culture belongs to.

Representatives of the genus Bamboo and the Bamboo subfamily grow in the tropics and subtropics of Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and America, as well as in Oceania, and herbaceous bamboos grow exclusively in the tropics. Bamboos are becoming increasingly popular in culture: they are grown on terraces, they decorate patios, they make a wonderful hedge.

Planting and caring for bamboo

Bloom: once every few decades.
Landing: from March to September, in the middle lane - from April to June.
Lighting: bright sunlight or light partial shade.
The soil: any with a pH of 6.0-6.2, except for clay and heavy.
Watering: at first - daily and plentiful, but when the seedlings take root and grow, they are watered no more than 2-3 times a week.
Top dressing: bamboo is fed with complex mineral fertilizer in spring and autumn, but the ratio of elements in spring and autumn feeding is different. If you are using organics, then apply it in small amounts every month until the beginning of autumn.
Limitation: along the perimeter of a site with running bamboo, capable of spreading to territories not intended for it, sheets of plastic, iron or slate are dug into the soil to a depth of 1-1.5 m, which should rise 10-15 cm above the soil surface. Can be used to limit barrier film.
Pruning: annually in the spring, cut out the trunks that have lost their attractiveness and thin out the thickets for sanitary purposes.
Reproduction: seeds and division of the bush.
Pests: mealybugs and spider mites.
Diseases: rust.

Bamboo plant - description

In nature, almost all bamboos reach enormous sizes. Woody, fast-growing bamboo stems (straws), branched in the upper part, can grow up to 35 and even up to 50 m. Bamboos are one of the fastest growing plants on the planet. Their leaves are lanceolate, short-petiolate. Many-flowered spikelets are located in groups or singly on special branches with scaly leaves. Bisexual bamboo flowers bloom once every few decades, and abundantly and massively - almost simultaneously on all plants of the population. Ripe grains fall out of the lemmas and are carried by animals or water streams. After fruiting, the plants of the population usually die completely or only the ground part dies off, while the rhizomes remain.

bamboo plant- excellent building material. Dried bamboo stalk used to create gutters or wind tubes.

Conditions for bamboo

Due to the fact that bamboo is an evergreen plant, its decorative value for our latitudes increases many times over: who refuses to watch exotic trunks with juicy green leaves swaying against the backdrop of snowdrifts in February from the window? However, most bamboos are heat-loving plants. There are only about 100 species that can withstand temperatures down to -20 ºC, and very few plants can winter at -32 ºC. By the way, the happy owners of garden bamboos say: if the seedling survives the first winter, then twenty-degree frosts will not be terrible for him later.

What conditions for bamboo must be created in the middle lane? It grows best in a sunny or slightly shaded area, protected from dry and cold winds. An ordinary fence can serve as a good protection against winter dry winds. Bamboo has no special soil requirements, only heavy and clay soils are not suitable for it. The pH of the soil should be in the range of 6.0-6.2 pH. Planting is carried out from spring, as soon as the soil warms up, until late autumn, that is, from March to September, but the ideal time is from April to June.

planting bamboo

Bamboo is planted in the same order as other garden plants. First, they dig a hole, which in volume should be twice the size of the root system of the seedling. Then a layer of fertile garden soil is placed at the bottom of the pit with the addition of humus and crushed. The seedling, without removing it from the container, is placed for several hours in a bath of water. When air bubbles stop appearing, bamboo, together with an earthen clod, is removed from the container and placed in a pit, after which the free space is filled with garden soil with humus, lightly tamping it so that there are no voids in the soil. The top 2-5 cm of soil does not need to be compacted. After planting, the seedling is watered abundantly so that all air pockets are tightened in the pit.

watering bamboo

Caring for bamboo is no more difficult than planting it. How to grow bamboo in the middle lane? At first, the seedlings are watered abundantly, and the surface of the soil is mulched with organic matter. When bamboo begins to grow, watering is limited to 2-3 times a week: the frequency of watering and water consumption will depend on the amount of natural precipitation at this time of the year. Keep in mind that bamboo, like other cereals, is very moisture-loving, and with a lack of water, it develops a reliable and deep root system that allows the plant to extract moisture from the depths.

Bamboo restraints

In culture, two main varieties of bamboo are grown: running and bushy. Bushy bamboo grows in tight groups and does not spread around the garden, but the roots of running bamboo spread superficially, at a depth of 5 to 20 cm, or even on top of the ground, capturing territories intended for other purposes, and you will have to chop them off, and more than one once a season. Chopped rhizomes must be removed from the soil, as they can develop on their own. But it is much safer to dig pieces of slate or metal around the perimeter of the area with running bamboo to a depth of 1-1.5 m so that they protrude 5-10 cm above the ground. A barrier film or root barrier can also be used as a limiter . This is a flexible but rigid plastic tape with a thickness of 6 mm and a height (width) of 50 to 100 cm. It, like pieces of slate, is also dug into the ground along the perimeter of the area with bamboo, but not strictly vertically, but at an angle: the upper edge, protruding above the ground, should be further from the area with bamboo than the lower one, located in the ground. The edges of the sheets of slate, iron or film are not joined end-to-end, but overlapped, otherwise the bamboo roots will break through the limiter.

pruning bamboo

Once a year, in the spring, cut out old, faded or frosted bamboo trunks. For sanitary purposes, thickets can be thinned out so that the sun's rays fall deep into the planting. Be aware that if you cut a bamboo straw above a knot, it may grow back.

Bamboo nutrition

Garden bamboo is fed in spring with nitrogen, phosphate and potash fertilizers in a ratio of 4:3:2. The ratio between the elements of autumn feeding is different: 2 parts of nitrogen, and 4 parts of phosphorus and potassium. After fertilizing, the old stems are cut off at the surface level, and the area is mulched for the winter with a layer of leaves or pine bark 10 cm thick.

If you use organic matter as a fertilizer, then fertilizing is carried out monthly throughout the season and stops at the beginning of autumn.

wintering bamboo

In the first winter, bamboo roots can freeze if the temperature drops to -17 ºC, and at -20 ºC it can die and bamboo stem: that part of it that is above the snow level will freeze. If you are afraid that the winter will be frosty or snowless, then bend the trunks of the plant, lay them on top of the mulch layer and cover with spruce branches that will not allow the bamboo to freeze. And remember: if young bamboo successfully winters, next year it will not be afraid of frosts at -20 ºC.

Bamboo propagation

Bamboo seed propagation

Bamboo seeds are soaked for 12 hours in clean water before sowing. While they swell, prepare a nutrient mixture of 8 parts topsoil, 1 part fine wood shavings, and 1 part wood ash. Sift the mixture through a sieve, moisten and fill the cells in the cassette with it without compacting. Make a small hole 4-5 mm deep in each cell and place one bamboo seed in them (the seeds are removed from the water and blotted with a cloth 20 minutes before sowing) and plant the crops.

Crops are placed in partial shade, and until shoots appear, the soil is kept moist, for which it will be necessary to spray it twice a day. Bamboo seeds germinate very slowly, and seedlings can be expected only after two, three or three and a half weeks. When the seedlings are 3-4 months old and they begin to form shoots, they dive into separate containers filled with high-moor peat. From now on, bamboo is watered once a day, and it is better to do this in the evening. AT open ground seedlings are transplanted when they reach a height of 40-50 cm. However, it is desirable that young plants survive their first winter indoors, since in open ground they can freeze or die from lack of moisture. You can transfer them to a greenhouse or other unheated, but protected from frost and drafts room for the winter, and when the soil warms up, you can plant them in the garden.

Vegetative propagation of bamboo

Dig up a few stems that have reached the age of three in the spring and transplant into partial shade. In order for the seedlings to take root, they are plentifully watered daily, after shortening the shoots by a third of the length.

Diseases and pests of bamboo

Bamboo is quite resistant to both diseases and pests, but some species of the plant can fall prey to mealybugs or spider mites. From worms, bamboo is treated with insecticides, and from ticks - with acaricides.

Sometimes bamboo becomes infected with rust, from which the plant can be cured with fungicidal preparations.

Bamboo is turning yellow

If a bamboo leaves begin to turn yellow in autumn, this is a natural process: in plants of the genus Fargesia, from 10 to 30% of foliage turns yellow and falls off, and in plants of the genus Phyllostachys - up to 15%. Bamboo sheds some of its leaves to conserve energy for the winter months. When winter comes, the wind will blow away all the yellowed leaves, and the bamboo will look fresh and green again.

If the plant begins to turn yellow in spring or summer, this is a problem that can have two causes: flooding or chlorosis. If the plant receives more moisture than it needs, its roots can rot, and if you plant bamboo in heavy or clay soil, be sure to lay a layer of drainage material (gravel or sand) in the bottom of the hole.

With regard to chlorosis, it usually occurs due to a deficiency of nutrients, in particular nitrogen, magnesium or iron. Sometimes the cause of chlorosis is salinization of the soil. Correct care mistakes, and new bamboo leaves will grow green.

Garden bamboos can be roughly divided into low herbaceous plants and straight-stemmed species with a rigid stem. In choosing the type of plant for the garden, such a characteristic as frost resistance is very important, because bamboos are plants from the tropics and subtropics. The most frost-resistant of the Bamboo subfamily are plants of the Saza genus. Fargesia (or synarundinaria) also differ in endurance and cold resistance. Bamboos of the genus Pleioblastus attract with high decorativeness, and in more southern regions phyllostachis bamboos feel good. Of the plants of the genus Bamboo, the most popular species in horticulture is the common bamboo. By the way, indoor bamboo, or decorative bamboo, has nothing to do with bamboos: Sandler's dracaena is hidden under these names.

Sasa (Sasa)

- a genus of the subfamily Bamboo, which includes about 70 plant species from Central and East Asia. Plants of the genus Saza form dense thickets on the edges or under the canopy of tall trees. On stems from 30 to 250 cm high, there are broadly oval leaves, bright green in spring and summer, and drying at the edges in autumn, which creates the effect of variegation. The most popular plants of this genus in culture are:

Saza Kuril- bamboo from 25 to 250 cm high with stems about 6 mm thick and ovate-pointed leaves up to 13 cm long and up to 2.5 cm wide. This bamboo blooms only once, after which it dies. Kuril saza develops slowly, only its undersized forms take root well in the conditions of the middle zone, which are used for Japanese gardens or as a ground cover plant. Popular variety Shimofuri with yellow strokes on green leaves.

In addition to the Kuril saz, in the culture you can sometimes find Vicha saz, spikelet, golden, paniculate, palmate (Nebulose variety with palm leaves), reticulated and branched.

Fargesia (Fargesia)

- Chinese mountain bamboo, discovered in the 80s of the XIX century by French missionaries. Today, there are about 40 species of these evergreens with a height of 50 cm, forming loose bushes with many shoots, covered with bright green graceful lanceolate leaves up to 10 cm long and up to 1.5 cm wide, which acquire a yellow-green color by autumn. The most common plants of this genus in culture are:

brilliant fargesia (Fargesia nitida = Sinarundinaria nitida)- a type of winter-hardy bamboo with bright, glossy, dark red-brown, almost black stems from 50 cm to 2 m high. The leaves of fargesia are shiny narrow-lanceolate, up to 12 cm long. The Eisenach variety with dark green small leaves, a tall variety is popular McClue, a New Collection variety with purple cherry stems, Great Wall, a dark green-leaved variety for tall hedges, and Nymphenburg, a variety with narrow leaves on arcuate branches;
Fargesia Muriel (Fargesia murielae = Sinarundinaria Murielae)- a type of frost-resistant bamboo comes from Central China. The stems of plants of this species are yellow-green, smoothly curving, with a waxy coating. The leaves are long-pointed, pointed, bristly. Fargesia Muriel blooms once a century and dies after flowering. The last time flowering began in the late 70s of the last century and lasted 20 years! Currently popular Muriel fargesia varieties are Simba (a new Danish compact variety), Jumbo (a bushy bamboo with delicate green leaves) and Bimbo (the smallest variety with yellow-green leaves).

In addition to those described, fargesia covert and Jiuzhaigou are also grown in culture.

Phyllostachys (Phyllostachys)

- this genus of the Bamboo subfamily includes 36 species of plants with cylindrical flattened or corrugated stems of green, yellow, black or bluish color with relatively short internodes, creeping rhizomes and green leaves. In height, these bamboos reach 3.5-5.5 m. The most famous species of the genus in culture are:

golden-grooved phyllostachys (Phyllostachys aureosulcata), growing to a height of 10 m with a stem diameter of 2 to 5 cm. This plant has dark purple, very prominent nodes and golden yellow grooves. The most commonly grown varieties are Spectabilis (an RHS award-winning plant with zigzag canes) and Areocaulis, another award-winning variety with golden stems;
black phyllostachys (Phyllostachys nigra)- a plant up to 7 m high, the stems of which from the second year of life acquire an almost black color. The leaves of the plant are small, dark green. Most often, the species is cultivated at home - in Japan and China. Popular varieties are Boryana - a plant up to 4.5 m high, whose stems become stained in the sun, and Hemonis - a plant up to 9 m high with green stems;
edible phyllostachys, or moso (Phyllostachys edulis = Bambusa moso) from southeast China. This is the largest species of the genus, whose strongly tapering stems with smooth nodes reach a height of 20 m. The tortoiseshell form of this species with an alternating oblique arrangement of nodes, which can be found in Sukhumi, Batumi and Sochi, is interesting for its ugliness.

The gardens also grow sweet, Simpson's, pubescent, Meyer's, soft, flexible, blue-green, reticulated (aka bamboo) and golden phyllostachys.

Pleioblastus (Pleioblastus)

- a genus of long-rhizome undersized bamboos, which includes 20 species native to Japan and China. Some of these plants are frost-resistant, which allows them to be grown in a horticultural crop of the middle lane. Bamboos of this genus are shade-tolerant, but variegated varieties are best grown in sunny areas. The best plants for gardens are:

Simon's Pleioblastus (Pleioblastus simonii)- this species reaches a height of 8 m in nature. It has straight, strongly branched stems with internodes up to 45 cm long, convex nodes and lanceolate leaves 8 to 30 cm long. Unfortunately, in the middle lane, Simon's pleioblastus does not grow above 50-60 cm, however, it is decorative due to dense bushes with well leafy shoots. In the variegated form of Variegata, bright green leaves are decorated with cream stripes of various thicknesses;
variegated pleioblastus (Pleioblastus variegatus) in culture it is found in the Caucasus: in Batumi, Sukhumi and Sochi. It reaches a height of 30 to 90 cm, it has thin, cranked stems with short internodes and slightly pubescent green leaves with a white stripe of high decorativeness. In frosty winter, this species sometimes loses foliage, but in spring it recovers very quickly. Pleioblastus motley develops quickly, forming wide bushes.

Narrow-leaved, low, dwarf, cereal, green-striped, two-row, Ginza, Shin and Fortune pleioblastuses grow well in culture, but they are still rare.

Of the other representatives of the Bamboo subfamily, some species of indocalamus and shibata are cultivated in the southern regions. As for the genus Bamboo, in horticultural culture it is represented by the common bamboo species.

Common bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)

is a herbaceous deciduous plant with lignified densely leafy bright yellow stiff stems with green stripes and thick walls. Bamboo stems reach a height of 10-20 m, the thickness of the stems is from 4 to 10 cm, and the length of the knees is from 20 to 45 cm. The leaves are bright green, spear-shaped, pubescent. Common bamboo blooms rarely and does not produce seeds, so the plant is usually propagated by dividing the bushes, layering, shoots and rhizomes. The species has three varieties: green-stemmed, golden (yellow-stemmed) and variegated (a three-meter plant with knees about 10 cm long). The most famous varieties of this species include:

striata- not as large as the main species, a plant with bright yellow constrictions between the knees and long dark green and light green spots randomly located on the trunks;
vamin- a medium-sized plant with thickened and flattened lower constrictions, giving the bamboo an unusual look;
vittata- a variety common in culture up to 12 m high with numerous barcode-like stripes on the trunk;
waste paper- a variety with green trunks covered with black specks and strokes. With age, the trunks of the plant blacken completely;
vamin striata- the plant reaches a height of no more than 5 m. It has a light green trunk with dark green stripes and enlarged lower lintels;
aureovariegata- this variety common in culture has thin golden stems with green stripes;
kimmei- a variety with yellow trunks in a green stripe.

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After this article, they usually read

Indoor plants are a decoration of the house. There is a huge number of flower cultures for every taste.

Exotic plants are becoming more and more popular. They bring unusualness and variety to the usual home routine.

Indoor bamboo can be considered an unusual house plant.

Such a plant will bring a unique zest to any interior. It was brought to our country from Asia. Bamboo is believed to bring success, prosperity and happiness to our lives.

Main characteristics

Indoor bamboo has no connection with the wild plant. The plant received this name for its visual resemblance to a wild species. Planting homemade bamboo, propagating and caring for it is not difficult. The plant looks quite impressive: green bare stems, at the end of which there are shoots of various shapes.

With proper care, the color of bamboo is a rich green. But it happens that it varies to straw shades.

Bamboo also varies in shape. The stems may be straight or curvy. Leaves can be narrow, wide, long or short.

Bamboo is an ornamental plant that grows up to one meter in height on average. The growth rate of homemade bamboo directly depends on the quality of care.

A very important factor in the content of such exotic plant is light. It must be scattered. Otherwise, the foliage begins to lose color, turn yellow and the plant completely loses its attractiveness.

Under natural conditions, the growth rate of bamboo per day can reach 20 cm. At home, of course, it does not grow at such a pace. But it reaches impressive sizes quite quickly with the right ratio of light and moisture.

It is useful for the plant to carry out water procedures and pamper it with a shower. Bamboo loves it.

Periodically wipe the leaves with a damp cloth.

Every owner of an exotic plant is interested in the growth rate of bamboo. The rules for planting and caring for the plant will ensure its intensity.

Bamboo is not picky about the soil, but it is better to purchase a special soil for the dracaena family. Transplantation of a small plant should be carried out annually in the spring. If the plant is an adult, transplantation should be carried out no more than once every 2-3 years.

Bamboo growth rate and planting rules are closely related. If you neglect the basic rules, the plant will develop very slowly.

It is important to choose the right bamboo pot:

it should be wide and voluminous;
the distance from the roots to the walls of the pot should not be less than 5 cm;
there should be holes on the bottom.

In addition to the pot and soil, drainage plays an important role. It must be present at the bottom of the pot without fail. The optimal drainage layer is 3 cm.

In order for the plant to form properly and the growth rate of bamboo to increase, it is necessary to periodically prune.

The pruning procedure is carried out with garden shears or secateurs. The plant is pruned at the request of the owner. Sections are treated with wax.

But the cut stems are used to propagate bamboo. If the plant is inactively sprouting, then you just need to pinch the top edge. After the sides will go new sprouts.

Features of Homemade Bamboo

An amazing feature of homemade bamboo is the ability to grow a plant both in soil and in water.

With such an extravagant form of growing flower crops, it is important to change the water in the vase at least once a week and monitor its level. Water for growing bamboo must be of high quality.

When planting bamboo in water, you should pay attention to the length of the roots. Parts that are too long are cut off. The roots are fixed in a glass container with decorative stones.

When choosing vases, it is better to give preference to transparent ones, since it is always easy to control the quantity and quality of water.

With water cultivation, the growth rate of bamboo and the saturation of flowers increase, since this particular plant species values water the most.

Another unusual property of bamboo is its rare flowering. The plant blooms once in a lifetime, namely at 30 years. Unfortunately, after the flowers fall, the plant dies.

Lighting and temperature

Bamboo is a rather moisture-loving plant, therefore it does not tolerate heat and dryness and at the same time does not tolerate direct sunlight. Comfortable temperature for the plant is not higher than 35 degrees. The ideal temperature for bamboo is 25 degrees. In the cold season, it should not fall below 17 degrees. In the cool, the plant begins to hurt, and the growth rate of bamboo decreases sharply.

Bamboo does not like bright aggressive light. In the summer, he feels great in partial shade. Many put bamboo in the bathroom. Firstly, for a plant in hot weather, a bath is a paradise. It is dark and there is high humidity. Secondly, it's quite creative.

Watering mode

Like any plant, bamboo needs watering, on the correctness of which depend and appearance plants, and the growth rate of bamboo.

The need for moisture depends on the season. In winter, watering should be done fairly moderately, but in the warm season, an abundance of moisture is necessary for a good growth rate of homemade bamboo.

Reproduction of bamboo at home

Of course, you want to multiply such beauty. You can create a whole composition of bamboo or make a gift to a colleague, loved one, without spending a lot of money.

Reproduction is implemented in several ways:

seeds;
cuttings;
dividing the root.

Propagation by seeds is a rather complicated process, especially for beginners. It is much easier to reproduce in the second and third ways.

Cuttings or tops of bamboo after cutting the main plant are suitable for propagation. As a rule, bamboo takes roots in water without problems. After that, a new independent plant can be transplanted into the ground or left in the water.

The soil for a young plant is the same as for an adult. The pot should immediately be used voluminous, because bamboo grows quite quickly.

Root division is only suitable for mature plants. They must be divided very carefully so as not to damage the main root.

Problems When Growing Ornamental Bamboo

Despite the fact that the plant is quite unpretentious, with improper care, various problems can arise:

Feeding homemade bamboo

Home view needs regular feeding. It is this factor that affects the speed at which bamboo grows.

Mineral fertilizers affect not only the active growth of the plant, but also the quality of color and color saturation. As a rule, top dressing is carried out twice a year.

Everyone can choose bamboo to their taste from a wide variety of species. You can experiment with home interiors, and not only.

On cold winter evenings, it is nice to enjoy the coziness around the evergreen tropical beauty. For many years, bamboo will delight the owners and pleasantly surprise guests.

Most varieties of bamboo have time to give seeds only once during one human life. And almost all varieties continue to produce seeds all over the world for several years in a row. This way you will only have one or two chances to plant any given type of bamboo, so over-exposure and pedantry in trying to get it right will not be out of place. If you get the chance, here is a guide to help you get the most out of whatever bamboo seeds you have.

Steps

Buy or make a mini greenhouse with peat pellets as a planting medium. The firm "Jiffy" produces mini-greenhouses for 72 tablets, and they cost no more than 200-300 rubles. There are many other options available at nurseries and gardening stores.

Lay a layer of peat tablets on a flat baking sheet. Bring a pot of water to a boil and slowly pour it onto a baking sheet to allow the tablets to swell. Boiling water will not only do the job better, but it will also perform some sterilization, which will reduce the chance of possible failure. Repeat this step until you have prepared all the tablets you need in this way.
Return the tablets to the mini greenhouse. Depending on how wet they get, you may need to leave the greenhouse open for a couple of days until the tablets dry out a bit. You do not need dampness, and the tablets hold moisture really well. Ideally, if the tablets are moist, but not wet.
Soak the seeds for a day in 30-degree water. Make sure the water is not too hot - temperatures above 40 degrees will kill the seeds. Water that is colder than normal will not harm the seeds, but it will delay the moment of germination for a couple of days.
Open up and shake upper part peat tablets with chopsticks or wooden skewers.
Place only one seed in each tablet. Since bamboo seeds are rare and expensive, it’s not worth the risk of putting several seeds in one tablet - no matter how many sprouts you can keep only one, the rest will have to be thrown away.
Add some seedling potting mix on top of your seeds. 1/8 to 2-5mm will suffice.
Put your mini-greenhouse in a place with medium shade. If the weather is cold, an east window will do; if the weather is good enough to keep the greenhouse outdoors, place it in moderate shade. REMEMBER: wherever you put it, it should not be in direct sunlight. Even in a mini-greenhouse, direct sunlight will quickly raise the temperature to deadly heat, killing your seeds.
Check the greenhouse daily because the peat pellets can dry out quickly once the moisture from the initial soak has evaporated. Seeds may experience one or two episodes of severe drying prior to germination. But as soon as the sprouts appear, they can die in just a couple of hours of drought. If the tablets start to dry out, use a spray bottle and re-moisten the substrate. You may need about the size of a douche to moisten the entire inside of the tablet.
You may find sprouts within 10 days of planting, although the main germination will occur after at least 15-20 days. Different species have different germination times, so don't get discouraged too soon.
If any sprout grows too tall and starts to touch the plastic lid while others are just starting to emerge, lift the lid up so the leaves don't touch the plastic. Leaves resting on the lid will quickly begin to rot, which can kill the seedlings.
After a month, most seeds that can germinate using this method will sprout. Transplant all healthy sprouts into half-liter pots, following the rest of the guide. However, do not throw away the rest of the seeds ahead of time - we will try to pull off a few tricks with them to awaken them to life.
Mix equal proportions of quality potting soil and bark mulch. This will give you a mixture with very good water outflow, which is good for bamboo.
Pour some of this mixture into pots (1-1.25 cm).
Move each sprout tablet into the pot and fill the space around it with potting soil so that the tablet is at least half a centimeter below the soil level.
Water the pots generously with water. Since you have a very good flow of water in the pot, do not be afraid to overfill a little.
Set the pots outside in partial shade where they will never be exposed to direct sunlight for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Now your sprouts can be left to themselves. Most likely, for unknown reasons, 10% of the seedlings will die, but the remaining sprouts will have a good chance of growing into adult plants.
Return to the tray with unsprouted seeds and remove the lid from it. If you want, save it for the next use, but with this seedling it will no longer be useful.
If your mini greenhouse has a plastic insert that holds peat pellets, remove it and poke a few holes in the bottom of the tray.
Return all tablets back to the tray from which the plastic insert has already been removed. Place them evenly over the entire surface, as before - seeds up.
Fill the space around the tablets with potting soil; sprinkle the tablets themselves on top of the same mixture by 5-7 mm.
Place the tray outside in a sunny spot, checking every day that the soil is sufficiently moist – it should be damp but not wet. Since you removed the lid and increased the amount of sun you get, you will need to water the sprouts almost every day. At this stage, it will be easier for you to use a regular watering can, because now watering can even be over the norm.
Hopefully you'll get an extra batch of sprouts in the next few weeks. Once they are ready, proceed with them to step #12 and transplant.

When initially soaking peat tablets, it is very difficult not to overdo it with water. Try to make the tablets swollen, but not oversaturated with moisture. And remember that even imperfectly swollen tablets will be a good environment for sprouts.
There are many controlled experiments with soil, mineral wool, sand and variations/combinations of these. Under the same conditions, peat tablets performed best. In addition, it is not pleasant to germinate seeds only to damage their sprouts during transplantation. Peat tablets also avoid this problem, making it the optimal solution.
The eBay website is often a good source of seeds, but you have to watch where they come from (see first warning below). Alternatively, you can join the bamboo growing groups found here: http://groups.yahoo.com or http://groups.Google.com. Many hobbyists will gladly share the seeds with fellow enthusiasts.

Warnings

In the first cold winter, sprouts need shelter. Transplant the seedlings into the ground and cover with 3-5 cm of mulch. Don't add more mulch than this, otherwise mice can hide in it and eat the top of your bamboo.
In really cold climates (or in the case of less resistant species), bamboo can wait out the first winter indoors or in a greenhouse. But remember that even in winter, sprouts need water, so don't forget about them just by putting them in a greenhouse!
In the second stage of transplanting, when the tablets are covered with soil, be especially careful not to damage the roots of the sprouts. In the potting mix, the bamboo takes advantage of the opportunity to take root in neighboring tablets.
In some countries, the import of non-living bamboo (including stumps or roots) is prohibited for reasons of pest and disease control of bamboo. When buying seeds, make sure that you comply with all legal regulations.
It should be expected that no more than 30% of sprouts will survive to adult plants. Don't worry about the 20% that will die just from emerging from the ground. Don't worry about the 10% that will slowly turn brown and dry after transplanting. Unfortunately, this is normal for most types of bamboo. If you come out with 2 healthy plants out of 10 seeds, you are doing everything right. For some species, this figure is even lower.

What will you need

10 or more bamboo seeds With less, you will not have enough chance of even one healthy plant in the end.
Flat baking tray.
A liter or so of boiling water.
Mini-greenhouse, which is a tray for seedlings and a plastic cover (dome).
A jar of water and a warm (but not hot) place to put it.
One peat tablet for every seed you want to plant.
Wooden skewer or chopstick.
1 liter or more seedling potting mix.

Growing bamboo from seed is the least attractive way to propagate bamboo for commercial use. At home, seeds are quite difficult to obtain. And yet, if you managed to get precious grains, be sure to sprout them. The main reason for not having seeds is quite simple, Bamboo only blooms every 80 to 100 years!

On the plus side, seed-grown bamboo plants have a life cycle of another 80 to 100 years.

How to grow bamboo

Seed preparation:

Harvested seeds are properly cleaned and then dried in the sun for 1-2 hours. Thereafter seeds soaked in clean ordinary water for 6-12 hours to disturb dormancy, in no case no longer can the seeds suffocate. We drain the water 10-20 minutes before sowing.

2. Soil preparation:

Well, the dark soil is mixed with ashes (like from barbecue) and wood chips (from unpainted, untreated wood). The rice husk is also very good alternative for wood chips.

The mixture looks like this:

8 parts topsoil

1 part ash

1 part fine wood shavings

Then the mixture is filtered through a wire mesh to weed out stones and debris from the soil.

3. Planting Bamboo Seeds

Spread the mixture in special plastic granules (disposable cups) and leave the soil loose and not compressed!

Make small holes (3 - 4 mm) where the bamboo seeds will be stored. Insert one seed into each well.

Cover the seeds carefully with soil mixture so that the seeds sit 4-5 mm deep.

Keep them wet!

Give them water every day, early in the morning and again in the evening.

Let the seeds be in partial shade.

Compared to other propagation methods for bamboo, first shoots from seed grow quite slowly. Bamboo seeds begin to germinate in 15-25 days and seedlings have thin and brittle leaves. New seedlings grow slowly because the underground part is not initially differentiated like the rhizomes.

4. Transplanting seedlings.

When the seedlings are 3 - 4 months old, and you saw that the rhizome will begin to produce new shoots. At this time, transplant into pots and water once a day, preferably in the evening. It is desirable to fill the pot with rotted manure, soil and sand, a mixture in the ratio of 2:03:01. New bamboo seedlings are ready to be transplanted to their destination as soon as they reach 40-50cm.

Frost-resistant types of bamboo, when grown from seeds in the middle zone of the CIS, are undesirable to be planted in open ground in the first winter, weak shoots will most likely freeze or disappear due to lack of water, since the roots will still be quite small and are mainly located under the upper globe of the earth, which will most likely freeze , bamboo is an evergreen plant and it needs moisture all year round. In the first winter, provide bamboo with sufficient heat and moisture in a cool room or winter greenhouse, let the plant grow and strengthen so that the root system is established, in the second or third year, frost-resistant varieties of bamboo can be transplanted into open ground or into a container in the garden. Non-frost-resistant species should be transferred to a room or greenhouse for the winter, and from early spring to late autumn, they feel great outdoors - in the garden, on the balcony, terrace