Woody grass
How to grow bamboo
Phyllostachys (running) / Fargesia (clumping)
The choice of bamboo matters more than anything you do afterwards. Clump-forming Fargesia stays where it is planted; running Phyllostachys spreads by underground rhizomes and needs a root barrier from day one. Plant in April to May or September in sun or part shade, in fertile soil that holds moisture without lying wet, and water heavily through the first summer. Bamboo is a large, hungry grass: feed it in spring, mulch it and thin out old canes each March.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy (most)
- Position
- Sun to part shade
- Soil
- Fertile, moisture-retentive, free-draining
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- High, keep moist, especially in pots
- Feeding
- Moderate feeder
Sowing and planting bamboo
WhenPlant Apr to May or Sep; new canes May to Jul; thin old canes Mar
Starting off
Plant pot-grown stock Apr to May or Sep, teasing out the rootball and watering 10 litres twice weekly through the first summer; bamboo is never sold bare-root. Propagate by division in Apr, cutting a section with 3 to 5 canes and a good root mass from the edge of the clump with a spade or saw, cutting the canes back by half and keeping it moist in shade for 2 months; rhizome cuttings 30 cm long with buds also take in Mar. Seed is rare, since most species flower once in 60 to 120 years and are badly weakened by it.
Spacing and planting
Clumping Fargesia murielae and F. nitida reach 3 to 4 m tall by 1.5 to 2 m wide in 10 years; running Phyllostachys nigra and P. aurea 4 to 6 m, P. aureosulcata 6 to 8 m, and they spread indefinitely by rhizomes. Plant 1 to 1.5 m apart for a screen; sink a 60 to 70 cm deep root barrier of 2 mm HDPE around any Phyllostachys, at least 7.5 cm proud of the soil, and keep it 1.5 m from buildings, drains and fences. Fargesia and P. nigra are good in a 60 cm tub for 5 years, then need dividing.
Varieties worth growing
- Fargesia murielae 'Simba'
- Compact umbrella bamboo, about 2 m, clump-forming and arching; the safe choice for small gardens and large tubs.
- Fargesia robusta 'Campbell'
- Upright clumper to about 4 m with pale sheaths that give a striped look to new canes; takes more sun than other Fargesia and makes a good screen.
- Fargesia nitida
- Fountain bamboo: slender purple-flushed canes and small leaves, 3 to 4 m, clump-forming. Best in part shade out of drying wind.
- Phyllostachys nigra
- Black bamboo. Canes open green and turn glossy black over two or three years. A runner, though a slow one in cool gardens: barrier or tub.
- Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis
- Yellow canes with a green stripe, some zigzagging at the base; very hardy and vigorous. A strong runner that must have a barrier.
Bamboo month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Nothing to do. Water tubs in dry, mild spells.
- February
Nothing to do. Order a root barrier if you are planting a runner.
- March
Thin: cut dead, weak and oldest canes to the ground. Strip lower side branches to show off the canes.
- April
Plant. Feed and mulch. Cut round running types with a spade. Divide clumps and congested tubs.
- May
Plant. New shoots appear: keep feet and mowers off them. Water new plants twice a week.
- June
Second feed. Water in dry weather; rolled leaves mean it is thirsty.
- July
New canes finish extending and leaf out. Keep watering.
- August
Water. Check again for rhizomes crossing the boundary.
- September
Plant. Pull out any escaped rhizomes while the soil is soft.
- October
Leave fallen leaves under the clump as mulch.
- November
Nothing to do. Tie in tall canes in exposed gardens before gales.
- December
Knock heavy snow off arching canes.
Feeding bamboo
A hungry feeder: bamboo is a grass and builds every new cane in a few weeks from what it stored the year before. Nitrogen in April, a balanced feed in June, and plenty of water to carry both.
A nitrogen-leaning feed in spring drives strong canes and lush leaf, bamboo is a grass, and a hungry one. Keep moist.
Feeding plan
April
45 to 60 g/m² scattered over the root area and watered in. The label is written for lawns; bamboo is a grass and takes the same rate. A clump 1.5 m across covers about 1.8 m², so 80 to 105 g.
April, after feeding
Garden compost, plus the plant's own fallen leaves
A 5 cm mulch over the root area. Leave shed bamboo leaves where they fall.
June
100 g/m², about 180 g for a clump 1.5 m across, watered in. No dry feed after July.
April and June, tubs
2 to 4 g per litre of compost on the surface: 180 to 360 g for a 60 cm tub (about 90 litres). Use the lower figure in June and always water it in thoroughly.
The Lawn Fertiliser label covers lawns only. The plan applies the lawn rate to the bamboo root area and says so.
Signs to watch
Rolled, curled leaves in Jun → drought, not a deficiency, the clump's first signal → 20 litres twice weekly and a mulch. Yellow leaves overall with thin canes → nitrogen hunger, bamboo being a greedy grass → nitrogen-rich feed in Apr and a compost mulch. Yellow leaves with green veins on chalk → iron lock-out, uncommon → chelated iron. Heavy leaf drop in Apr to May is normal annual leaf renewal, not
Pests, diseases and problems
New canes coming up in the lawn, the border or next door
Rhizomes of a running bamboo escaping, often years after planting
Cut round the clump with a sharp spade every April and again in late summer, and dig out every rhizome outside the line. For a permanent fix, trench round the clump and fit a root barrier at least 60 cm deep, standing 7.5 cm proud of the soil.
Pale yellow rectangular patches on the upper leaf, with fine white webbing in neat blocks underneath
Bamboo spider mite, worst on plants in hot, sheltered, dry spots
Cut out and bin the worst canes in March, hose the leaf undersides regularly in summer and keep the plant well watered. A vigorous clump tolerates it.
Leaves and canes sticky and black with sooty mould
Aphids feeding under the leaves; the mould grows on their honeydew
Hose the foliage down hard, thin the clump so air and birds get in, and wipe coloured canes clean with a damp cloth.
Leaf tips and edges brown and papery after winter
Cold, drying wind while the roots are in cold or frozen soil
Cosmetic; new leaves replace them in May. Water pots in dry winter spells and site Fargesia out of the east wind.
The clump produces wispy grass-like flowers, then thins and browns
Flowering, which is rare and can exhaust the plant
Cut flowering canes to the ground as they appear, then feed and water well in spring. Some clumps recover and some do not.
A tub-grown bamboo rolls its leaves daily and sheds them however much it is watered
The pot is packed solid with root and holds almost no water
Lift the plant in April, saw the rootball into halves or quarters and replant one piece in fresh compost.
Pruning
Pruning and care
Thin in Mar, cutting weak, dead and 3-year-old canes to the ground so the clump stays open, and remove the lower branches to 1 to 1.5 m on Phyllostachys to show the coloured canes; never shorten a cane expecting it to regrow. Running types are checked every Apr by cutting round the clump with a spade 30 cm deep and pulling out escaping rhizomes. Mulch 5 cm with the plant's own fallen leaves or compos
Good to knowChoose clump-forming types or use a root barrier, running bamboos are invasive. Thin old canes for a clean look.
Growing bamboo in pots
Bamboo grows well in a tub for about five years, and a tub is the simplest way to contain a runner. Use a container at least 60 cm wide and deep, straight-sided so the plant can be got out again, filled with loam-based compost. It is the thirstiest pot plant in the garden: daily watering in summer, and a check in dry winter weather, since the leaves keep losing water all year. When canes thin and leaves stay rolled the pot is full of root. Lift it in April, saw the rootball up and replant a piece in fresh compost.
Bamboo: common questions
Which bamboo does not spread?
Fargesia. Its rhizomes are short and turn upwards, so the clump widens by only a few centimetres a year and never sends canes up metres away. Fargesia murielae, F. nitida and F. robusta are the ones most often sold. Phyllostachys, Sasa and Pseudosasa are runners.
How do I stop bamboo spreading?
Fit a root barrier of thick HDPE sheet at least 60 cm deep round the clump, leaving 7.5 cm above the soil so rhizomes cannot hop over it. Without one, cut round the plant with a spade twice a year and remove every rhizome outside the line. Rhizomes are shallow, mostly in the top 30 cm.
How fast does bamboo grow?
Each new cane reaches its full height in about two months, between May and July, and never grows taller after that. The clump as a whole is slower: expect three to five years from planting before it makes a full-height screen, with each year's canes taller than the last.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.