How can I make my bamboo grow faster? This is a popular question we get asked a lot. Even though bamboo is the fastest growing land plant, it can still be helped along a bit. Here are key points to follow to maximise and accelerate growth.

Bigger bamboo plants equals faster growth

The more established bamboo plant you buy, the faster it will grow once in the ground. This is due to a larger network of roots and rhizomes which are then able to produce more shoots.

Bamboo is a colony plant, the larger the colony, the more the offspring. This is also true for foliage, bamboo needs its greenery to gain energy from the sun. However, more established bamboo plants with more leaves are able to gain more energy, directing the energy to creating more rhizomes which in turn produce more shoots.

As a rule of thumb, a lot of species of bamboo, including the popular gracilis slender weavers, are able to double their height each year until they reach full maturity.

Give your bamboo a sunny spot for faster growth

Photosynthesis and growth comes from sunlight. The more sunlight your bamboo gets, the more “food” it receives, the faster it will grow. There are a few species of bamboo which prefer filtered light, but for most bamboo, they are sun loving plants which thrive on that extra energy.

Most bamboo species need at least 4 hours of filtered sunlight a day to survive. It is also good to know how intense sun will affect the colour of the leaves. Sunlight naturally lightens foliage. The exact same plant which recieves 4 hours of filtered sunlight a day might look like a completely different species to one which is in full sun.

Soil conditions

If you don’t have good soil, you can make it. Bamboo is not too picky, however, the better the soil, the faster your bamboo will grow.

Optimal conditions include soil of a Ph=7 or neutral, sandy loam, aerated, good drainage and high in organic matter.

Planting tips

The best way to plant your bamboo is to dig 1.5 times the depth of your pot and twice as wide. Put your bamboo plant into the hole and fill the hole with your good quality soil or compost. Having aerated organic matter around the roots encourages more rapid growth because the roots don’t have to fight to get through harder layers of ground.

Watering for faster growth

Bamboos are thirsty plants. For most species you can’t over water them. Until bamboo are established, which could take anywhere between 1-3 years, they love all the water they can get.

Water more in summer and when it is windy to reap the rewards of faster growing bamboo. To water effectively, saturate the ground around the base of your plant and keep on watering until you find that the water is not being absorbed into the soil.

How can I tell it’s time to water my bamboo?

Leaves will start to curl when the bamboo plant becomes dehydrated. If it does not receive water soon, the leaves will start to dye and fall to the ground. Without foliage for photosynthesis, the culms will turn brown and also dye. This we want to avoid by avidly watering until the bamboo is established.

Mulching

This goes hand in hand with watering. We want to avoid water from evaporating, the best way to do this is with a thick layer of mulch in a large diameter around the base of the bamboo. Mulch in a large diameter to keep the soil moist where horizontal roots will grow.

What kind of mulch to use?

Compost, manure, sawdust, chipped wood, leaf litter and bark are all welcome mulch materials for bamboo. A good amount of mulch is up to 15cm for maximum results. This mulch will not only help protect the roots and rhizomes from weather extremes, but will also slowly break down, providing nutrients for your plant.

Pruning

It is a good idea to take out dead culms from your bamboo to help make your bamboo grow faster. This is for two main reasons. Most importantly once the culm is removed, more sunlight is available to the living culms. The second is that the bamboo plant will then have a bit of extra energy diverted away from that culm, and put it into expanding its root and rhizome network.

Nutrients to make bamboo grow faster

Using an organic fertiliser or making your own compost tea will make your bamboo happier, healthier and give it the ability to grow faster. The best time to feed your bamboo is in spring and summer, when it is in it’s growing stage.

What nutrients to use?

Bamboo loves silica, nitrogen and potassium. Stay clear of salt however as this will inhibit its growth. We find that a good amount of Seasol, compost tea and regular watering usually do the trick. Not only will your bamboo be happy, but any nutrient runoff will also be beneficial to any other plants on your property without having the harmful effect chemical fertilisers produce.

If you can’t make your bamboo grow faster, use multiple plants

You cannot over plant bamboo therefore the fastest privacy screen can be gained by planting more bamboo, closer together. You will get a thick, green screen much faster than if you plant your bamboo further apart. For the fastest results you can plant them at intervals of 50cm apart, however, we recommend that unless you are in such a rush, planting bamboo at 1m apart will also suffice.