Bamboo is a sturdy and versatile addition to the backyard, however its massive rhizomes and huge root system imply it wants a little bit of particular dealing with to be moved efficiently.

Fast to unfold, bamboo is grown for its stately architectural kind, with tall, elegant stems (aka culms) forming dense stands with lush, evergreen foliage – good for tall hedges and privateness screens.

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Many types are tree-like in measurement, however bamboo is a subfamily (Bambusoideae) of the grass household (Poaceae) with two predominant sorts of progress, clumping and working types.

The clumping varieties have shallow rhizomes that kind thick, arduous root balls. Progress is extra manageable than it’s with the working kind, and clumps unfold steadily and evenly in all instructions.

The working varieties have deeper rhizomes with mats of smaller floor roots, and unfold through runners, with new shoots popping up in random areas. If it’s not saved in examine, this kind can shortly run amok.

No matter their kind, splitting and transferring these crops is finished utilizing the identical course of. However with their deeper roots, you’ll be able to anticipate lifting or splitting the working sorts to require a bit extra work!

So earlier than you roll up your sleeves and seize your instruments, let’s take a look at how and when to divide, transfer, and transplant bamboo.

Right here’s what’s developing:

As talked about, these crops kind an intense root system.

And if yours has develop into overgrown or crowded, it’s going to take a bit of labor to carry or divide, and also you’ll want some good instruments to make the job simpler.

To carry the roots, use a clear, sharp spade or backyard fork.

To chop thick rhizomes into manageable sections, you’ll want a clear, sharp spade, a handsaw, or an axe. And for very dense, tangled roots, a chainsaw is commonly the most suitable choice.

Additionally, a sturdy backyard knife or hori hori is beneficial for prying smaller roots aside.

And also you’ll want a bucket of water to carry root balls in between areas.

When to Transplant

Each sorts of bamboo are prolific growers. They should be transplanted in early spring earlier than new progress seems, or in autumn after the rising season has ended.

The strong however delicate roots are delicate to daylight and an absence of moisture, so keep away from transferring them when the solar is sizzling and excessive. Cloudy days with mild mist or rain are perfect for transplanting.

However earlier than you start to dig up your current stand, put together the brand new website first.

The roots dry out shortly and should be transplanted promptly – the longer they’re above floor, the much less seemingly their possibilities of survival.

Prep the New Website

For the very best possibilities of success, replant divisions instantly. Ensure the brand new areas are prepped earlier than they’re dug up, so the roots don’t dry out.

Bamboo does finest in a full solar location with well-draining, fertile soil and a barely acidic to impartial pH of 5.0 to six.5.

Use a backyard fork or shovel to dig a gap twice as broad as the basis ball and about the identical depth – most root progress extends sideways and never that deep.

Amend the soil by including one to 2 elements of compost or well-rotted manure to at least one a part of soil to enhance fertility.

Add one half panorama sand, pea gravel, perlite, or stone chips to make sure well-draining soil – root rot can develop if crops are rising in soggy or waterlogged situations.

And to assist maintain soil moisture, combine in a single half water-retentive supplies akin to coconut coir, peat moss, perlite, or vermiculite.

Whereas these grasses want well-draining soil, to maintain the moisture-loving roots joyful, it shouldn’t be allowed to fully dry out.

Water the soil deeply earlier than transplanting – a moist surroundings is probably the most welcoming for the delicate roots.

For container progress, select pots massive and stout sufficient to carry the vigorous roots, and heavy sufficient to anchor the tall, mature culms.

We’ll cowl dividing and transplanting potted bamboo in additional element in a future information.

Easy methods to Elevate, Divide, and Transplant Bamboo

To carry a clump, use a spade to chop via the soil about 12 inches out from the stems. Slice right down to the complete depth of the blade and fully encircle the clump.

Choose the very best areas for division by discovering pure gaps within the progress the place you’ll be able to separate the rhizomes. Every new part ought to have a number of wholesome, mature culms.

Use a clear, sharp spade, axe, or handsaw to chop via the roots and create divisions, slicing via the fibrous roots and rhizomes to a depth of 12 inches. Begin slicing on the soil edge and work your approach into the middle from either side.

Loosen every part by swaying it backwards and forwards, then use the spade as a lever beneath the roots to carry out every part.

For big stands with very dense rhizomes, use a chainsaw to chop via the roots, slicing down 12 inches. And naturally, all the time put on protecting clothes and security glasses when utilizing a chainsaw.

To skinny or divide stands which have develop into forest-like, strive my neighbor’s trick – he reduce his grove into “islands” with a chainsaw then hooked every island with the winch on his pickup truck to drag them out. Slick as!

In case you’re not transplanting instantly, plunge every root part right into a bucket of water and lean the stand towards a fence or tree. Or run a sprinkler or backyard hose with the nozzle on the mist setting to maintain outsized clumps moist.

Switch every part to its new location. Backfill with soil and agency in place. Water gently however deeply.

To assist hold the roots moist, add a two- to four-inch layer of mulch constructed from natural supplies, akin to compost, grass clippings, or leaf mould.

To assist scale back transplant shock and guarantee crops get established, present as much as two inches of water per week to maintain the soil flippantly moist however not moist.

Sleep, Creep, and Leap

Though bamboo is fast-growing, it may take new divisions one to 3 years to develop into absolutely established, relying on the sort.

Preserve the next bamboo adage in thoughts in the event you’re involved about sluggish progress after transplanting.

“The primary yr it sleeps, the second yr it creeps, the third yr it leaps.”

And you should definitely begin out with the very best situations for achievement – prep the brand new location first, have the precise reducing instruments for the job on the prepared, and hold the soil moist to quench these thirsty roots.

After the job is finished, you’ll be able to relax and luxuriate in your non-public tropical forest!

Are you rising bamboo? Have you ever tried transplanting it? Tell us within the feedback part beneath!

And for extra details about bamboo, try these guides subsequent: