*If you have concerns about freezing temperatures and how it will effect your bamboo please read through the following information. If you have questions not answered on our care page please email wendy@bambootexas.com as there will be too many phone calls to respond to by phone before, during, and after a freeze.
The majority of the clumping bamboo that we grow and sell is hardy to 18 degrees. These are the most cold hardy clumping bamboos that can also handle the Texas Heat. Temps right at 18 degrees or just below at 17 degrees might just cause leaf damage or loss, but anything lower than that can cause cane loss and in the worst case root/plant loss. That being said, bamboo is very resilient and comes back in most cases, which is very evident after the unprecedented Texas Freeze in February of 2021. The few running bamboos that we grow and sell are listed as hardy to 10 degrees and -5.
To protect your bamboo pre-freeze be sure to do the following:
Mulch the bamboo well.
Water the bamboo well before and after the freeze. Do not water if 32 degrees or less.
You can wrap the bamboo all the way up with freeze cloth or tarps if you are able to do so with the size of your plants. Wrapping just the base will not be effective at protecting anything above the wrap.
You can also install heat producing landscape lights or heat producing in ground cables.
To help your bamboo recover after a freeze we recommend that you follow the instructions listed below.
The first thing we suggest is to water and wait. Do not cut anything until you have a chance to see if the canes turn brown or black.
If you just have leaf damage or leaf loss the bamboo will put on new leaves in the Spring with proper treatment (watering regularly and then fertilizing mid March and mid July).
Any canes that turn brown or black should be cut flush with the ground. We know this is hard to think about doing, but the brown/black canes will not come back and it is best to get them out of the way before the new growth comes up.
If you have green canes at the bottom, but they are brown up top you can still cut all the way to the ground or you can cut above the last live node (ring where branches come out) and wait to see if that portion lives and puts on buds. The height they are cut to is the height they will stay. If the green canes eventually turn brown and black later, which is likely, you can cut them down to the ground then. The simplest option is to cut everything flush with ground if necessary after the freeze when the damage can be assessed as it is a one step process and makes it nice and clean when the new shoots come up.
In the Spring (mid March) add composted cow manure, mulch, and fertilizer to the bamboo to hopefully encourage new growth. We use Florikan 19-5-9 300 Day, which is a high nitrogen fertilizer that lasts 300 days and only requires a once a year application mid March. It can be difficult for individuals who can not purchase as a grower to find this one so you can also look at the bamboo fertilizer sold on line by the company, Lewis Bamboo. Although the numbers are slightly different this is a good fertilizer. This fertilizer does require a twice a year application (mid March and mid July).
If the roots survive, which again is likely, you may see some small branchy growth come up in the Spring and new shoots come up in the Summer. The small branchy growth that comes up in the Spring is thin and will lean over very easily, but it is important to leave it there as it is helps the plant recover. The new shoots that come up in the Summer should be bigger than the branchy growth that came up in the Spring . We do not recommend staking or tying up any of the branchy growth or new shoots. You can cut this small branchy growth after the new shoots have come in and had a chance to leaf out.
Water on a very regular schedule, such as every morning or every other morning, and do a long transition period when switching to watering just several times a week in the Fall and Winter. Don’t worry about over watering the bamboo. They love water, especially in the Summer Heat. They are happiest with regular deep watering in an area that drains well.
Regular Care Info is Below:
PLANTING YOUR BAMBOO: Think about your location and the type of bamboo you are planting. Are you planting up against a fence or property line? If so, give clumpers at least 5 feet away from any obstacles in all directions to center the clump and give it room to grow (unless you are using a barrier to allow planting in tighter spaces). Does your variety grow erect and plume-like or arch at the top? Do the canes lean to the sides from the ground up? Is the location easy to water? What is the sun/shade ratio in the location year round? Does it drain well? Bamboo loves water, but does not like above ground standing water that does not drain after a few days. Are there any overhead obstacles like a roof over hang or tree branches? How close to other plants in your yard are you planting? These are common questions to ask yourself when considering your location. Have more? Email us!
1. Dig a hole that is 6 inches wider and 4 inches deeper than the root ball. While digging, make sure your bamboo is nearby to ensure you are digging the correct sized hole. You do not want to remove the plant from the container and leave the roots exposed to the wind and sun until your hole is dug. Leaving the bamboo laying down on the ground exposed to the sun can kill a bamboo very quickly.
2. Carefully remove your plant from its container. Do not break up the rootball.
3. Bamboos are quite resilient to soils and conditions, but when they are small, you can help your bamboo get a good start by amending the soil inside the hole. Backfill the hole with a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of good soil and composted cow manure. You can mix the compost with the soil you removed from the hole if you have good soil. Place this mix under, around, and on top of the rootball with the top of the rootball sitting about an inch below ground level.
4. Top with a layer of well-composted cow manure (bagged material/not fresh off the farm).
5. Put 3 or more inches of mulch on top of the compost extending the mulch several inches beyond the edge of your hole. We like to use a mulch with a neutral to low ph level like pine bark mulch. Extending your mulch beyond the compost helps discourage weeds and grasses from growing into your bamboo plant. Mulching will help protect the soil and roots from direct sun, break down and improve the soil under it, regulate moisture, cool the plant in summer, and protect the plant in winter. Mature bamboos that shade their root system also begin to produce their own mulch. Bamboo leaves are high in silica and if left as mulch will continue to act as mulch and recycle silica into the soil for the roots to use.
5. Make a slight indention (about an inch) in the middle of the mulch to help retain and redirect water into the rootball.
6. Although established bamboos can survive with no fertilizer or little care after their first several years, they will never reach their largest cane size or height in those conditions. To keep those leaves dark green and produce maximum size bamboos, fertilizing is necessary. Composted cow manure is very popular as the sole fertilizer for bamboos with natural gardeners, but a time release high nitrogen fertilizer used in addition to the compost will produce better results. We use a a high nitrogen fertilizer with the numbers 19-5-9 that lasts 300 days so we fertilize once a year in mid March. Some fertilizers will require multiple applications if they are not as long lasting. We often refer people to purchase fertilizer from Lewis Bamboo online because they make a good fertilizer and it is easy for individuals to order. We also suggest treating newly planted bamboo with Quick Start Miracle Grow based on the directions on the bottle every 7 days for 3 weeks to avoid transition issues and get the roots moving. We start the application of the Quick Start Miracle Grow on third day in the ground. NO WEED AND FEED should be used on or around the bamboo. Avoid anything containing Boron or Salts! - Know your soil and provide correct PH balance to keep your bamboos green, bamboo prefers neutral to slightly acidic levels of PH. - Foliar feeding your bamboos with liquid fertilizers also will keep foliage fresh and robust, bamboos like chileated iron. This is mostly helpful in spring when your bamboos make new leaves. Over-Fertilizing your bamboo can lead to burning the root system, damaging foliage, weakening your plant, and slowing growth. Also if harvesting your bamboo, over-fertilizing can lead to poor wood quality.
7. Water every morning for the first 3 weeks when planted, every other morning for 3 weeks, and at least 3 times a week thereafter. If planting in the hotter months water of Spring and Summer water every morning for 3 weeks, every other morning for the rest of Spring and Summer, and at least 3 times a week starting in the Fall when the temps have dropped. The key to watering is to do deep watering rather than surface watering, water in the mornings, always do long transitions, and water more if seeing signs of distress such as folded leaves. Plants that are in pots must be watered daily indefinitely in the mornings and positioned so that they will not be blown over by the wind.
7. We grow the most cold hardy clumping bamboos that can also handle the Texas Heat, but if a freeze is expected and the temperatures are going to drop below the minimum temperature for your plants we suggest watering before and after the freeze, but not when 32 degrees or less. We suggest mulching the bamboo very well, wrapping the entire plant, and possibly using heat landscape lights or cables to produce heat for the roots.
8. If you have any concerns about your plants at all please notify us immediately so that we can help you correct the situation right away. This typically just involves adjusting the watering and or feeding. All of our plants are very well rooted in healthy plants and do not have any issues when planted and cared for as instructed. Because we have no control over how the plants are cared for once they leave our location all sales are final and we do not offer refunds, returns, or exchanges.