Bamboo

[Epiphany74]

In a flower arrangement I got some curly shoots of bamboo. The flowers are gone, but the bamboo has sprouted some shoots. Can I grow the bamboo, and how? Do I trim off the bottom of the long stalks? Do I need to plant it in soil, or just keep it in water until roots appear?

[Sphinx_Svens]

Stick the bamboo in some water ... it'll grow like mad & produce loads of roots.
when the shoots are about 6 inches long, just pull them off the stalk, put them in some water, they will grow loads of roots like their parents and you'll soon have a bamboo forest ... I've been doing this with some bamboo 'donor' stalks for a couple of years and have loads of them .

I did try one in some potting compost and it was fine, until I put it outdoors last week as an experiment to see how hardy it was ... it's not too happy in the elements, so I think it's an indoor type ...

Aparently, the curlyness is made by wrapping them around a pole as they grow, so if you're industrious enough you'll grow Christmas presents for life ...

[Upforit]

Before you plant it out, find out what type it is. There are clump forming types that will make a nice shrub, and the leaves blowing in the wind make a loveley rustling sound. It will probably grow to two metres or more, so think about where you plant it. Also, if it is the type that spreads, plant it in a container or it will take over your garden!