Has anyone had any luck on growing bamboo from seeds? If ...
5
@mamasnewest Hello 👋 Danielle. I never have. It here is a care guide.
Planting Seeds
Use a seed tray or very small pots for the bamboo seed germination process.
Bamboo Germination Tray
Bamboo Seed Germination Tray
Put a layer of growing medium into the tray; leave enough room for a layer on top of the seeds, about half an inch.
Place in a warm place for 24 hours to raise the temperature of the compost ready for planting the seeds the following day. Placing plastic over the tray should help keep it warm. Germination temperature should be at between 20 and 26 centigrade.
Place the seeds on top of the compost around 2 inches apart so their roots don’t get tangled up. There will then be an inch on each side of each shoot when they appear.
Cover the seeds with a fine layer of around quarter inch compost; this is where the sieving comes in handy as you don’t want big lumps of compost on top of tiny seeds. Don’t put too much compost on top.
If you imagine these seeds in their natural environment they would just drop to the ground, they would not be buried under piles of heavy compost. Bamboo is a grass and grass seeds usually geminate successfully on top of compost but I like to put a small amount on top just as a bit of protection when the seed starts growing and to ensure they do not dry out.
Place the tray in a warm place, in a plastic bag or covered by something that will retain moisture along with letting air circulate.
Bamboo Germination Time
Germinated Bamboo Seed
Different bamboo species seeds germinate at different lengths of time; there are no hard and fast rules. It does generally take around 30 days but may take shorter or longer.
So don’t throw out the seeds unless you are sure there is no likelihood of germination.
Here is info from Wikihow: I posted pics from this site.
Soak your bamboo seeds in water for 1 full day. Fill up a shallow glass container up with water that is right around 85° F (30° C). Place your seeds into the water and let them sit undisturbed for between 12-24 hours. This kickstarts the germination process for your seeds and increases the odds of planting success.
Use a food thermometer to verify that the temperature doesn't get too hot or it could cook your seeds and ruin the possibility of planting.
If you don't have a container handy, you can also place the seeds in a bag and fill it with water.
Place the container in a warm spot to keep the temperature from dropping too quickly. It also helps to cover the container to keep the heat trapped longer.
Plant a single seed in the center of each peat pellet. Use a wooden skewer to create a small hole in the top of each pellet. Then, place 1 seed in the center of the pellet. Use your finger to push the pellet down into the peat enough so that it is fully covered.
Position the greenhouse in a spot with 12-16 hours of indirect sunlight. This is the minimum amount of sunlight that the seeds will require to grow into seedlings. Avoid placing your greenhouse in direct sunlight or you'll risk burning the seeds. Keep your greenhouse covered with the lid in order to trap the warmth.
A grow light can also provide warmth for your seedlings. Position an incandescent light at least 24 inches (61 cm) away from your plants to keep them from burning. A florescent light can be placed just 6 inches (15 cm) away from your greenhouse.
Water the pellets each day until they are moist. If you see water accumulating on the surface of the pellet, stop and water a bit less next time. Be aware that each pellet may require varying amounts of water daily. You should see sprouts start to pop out of the soil after around 10 days post-planting.
Remove the greenhouse lid when the sprouts start to touch it. If the tops of the sprouts reach the lid when closed, then you'll need to start leaving the lid off. The heat generated by the lid can actually burn the sprouts and damage them.
Transplant the seedlings to larger planting containers after 30 days. Get a single 2 US gal (7.6 L) planting pot for every 3 pellets. Add potting soil into each pot until it is halfway full. Then, fill up the rest of the pots with bark mulch. Dig a hole for each pellet that is just slightly larger than the pellet's actual size. Gently lift each planting pellet and place it within a hole in the pot.
It's fine to place multiple pellets in a single pot, as long as they are not directly touching.
If a pellet doesn't have a visible sprout, you can still transplant it and hope that it will produce a plant in time.
Cover each pellet with about 0.39 inches (0.99 cm) of potting soil, so that the top of the pellet is no longer visible.
Place the pots in a location with at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight. Extended direct sun will continue to burn your bamboo seedlings, so make sure that your plants get about half sun, half shade. You might even need to move your pots around to ensure that they get at least 6 hours of light.
The seedlings should stay a bright green color. If they turn yellow or brown, then they are getting too much sun.
Planting Seeds
Use a seed tray or very small pots for the bamboo seed germination process.
Bamboo Germination Tray
Bamboo Seed Germination Tray
Put a layer of growing medium into the tray; leave enough room for a layer on top of the seeds, about half an inch.
Place in a warm place for 24 hours to raise the temperature of the compost ready for planting the seeds the following day. Placing plastic over the tray should help keep it warm. Germination temperature should be at between 20 and 26 centigrade.
Place the seeds on top of the compost around 2 inches apart so their roots don’t get tangled up. There will then be an inch on each side of each shoot when they appear.
Cover the seeds with a fine layer of around quarter inch compost; this is where the sieving comes in handy as you don’t want big lumps of compost on top of tiny seeds. Don’t put too much compost on top.
If you imagine these seeds in their natural environment they would just drop to the ground, they would not be buried under piles of heavy compost. Bamboo is a grass and grass seeds usually geminate successfully on top of compost but I like to put a small amount on top just as a bit of protection when the seed starts growing and to ensure they do not dry out.
Place the tray in a warm place, in a plastic bag or covered by something that will retain moisture along with letting air circulate.
Bamboo Germination Time
Germinated Bamboo Seed
Different bamboo species seeds germinate at different lengths of time; there are no hard and fast rules. It does generally take around 30 days but may take shorter or longer.
So don’t throw out the seeds unless you are sure there is no likelihood of germination.
Here is info from Wikihow: I posted pics from this site.
Soak your bamboo seeds in water for 1 full day. Fill up a shallow glass container up with water that is right around 85° F (30° C). Place your seeds into the water and let them sit undisturbed for between 12-24 hours. This kickstarts the germination process for your seeds and increases the odds of planting success.
Use a food thermometer to verify that the temperature doesn't get too hot or it could cook your seeds and ruin the possibility of planting.
If you don't have a container handy, you can also place the seeds in a bag and fill it with water.
Place the container in a warm spot to keep the temperature from dropping too quickly. It also helps to cover the container to keep the heat trapped longer.
Plant a single seed in the center of each peat pellet. Use a wooden skewer to create a small hole in the top of each pellet. Then, place 1 seed in the center of the pellet. Use your finger to push the pellet down into the peat enough so that it is fully covered.
Position the greenhouse in a spot with 12-16 hours of indirect sunlight. This is the minimum amount of sunlight that the seeds will require to grow into seedlings. Avoid placing your greenhouse in direct sunlight or you'll risk burning the seeds. Keep your greenhouse covered with the lid in order to trap the warmth.
A grow light can also provide warmth for your seedlings. Position an incandescent light at least 24 inches (61 cm) away from your plants to keep them from burning. A florescent light can be placed just 6 inches (15 cm) away from your greenhouse.
Water the pellets each day until they are moist. If you see water accumulating on the surface of the pellet, stop and water a bit less next time. Be aware that each pellet may require varying amounts of water daily. You should see sprouts start to pop out of the soil after around 10 days post-planting.
Remove the greenhouse lid when the sprouts start to touch it. If the tops of the sprouts reach the lid when closed, then you'll need to start leaving the lid off. The heat generated by the lid can actually burn the sprouts and damage them.
Transplant the seedlings to larger planting containers after 30 days. Get a single 2 US gal (7.6 L) planting pot for every 3 pellets. Add potting soil into each pot until it is halfway full. Then, fill up the rest of the pots with bark mulch. Dig a hole for each pellet that is just slightly larger than the pellet's actual size. Gently lift each planting pellet and place it within a hole in the pot.
It's fine to place multiple pellets in a single pot, as long as they are not directly touching.
If a pellet doesn't have a visible sprout, you can still transplant it and hope that it will produce a plant in time.
Cover each pellet with about 0.39 inches (0.99 cm) of potting soil, so that the top of the pellet is no longer visible.
Place the pots in a location with at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight. Extended direct sun will continue to burn your bamboo seedlings, so make sure that your plants get about half sun, half shade. You might even need to move your pots around to ensure that they get at least 6 hours of light.
The seedlings should stay a bright green color. If they turn yellow or brown, then they are getting too much sun.
If it helps, im talking about black bamboo, giant bamboo, purple bamboo, not the normal bamboo that grows on the side of the road. AKA American native bamboo.
