Bamboo is a plant revered in the East. For residents of Vietnam, China and Japan, this evergreen grass, reaching a height of 3 meters, carries a deep symbolic meaning. It is no coincidence that elegant bamboo stems and pointed elongated leaves are depicted on porcelain, paper panels, varnished miniatures and whatnots. This plant brings happiness and prosperity to the house. In eastern countries, bamboo is often grown on plantations, and they also decorate the premises, transplanting it into large tubs.
In Russia, some varieties of bamboo grow freely in the Far East. However, heat-loving, subtropical varieties that prefer a warm climate are cultivated only in botanical gardens, greenhouses and rooms.
Growing bamboo at home is easy. This ornamental grass is quite unpretentious. The main thing that a plant needs at home is proper watering, timely top dressing and good lighting.
Which container to choose?
Like most herbaceous plants, bamboo has bushy roots located almost horizontally. When choosing a container for landing, you should stay on a flatter, wider bowl. The size of the pot, as a rule, should be five centimeters wider than the size occupied by the root sprouts. Bamboo at home is growing quite quickly, so it inevitably grows out of its "home". Periodically, the plant should be transplanted into a more spacious flowerpot. The larger and higher the bamboo, the more it needs a container.
Often bamboo is used to form a bonsai. In this case, the cessation or deceleration of growth occurs due to pruning of the root system. The plant is periodically pulled out of the pot, cut off the side roots and planted back, after replacing the ground with fresh.
Where to put the plant?
Like many indoor plants, bamboo at home prefers well-lit places. In summer, it is better to take it out into the open air, balcony or terrace. In addition, at home, tropical bamboo feels much better, which loves year-round heat, moderate lighting and tolerates dry air well in winter. Such plants grow well both in bright light and in slightly darkened places, and also adapt well to artificial lighting.
Watering and drainage
Growing bamboo indoors requires strict adherence to the irrigation regime. Like any herbaceous plant, bamboo loves moisture, but it is also susceptible to waterlogging of the soil. In summer, like most houseplants, it should be watered more often, and less often in winter. Leaf curl is a characteristic sign that the plant lacks moisture. To create optimal soil moisture, you must take care to create a good drainage layer.
According to the ancient philosophy of Feng Shui, bamboo is placed on the eastern side, then it brings both spiritual and material well-being to the house, health and happiness, and protects the inhabitants of the house from negative energy. Very often, instead of real bamboo, indoor bamboo is grown in apartments. This is the name of a variety of dracaena that looks very similar to it. This plant, unlike real bamboo, does not grow too large, very unpretentious in care. It can perfectly grow not only in soil, but also in water. Square or round containers with water where shoots of dracaena-bamboo are placed are very decorative. Colored pebbles are poured at the bottom of the container and shoots are set tightly to each other, filling the entire volume. For greater structural strength, the shoots can be neatly tied with several rows of natural fiber ropes. Water in such a container should be changed every two weeks and do not forget to feed the plant with special mineral fertilizers. Dracaena bamboo at home is more unpretentious, and it is much easier to grow it than a real grassy plant from the subtropics.