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Horticultural Question Anonymous
I've gotten it into my head to start growing bamboo to make things from it. I already have a small patch deep in my backyard, but it's overgrown and not easily usable.
I've heard that bamboo grows crazy fast, and can can sprout from cuttings, and is pretty much a giant tumor weed of a plant if left to itself. So I tried cutting some branches off and planting them, but they just dried up without taking. So, is there a way for it to work, or should I just find some sprouts and do it that way?
I'd rather not spend time and money if I could just transplant a few branches and keep them watered and start growing that way.
>> Anonymous
How the heck deep is your backyard anyways? And bamboo is basically woody grass, so I guess you should treat it as grass. Just water it every once in awhile and leave it alone. Just be careful to not let it start growing in the neighbors yard or they might just get a bit POed.
>> Anonymous
>>246270

Well, the bamboo is actually in between my house and the one behind, in that "I'm not taking care of it" area that neither of us really gives a damn about, so I don't think they'd mind that I'm doing anything back there, plus I'd be transplanting it deeper into my own yard.

Is there a certain place that would be best? Like a certain amount of sun they should get? I think the cutting I put in half sunlight did a little better. The others were in all shade, which just fell over, and all sun, which probably I should have seen coming, was the first to dry up. I suppose I could just try again and keep a better eye on them.
>> Anonymous
Well, how big are they getting where they are right now? I mean if they're bigger than you, then I would suggest leaving them where they are. If you want to transplant them though, I would observe what the conditions are for 24 hrs then try to replicate those conditions wherever you transplant them to. Also, what are you planning on doing with them once they're full grown(if there is such a thing)? I've had bamboo shoots in Moo Goo Gai Pan before and they tasted good. If you don't know, try going to your local botanist or a store that has a gardening section and asking a professional. Also you could try googling "caring for bamboo" and see what comes up.
>> Anonymous
When transplanting bamboo I have found putting a good layer of fish blood and bone meal just under where the bamboos roots will be works really well.

They'll need a good watering every day too, like a watering can full per clump, until they start to throw out new shoots. Remember that bamboo can throw out new shoots months after they appear to be dead if you are watering them well.
>> Bamboozled Aynon
OP, you have to grow bamboo from a rhizome or shoot (the part underground). Stem won't generate roots, it has to come from an already started segment of the bamboo 'root'... try that, but be prepared to get stuck with complaints from your neighbours if it goes wild, unless it's a sympodial type (clumping). You wanna avoid the monopodial (running) type if possible, it goes NUTS.
>> OP
>>246290
Fish blood and bones? You've gotta be shitting me.

>>246282
If you must know what I'm going to be doing with them, I'm actually a panda. I just can't stand those bamboo supplements anymore! I need the real thing!
But seriously, I'm going to build stuff with it. Which is why I need a controlled population of them.

>>246355
I've got cuttings with lots of those along it, so I guess all I need to do is shove them a little further underground then.
I also found something about burying the entire thing horizontally and using it to grow more than one main branch, so I may go and cut more to try that.

Right now I've got a test group going in a section of my yard that used to be a garden while I find a way to prepare the area I want to use.
There's a hell of a lot of rocks there but it's easier to get to, has room enough for a bunch of them if I wanted to expand, and has better sun exposure.

Also to answer the person who asked how big the original patch is: They're thicker than my leg and taller than the telephone polls, and have been growing there for probably longer than 19 years. The patch itself is as big as a nicely sized living room or den.