Not able to find a lot of infomation on this.

Can buddha belly bamboo be propagated from a cutting?
I have read and heard that if you lay a piece of bamboo on its side it will start to root from the nodes.

Is this true of buddha belly and how big of a piece would I need?

Would I need to use a shoot or the rhizome?

Is there anything else I would need to know when trying to grow bamboo this way?

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You don't want none of this Dewey!

Bamboo can range from tricky to easy to propagate.. depending on the variety.

Some of them you can take a section, however long you like, and cut off the green branches except for along one edge. Then plant it in the ground w the green branches pointing up.

Keep it watered, etc. Maybe some hormone/starter solution too.

I haven't had much luck with that method.

The best way is probably division.

To be real careful, lop a few stalks at a manageable height.. but tall enough to include a bunch of green leafed branches.

You can try using what you cut off to do the side planting method.

Then let the cut stalks recover and grow more branches for a bit before doing any digging.

Then dig up that section of the rhizome, cut it out and replant.. be sure to not let it dry out.

You do want to get some established older culm & rhizome.. not just a brand new shoot. In fact they say shooting season is not the best time to divide.

Edited: 09/13/2009 at 11:05 PM by paddleout

Never tried BB, but Paddleout is right and it worked on hawaiian stripe
A hellatious amount of digging and Pain in the ass cutting

Might be worth he $15 or so at a nursery

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Ograbac is a fat lazy bearer of false witness against people.....He is a hypocrite and fake christian.

Hey guys, Bamboo is easy to grow. Cut off a branch with side shoots, about 1 foot long. Put it in a 3 gallon put and pt the side shoots just under the dirt. You need to keep water in the main shoot, or cup, as it will feed the side shoots and roots from the side shoots will grow into the pot. Some varieties take longer to grow roots, and the larger the main piece is makes it grow better. Some varieties are easier than others with Timber being about the easiest. I have done this with Buddah Belly lots of times without any problem. Good luck!

Thanks for the info guys. I cut off a shoot the other day, very close to the bottom, and will try a couple different ways. Hopefully something will start.

About how long before I should expect to see growth?

And does anyone know of places to buy bamboo if this doesn't work out?

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You don't want none of this Dewey!

A new shoot is not going to grow on. It needs to be a mature culm, at least from last season. Anything that came up this season won't propagate.



Rockledge gardens has a pretty good selection, but its not very cheap.

Not alot of local nurseries carry bamboo.

You might want to make a day trip down to loxahatchee and visit the tropical bamboo nursery there. You can get potted bamboo of many varieties, but also check out mature clumps of them all, planted in the ground.

http://www.tropicalbamboo.com


may i recommend the "angel mist/ghost bamboo" or "white bamboo" - i know rockledge gardens has some of this @ $98, tropicalbamboo has 3g for $49 ( Dendrocalamus minor amoenus)

its been a very strong grower for me beachside.. probably my nicest looking bamboo, and i have:

asian lemon, timor black (bambusa lako), "blue" (bumbusa chungii), and bambusa textilis gracilis (graceful)

Edited: 09/15/2009 at 08:23 PM by paddleout