FAQ

How do I make a payment?

Our preferred payment method is to pay your invoice with your online banking account or make a direct deposit at any NAB bank. The bank details are on the invoice. ONLY if you need to pay with your credit card you can use Paypal feature or you can pay with your Paypal account.

Planting your bamboo plants

If you have good soil, sandy loam or well drained clay soil with good structure, you can plant straight into it. Dig a hole twice the diameter of the Root Ball. Clear all weeds and lawn in a 1.5m diameter around your hole and plant your Bamboo. Be careful and do not compact the soil around the Bamboo. You can feed your Bamboo with a high Nitrogen fertilizer or if you like the organic way use chicken manure, horse manure or rich compost followed by a good layer of a grass mulch on top. Afterwards water it well. If you have poor rocky soil, heavy clay, or poorly drained soil make a bed of good soil on top and add lots of organic matter.

How often should I water my new bamboo plants?

For the first two weeks after planting water each bamboo in the middle of the plant until saturated with a hose every day in the late afternoon. This will help them push their new roots out into their new home. After 2 weeks, turn on a suitable irrigation system that gives them a good watering 3 times a week in the summer. Once a week in the winter.

Growing Environments

Bamboo will grow in most soils and will grow faster with adequate water. It is important to remember it is not a swamp plant or a desert plant. Most species need a well drained soil to thrive. Clay soils also nurture Bamboo and need less water and fertiliser to thrive. Bamboo planted in sandy soils needs to be watered and fertilised more often to look their best. Most tropical species do not like temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius whereas sub-tropical species are very cold tolerant and can grow at minimum temperatures as low as -12 degrees Celsius or more. If planting young plants where you get frost. It is a good idea to protect them for the first year. Most bamboos will clump tighter, grow straighter and taller in a forest environment. In full sun they grow quicker, bushier and with more culms(poles) however not as tall. Bamboo makes fast growing wind breaks, sound barriers and hedges. Also it is one of the best plants for controlling erosion and many of these are drought tolerant.

What’s the best season for planting Bamboo?

Planting in spring is always the best time to plant. But you can plant in any season. They will take longer to establish them self if you plant in winter. Planting just before an upcoming good rain is also a big plus for growing your Bamboos successfully.

Do you deliver?

We deliver plants Australia wide using professional plant couriers and Fastways couriers and small orders by parcel post. READ MORE

What can I make with bamboo?

There are over 30 species of bamboo commonly called the village bamboos. They have been cultivated and grown for their superior properties, for building, weaving, making musical instruments and a thousand everyday uses. We can supply all of these species and more. There is no more useful plant than bamboo. Go online and search bamboo uses its all there.

Can i eat bamboo?

There are many ways you can harvest and prepare the young bamboo shoots. Late spring to early autumn is the best time to harvest shoots. For more detailed information search youtube for all the cooking techniques and bamboo shoots recipes, there are many.

Can I plant bamboo near my pool or fence or oven pipes?

80% of a clumping bamboo roots are in the first 300mm of soil. The fibrous roots are not destructive. We can advice you on the best bamboo for your situation, then you will have no problems.

Can Bamboo grow in the shade or has it to be in full sun?

Bamboos growing in full sun will grow very fast and bushy. They will make their own shade in a few years. In full shade they will grow much slower at first. Until their culms (poles) and leaves reach the light above the canopy. On the one hand there are many varieties of bamboos that like full sun. On the other hand there are some that only like the morning sun. Shade from the afternoon sun is very important with your tropical clumping Bamboos like Java Black.

How fast does Bamboo grow?

In the more temperate zones they will grow slower and not to the size of Bamboo grown in the tropics. Bamboo is the fastest land growing plant in the world, it is just a giant grass, sometimes you can even watch it growing, just like your lawn. You can plant small plants in good soil for a hedge, privacy screen or as a sound barrier and solve your problem within 2 years. Alternatively you can plant larger plants for instant peace and privacy.

What spacing should I plant my Bamboos?

If you are planting a hedge or privacy screen, you can plant all of the small species as close as 1 meter to 2 meters. On the one hand, if you plant them at 1 meter spacings they will form a dense screen. But they will compete for food and water, which will stop them from growing to big. Logically they will need more food and water. On the other hand if you space your Bamboos at 2 meters it will let them grow bigger and taller, but will take longer to form a privacy screen. For medium to large Bamboos they need 3 to 4 meter spacings to grow a 10 to 20 meter hedge. If you are creating a Bamboo garden with a number of large species, give them as much room as possible. That way they do not have to compete for food and water.

Does Bamboo need maintenance?

If you want the best dressed Bamboos in town you should cut out the old and dying culms that are 3 years and older. But be careful not to cut too many out as they often support the new shoots as they extend to the sky. Keep your Bamboos well mulched and weed free. 80% of a Bamboo’s roots are in the first 200mm of soil and extend a few meters from the plant. So if you wish to irrigate them you should wet the soil a few meters all around your Bamboo. A maintained clump is a very handsome plant. A clump can be sculpted to have a few culms or just the biggest culms and make it an open clumped or a tight clumped bamboo. You can prune of the lower branches to get a better view of the culms. Contact Bruce bamboowhitsundays@gmail.com – he can do it for you! By maintaining you clumps you will have poles to create a thousand things and shoots to eat. Hedges only need to be cut to height once a year. Many species need no maintenance to look stunning. Get you creative juices flowing sculpt a clump of bamboo.

Should I put in a root Barrier to control my Bamboo?

We sell only clumping Bamboo. Some are tight clumpers some are loose clumpers and others are open clumpers. All Bamboo can be bonsai-ed, by using a root barrier you can control the size that your Bamboo will grow to and stop other plants from competing with them. They will need more watering, feeding and care to keep them looking their best behind a root barrier.

Caring for Bamboo screening plants in pots

The potting mix that you use in your pots must be a good quality rich well drained mix. Usually the most expensive at the garden centre. Every year in late winter or early spring you have to cut back the old foliage and culms to the shape of your desire. If they are root bound in the pot you should take them out of the pot and split the root ball down to the middle. Afterwards you should cut them back and re-pot them into a new potting mix. It is a good idea to plant them in plastic pots that fit well into your ceramic pots. For easy removability and splitting. Do not over feed them in pots, otherwise it will create a lush plant at first then a very sick plant.

How long will my bamboo live for?

A happy and healthy bamboo will out live most gardeners. A unhealthy poorly maintained bamboo may stress and may go to flower and seed and in an extreme situation and die off. There is much more for us to learn about this subject.

Will my bamboo plants dry out in transit?

All our bamboo plants are grown in a potting mix that is high in coco peat. It works like and sponge and holds lots of water. We also spray them with a harmless product before dispatch called envy. It will stop your plants from transpiring water through their foliage by 50% for one month. It will also stop your plants from stressing in their new home. Your plants are watered in a Brisbane depot if they are heading into NSW.

Can I plant bamboos close to other plants in my garden?

There are many variables in this question. For me to give you the right answer please send me a few photos of your garden and I will give you personal advice.

Can I plant bamboos close to power lines?

There are many rules on this subject. You need to go online and read the info electricity companies provide. If you need to plant bamboos near power lines, use only the true dwarf varieties that grow a few meters tall.

How do I make my bamboos grow bushy?

Prune your bamboos to the height that you want in early spring and they will bush up.

Are your bamboos sun hardy?

All our bamboos are sun hardened, so when you plant them out in a harsh full sun site, they will thrive and establish fast.

How do I remove a clumping bamboo from your garden?

Use a service person that has they right tools and machinery for cutting and digging out bamboo. Your bamboo may have some resale value, so do your homework.

How do I to stop rednecks from spraying my bamboos with herbicide (glyphosate)?

Buy him a carton of beer before you plant your bamboos out and send him this link from my site:
https://bambooman.com.au/blog/bamboo-news/the-best-bamboo-plant-for-screening/

Can I plant and grow other plants in the same bed as my bamboos?

Yes, you can. Bromeliads and philodendrons are the best. Small heliconias, gingers and ferns that are very hardy. They will need to be planted the same time as your bamboos so they can compete. You will need to keep your bed well watered and mulched for all plants to thrive.

Why prune you bamboo screen into a hedge?

They will use much less water, which in turn will give you total control over leaf drop. It will give your garden the cared for look, and not so many leaves in your pool. Prune your bamboos in late winter to whatever height and shape you want. And they will grow fresh new foliage and bush up. You will need a sharp pair of secateurs and a pruning saw.

How should I set up irrigation for watering my bamboos?

You need to put in irrigation that will water to saturation the whole bed that your bamboos are growing in. Use sprinklers or sprayers. If using drippers you will need on every 20cm in a grid.

How to have complete control over leaf drop.

Keep your bamboos well-watered, fertilised and mulched, prune to desired height and shape once a year in late winter or early spring.

How to grow bamboo in pots the smart way?

Click here to learn how to use Smart bamboo plants in pots to create a smart bamboo screen.

How to use smart bamboo plants in a narrow bed?

Click here to learn about smart bamboos, and how best to use them.

How to choose the right sized bamboo plants for your job?

Send detailed information and a few photos to bamboo man via email.