Bamboo is an interesting plant to grow. It adds character to a gardening display. There are some basic steps to successfully bamboo gardening. These steps are outlined below.

1. Choose a spot that has excellent drainage. Bamboo gardening involves letting the dirt dry out between watering. The soil should not appear clumpy or clay-like. Fertilizer can be added later to make a richer soil.

2. Clear out an area that is about one foot larger than the space needed for the amount of bamboo being planted.

3. The hole should be dug to the same size as the pit the bamboo comes in.

4. Planting the bamboo requires attention to detail. It is important for the buds not to be disturbed during this process. It is also important when filling in the hole that no air remains around the root ball. Fertilizer should also be added to the soil at this point. The plant should be planted at a depth where the top of the existing soil is only slightly below the ground level.

5. The bamboo should then be watered thoroughly and mulch should be laid thickly. Any type of mulch can be used in bamboo gardening.

6. Maintenance depends on the climate and the soil condition. As mentioned, bamboo likes to grow in soil that dries between watering. It may be necessary for the gardener to check the soil often to determine a watering schedule. Bamboo gardening also requires thinning. After the first gardening year the bamboo should be thinned by removing older bamboo. After this the garden can be thinned as needed to separate clumps and get rid of old bamboo.

Bamboo gardening is not too difficult. The mulch should help with watering needs and thinning is simple. Other than that bamboo gardening requires nothing more than the gardener enjoying their work.

About the author: Stephen Kreutzer is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides bamboo resources on Just Bamboo!