Bamboo at home. Cultivation and care

Bamboo is a plant revered in the East. For the inhabitants of Vietnam, China and Japan, this evergreen grass, reaching a height of 3 meters, has a profound symbolic meaning. It is no coincidence that the elegant stems of bamboo and pointed long drawn leaves are depicted on porcelain, paper panels, lacquer miniatures and bookshelves. 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 not difficult. This decorative grass is rather unpretentious. The main thing is what the plant needs at home, proper watering, timely feeding and good lighting.

Which container?

Like most herbaceous plants, bamboo has bushy roots, located almost horizontally. When choosing a container for planting, you should stop 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 shoots. 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 vase. The bigger and higher the bamboo, the more it needs a container.

Often bamboo is used to form "bonsai". In this case, the cessation or deceleration of growth occurs due to trimming of the root system. The plant is periodically removed from the pot, the lateral roots are cut off and planted back, after replacing the land with fresh ones.

Where to put the plant?

Like many houseplants, bamboo at home prefers well-lit places. In summer it is better to take out to the open air, a balcony or a terrace. In addition, at home much better feels tropical bamboo, which loves year-round warmth, moderate lighting and well tolerates dry air in the winter. Such plants grow beautifully both in bright light and in slightly dark places, and also adapt well to artificial lighting.

Watering and drainage

Growing bamboo indoors requires strict adherence to the watering regime. Like any herb, bamboo likes moisture, but it is also susceptible to waterlogging the soil. In summer, like most houseplants, it should be watered more often, and in winter less. Twisting of a leaf is a characteristic sign that the plant lacks moisture. To create the optimal soil moisture, you should always take care of creating a good drainage layer.

According to the ancient philosophy of "Feng Shui", bamboo is located on the eastern side, then it brings to the house well-being both spiritual and material, health and happiness, protects the inhabitants of the house from negative energy. Very often instead of real bamboo, apartments grow indoor bamboo. This is the name of the dracaena variety, which looks very much like him. This plant, unlike real bamboo, does not grow too large, very unpretentious in care. It can perfectly grow not only in the ground, but also in the water. Square or round containers with water, where the dracaena-bamboo shoots are placed are very decorative. On the bottom of the tank, colored stones are poured and the shoots are tightly attached to each other, filling the entire volume. For greater strength of the construction, the trunks of the shoots can be gently tied with several rows of rope made of natural fiber. 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 than a real herb from the subtropics.