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Raising Bamboo from Seedby Gib Cooper

Raising bamboo from seed is a simple proposition confirmed by my thirty years of experience. In1980, I managed to find seeds ofSasa palmata. These were quite large and very hard skinned.They were intriguing as a first attempt since it took a year for them to germinate. This was out of

the norm of my experience since other species seem to germinate quickly.

Most fresh bamboo seed will begin to germinate in about 3weeks from sowing. The system I use needs a couple of basicmaterials and a constant source of mild bottom heat. Materialsinclude sterile media and a clean plastic container that can holdthree inches of the moist media. A medium grade of Vermiculiteis what we use. A favorite container is a plastic gallon milk jugthat is shaped to a custom shape with a sheet rock knife. Holesare punched into the bottom with a nail for drainage of excesswater and an "x" cut into the end near the bottom of the soillevel to insert the thermostat sensor.

The seeds with husks and small debris are sown directly on thedampened media. Then they are covered just to the point wherethey disappear from view. The moisture level must be constantfrom this point on. A handheld spray bottle is always on locationto maintain the vermiculite moisture at the right level. The bestway to check this is by knowing how much the flat should weighwhen wet. Lift it and view the surface appearance to determine ifwatering is needed.

In our house, a south-facing windowsill was responsible forgerminating hundreds of seedlings. Any place with moderatelight and warm air circulation is a good place to incubate theseed. Be careful in a greenhouse or outside, there may be

several hazards to destroy your attempts such as rodents,birds and other creatures. Setthe bottom heat on thethermostat to 70-75 degreesF.

Be careful using wet papertowels in plastic bags orsealed plastic germinatingchambers. In the early stagethe main enemy of theseedling is fungus and watermold. Good air circulation and sterile media give the

seedlings time to grow through these killers. Further on intheir growth an insect pest known as the fungus gnat may getestablished in the container causing further havoc. They can

come from a benign source such as your houseplant pots or compost pile.

When to transplant the seedlings is a common question with several answers. Generally, whatyou want is a developed and branched out root system with several seedling leaves on the singleculmlet. It may also be when the seedling is showing the first new culmlet shoot. Roots toodeveloped get tangled and broken in the transplanting process. Transplants can go into variouspot sizes such as 2" squares or one gallon containers.

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8/13/2019 Raising Bamboo From Seed

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While visiting Betty and George Shor after the 2004 ABS meeting in Pasadena, I noticed a pottedbamboo obviously expired after flowering. The tag saidHimalayacalamus hookerianus. With theirpermission I harvested an envelope of seed. I had tried this the year before from seed sent to meby another grower. It failed when nothing came up so I trashed the container. This time I kept thecontainer on the hot bench for six months. Miraculously after 2 months one seedling appearedand then after four months another. They are surviving so far with only the dreaded rodent or birdattack as hazards.

Materials list:

Seedling heat matHeat mat thermostat or probe thermostatDeep plastic flat with drainageMedium grade VermiculiteSpray bottle

Labels

Bamboo seed (Fresh is best)

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