Bamboo Gardening For Fun & Environmentalism.

Bamboo is a fun and relatively easy plant to grow for inside and outside purposes.  Bamboo is a member of the grass family that grows like a tree in just a single season.  Because it is so fast growing bamboo is being used in areas that have suffered deforestation to help nature reclaim lands that have been ravaged at the hands of humanity.  Using this simple plant new habitats can be created for a variety of different animal species.  Bamboo is also great for those concerned about the consequences of Climate Change as it soaks in more CO2 than most hardwood trees.  It can also be used as a construction material.  Overall this little plant has a variety of uses, including ornamental gardening inside and out.

I got my start in growing Bamboo by way of Gorilla Gardening.  I noticed an abandoned home had a huge clump of the stuff growing, and I was amazed at how well adapted this plant had become to our Missouri winters.  So I grabbed a bunch of Bamboo root and transplanted it in our back yard.  In one season we had 60 Bamboo trees growing outside.  I left it alone for a couple of years to see how it would reproduce on it's own.  Sadly only 10 which I had clumped together came back on a regular basis.  Now I am active propagating this tree by taking cuttings and rooting them in leftover jars.  Once the roots have grown pretty large, I either transplant them into soil (preferably in the clumps they seem to prefer in nature) or keep them for indoor use.  I've grown accustomed to this plant, and enjoy having it around.

Currently I am busy preparing a few clumps of Bamboo for indoor growing during the winter.  It adapts well to growing just in plain water.  I take a few Bamboo stalks freshly cut and place them in jars of clean water.  In about two weeks time the stalks put out some pretty strong roots.  At this point a person can choose to let them remain in water and keep them trimmed for inside growth, or get a little more creative and plant them in soil in a container suitable for indoor or outdoor use.  Since winter will be coming shortly where we live, I'm getting my plants adapted to indoor conditions.  Next spring I will try reintroducing some of the cuttings to the outdoors.  Eventually I hope to get a pretty good Bamboo grove established along our river bank.  A nice little getaway for relaxation and meditation. 

Because Bamboo does a good job of soaking up CO2 I am taking steps to introduce it to a wider audience in order to give concerned conservationists a tool to use in combating Climate Change.  If you live in an area that has suffered deforestation, and you have some land to work with, give bamboo a try.  You can find it at any good nurseries that deal in tropical plants.  It can also be found in Asian Markets growing in glass containers for indoor decorative use.  One word of warning when buying from the Asian Markets: the Lucky Bamboo sold seems to be treated with a gel that allows for easy indoor growth, but complicates things when you try to plant it outside in dirt.  We had a nice collection of Lucky Bamboo purchased at our favorite Asian Market.  One spring I planted the whole lot outside in dirt, and everyone of the plants died.  So, if you want Bamboo for outside gardening, be sure to get the right type with a good healthy root.  

If you like this information, be sure to pass it along to friends.  I am convinced that if we all are willing to take small steps together, we can make some major changes in our world.  Bamboo is one tool we can all use to help fight deforestation and curb the negative consequences of Global Warming.  Thanks for dropping by!

All photos taken by @fraterralph.