How to Grow Bamboo in Chalky Soil

Chalky soil is typically shallow and found over beds of limestone. The lime affects the soil by making it more alkaline, which means it has a higher pH value. The quality of the soil is usually fertile but has a tendency of drying out quickly. Consequently, plants that typically do well in dry environments, such as bamboo, do well in chalky soil. Bamboo plants are evergreens and grow very quickly. The Arundinaria shrub variety of bamboo plants are suitable choices for chalky soil.

Spade
Organic compost

Instructions

- 1
  Prepare a hole in the soil that’s the same depth as the bamboo’s root ball and about twice as wide. If the size of the hole is too narrow or deep it can then adversely affect the plant’s ability to gather nutrients from the soil.
- 2
  Prepare a mixture of half soil and half organic compost. Try not use regular fertilizer with high levels of nitrogen since this can actually damage the roots.
- 3
  Coat the outer walls and bottom of your hole with the soil/compost mixture, but leave enough room for the bamboos root system to fit. Place your bamboo plant into the hole and gently fill the hole with the soil mixture, taking care not to damage the roots. Pat down the soil to secure the plant in place.
- 4
  Water your bamboo to firm up the soil mixture. As your plant is maturing, you should water it anywhere from two to five times a week and allow the soil to dry between watering.

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