What Will Happen If I Dig Up My Shooting Bamboo?

Time Frame

• If you wish to retain the bamboo after digging up to plant elsewhere in the garden, it's best not to do it during the period of active growth and elongation of the new culm shoots. If the dug-up bamboo section with roots and shoots dry out or undergo any excessive environmental stresses, the new shoots will likely grow improperly or abort. With bamboo, do not make plant divisions immediately following the appearance of new shoots. At this time in the growing season, nutrient and carbohydrate reserves are needlessly depleted, exacerbating potential deleterious environmental stresses.

Exceptions

• Container-grown bamboos don't typically sustain harm from dividing of root rhizomes when new culm shoots appear, according to Ted Jordan Meredith, author of "Bamboos for Gardens." This may be because the container itself limits the root ball and any serious disruption from cutting apart the rhizomes and shoots for planting. Some stunted growth may follow. Ensure the soil stays evenly moist so divided container-grown bamboos do not suffer from desiccation or undue stress after transplanting.

Division Size

• If digging up parts of a bamboo plant for transplanting to other parts of the garden, it's better to create a multi-rhizome or multiple culm/shoot division. A good size is a clump with two to four culms and at least the same numbers of rhizomes. Excessively cutting rhizomes to create a singular root with only one shoot or culm increases the odds of the plant dying back from transplant shock or desiccation. A larger clump with multiple rhizomes and shoots increases the odds that a great percentage of roots survive and continue to grow, even with less-than-optimal conditions after transplanting.

Post-Digging Care

• If parts of an established bamboo clump or running mass are dug up with new shoots present, less care is needed for the bamboo that remains in the ground. Backfill the hole around the remaining bamboo plant's roots and water it to remove air pockets and promote fast regrowth of roots. Immediately replant the dug-up bamboo plant section with shoots. Plant it at the same depth it previously grew, using the soil stain lines on the culms as a guide. Water the plant to keep the roots moist, but not choked in soggy, flooded soil. Cut off tall culms to prevent the plant toppling in the wind, or to reduce the amount of water needed for the roots to absorb to maintain the tall, older culms. It's better to retain only the young shoots so the roots focus resources to reestablish more quickly. Therefore, the new shoots more quickly benefit from the roots' supply of water and nutrients and continue to elongate with little disruption.