How to Propagate Yellow Bamboo in a Trench

Several different types of bamboo are sometimes called yellow bamboo, including yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata), yellow stem bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Aureocaulis’) and golden bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea). Fortunately, these bamboos are all very simple to propagate using a variety of methods. Yellow bamboos reproduce readily using a layering method, where part of the plant is prepared and planted in a nearby trench while still attached to the parent. The process is very simple, requiring few tools or gardening skills.

Shovel
Sharp knife

Instructions

- 1
  Select a strong one- or two-year-old culm from the outside of the bamboo clump that you wish to propagate. Dig a trench that is approximately 6 inches deep and long enough to accommodate the lower 20 nodes of the culm.
- 2
  Cut the bamboo so that only the bottom 20 nodes remain on the culm. Remove all the branches above the second node. Shorten the best three to five branches from the second node, removing the rest.
- 3
  Cut through about two-thirds of the diameter of the culm, beginning at the top and running to the soil line. Carefully bend the culm down until it is laying in the trench. Bury it so that the only the branches from the second node protrude from the soil.
- 4
  Water the trench regularly. Watch for shoots to appear at the location of each node, about three months after layering. Divide shoots by cutting with a sharp knife, retaining each node for each plant. Replant the divided plants quickly or place in a bucket of water to prevent them from drying out.

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