Growing Your Own Mini Bamboo

Select a pot for growing mini bamboo. Consider how many stalks you plan to keep in the pot in order to determine the appropriate size. There should be about 2 inches between the bamboo stalk and the edge of the pot.

Place the mini bamboo stalks in the pot’s center. When selecting your bamboo, look for stalks that display a healthy, green color and do not give off a foul odor.

Fill the pot around the stalks with gravel if you plan to grow your bamboo in water, or with soil. If you choose growing your bamboo in soil, select a nutrient-rich mixture that drains well.

Water your bamboo plant. If you are growing it in soil, use enough water to dampen the soil. If you are growing your bamboo in gravel, fill the pot until the water reaches the top of the gravel.

Place your potted mini bamboo plant in a location with plenty of bright, indirect light.

Keep the soil damp but do not overwater it. If you are growing your bamboo in water, keep the water about level with the surface of the gravel.

Trim and prune your mini bamboo plant as you see fit. Cutting the culms, or new shoots off, at the base of the soil or just above the node controls height.

Train your bamboo to take a curled shape by placing it inside a cardboard box with one open side. Position the box so the open side faces a light source. In time, the bamboo bends toward the light. Rotate the bamboo 90 degrees every few weeks so it keeps moving toward the light. This eventually results in a curl shape.