Can You Cut Bamboo So It Will Root & Get Two Shoots?

Taking the Cutting

• Choose a bamboo culm from a clump that is less than 3 years old. Best results are realized from culms that are less than 1 year old, according to a study presented at the XII World Forestry Congress in 2003. Use a fine-tooth saw with 14 or more teeth per inch to cut the culm from the clump. Finer blades decrease the chance of splitting the culm. These types of handsaws are available at the large home improvement stores and hardware stores.

Preparing the Cutting

• Use the lower two-thirds of the cutting and dispose of the rest. Cut the remaining portion of the culm into sections that contain four to six internodes. Drill a 3/4-inch-long and 1/3-inch-deep hole through the middle internode. Bamboo culms will not produce roots without rooting hormone, according to a study published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The study suggests using a solution composed of 4,000 ppm of 1 H-indole-3-butyric acid (IBA). Follow the instructions on the label to arrive at the proper dilution rate and pour the IBA into the hole that you drilled. Wrap the hole with a strip of plastic, such as that from a plastic bag, and tie it.

Planting the Cutting

• Use a planting container that is large enough to accommodate the length of your culm and 8 to 12 inches deep. Layer the planting media in the container, beginning with 4 to 6 inches of coarse sand. Add an equal amount of fine sand on top of the coarse sand layer. Lay the culm in the top layer of fine sand, 1 inch above the coarse sand layer, and cover it with 1 to 2 inches of fine sand. Mist the sand until it is just barely moist and place the container in a shady area.

Care of the Cutting

• Slide the propagation container into a plastic bag. Although black bags are ideal, transparent bags are sufficient. The bag supplies the high humidity rate required for propagation. After one week in the shade, begin to gradually move the bagged bamboo cutting into the sun. Keep the planting medium moist at all times. The bamboo culm sprouts within one week of planting and roots within 90 days of planting.