Bamboo seeds need specific conditions in order to germinate, so you’ll need to prepare both the seeds and your growing medium prior to planting.
Be sure to use a growing medium that’s both well-draining and nourished with compost. Either a seed compost mix or a general compost mix will work well.
Bamboo grows naturally in warm, humid conditions, so your soil temperature, as well as surrounding temperatures, must be at the proper level for germination to take place. Your soil’s temperature should be between 68 and 78 degrees F.
While germinating, the bamboo seeds need to be well watered, but the soil shouldn’t be soggy. Make sure the soil stays moist and that it’s well-draining to avoid drowning your seeds.
While bamboo seeds like bright light, they cannot withstand direct sunlight. Be sure your germinating seeds are placed in a well-lit area that doesn’t catch any of the sun’s direct rays.
As with many seeds, bamboo seeds will harden off if they aren’t planted right away after being collected from the parent plant. If you find bamboo seeds and aren’t sure when they were collected, you may need to break their dormancy. Place your seeds in the refrigerator for a few weeks prior to sowing them in soil so that they’ll germinate after being planted.
After you’ve broken their dormancy, your bamboo seeds will need to soak in tepid water for around 24 hours prior to planting. Be sure the soaking seeds aren’t placed in an area where temperatures fluctuate, as the water needs to remain at an ideal temperature of around 85 degrees while soaking.
While your seeds are soaking, it’s a good time to prepare your growing medium so that its conditions are also ideal for bamboo seed germination. Fill your pots or growing trays with your growing medium, and leave about half an inch of space at the top to cover the seeds.
Before you place the seeds, though, put your growing trays in a warm, shady place so the soil gets up to the proper temperature. You can secure a plastic bag over them to lock in warmth as well.
Once the growing medium is between 68 and 78 degrees F, you can place your seeds. Space the seeds a couple of inches apart so that when they start to grow, their roots are far enough away from each other and won’t get entangled. Sprinkle a thin layer of additional compost mix on top of the seeds but just enough to cover the seeds and not smother them.
Keep your growing tray in a warm, moist environment for the germination period. It’s a good idea to re-cover the trays with a plastic bag to lock in warmth and humidity. Check the soil often and be sure to keep it moist but well-drained. Also make sure the area gets bright, indirect sunlight.
The germination period for bamboo seeds is a maximum of 30 days. If any seeds haven’t sprouted at the 30-day mark, they likely weren’t viable. You could, however, start to see sprouts in as little as 10 days. As your bamboo seedlings grow, make sure none of the leaves touch the plastic that’s covering the growing tray, as those leaves will rot and likely kill the tiny, growing plant.
After 30 days, carefully transplant your seedlings into pots that are a bit larger. You still want pots to be fairly small to avoid excess space that promotes root rot, but the pots should be big enough to allow the roots to continue growing a bit. Here are some tips for successfully transplanting your bamboo sprouts.
Bamboo is a beautiful addition to your indoor garden and creates a design that’s peaceful, elegant, and modern. While growing bamboo from seed can be time-consuming and your seedlings could face issues along the way, it’s a rewarding experience. With our guide, your bamboo seeds will flourish and become thriving plants in less time than you might have thought.
STEP 1
Firstly you need to prepare your growing medium. I always find that a good quality general purpose compost is most successful when germinating bamboo seed.
STEP 2
Fill your chosen pot or tray with compost and moisten it with water. Place the pot or tray into your propagator for 24hrs bringing it up to the required germination temperature (20 - 26 deg C). If you don't have a propagator simply cover the top of your pot with a clear plastic bag held in place with an elastic band.
STEP 3
Soak your seeds in tepid water for 24 hours. Make sure it doesn't get too hot, as high temperatures can kill your seeds. Cooler temperatures however, will not hurt the seeds, but may delay germination by a few days. Space your seeds out on top of your warm compost at 1cm intervals and sprinkle a further fine layer of compost on top (approx 0.5cm is enough).
STEP 4
Place your propagator in a location where it will get medium shade. NOTE: Wherever you put it, it should not get too much direct sun, even a mini greenhouse can quickly get up to seed killing temperatures in hot direct sun. Check on the propagator daily making sure that the compost never dries out. Before the seeds sprout, they can survive getting too dry once or so but as soon as they sprout, they can die in a matter of hours if they dry out. You may see a sprout within 10 days from planting, though the bulk of germination will occur after at least 15 or 20 days.
STEP 5
Different species have different germination rates, so don't get disappointed too soon. If any of the sprouted seedlings get tall enough to touch the plastic dome lid while others are still getting started, prop the lid up as necessary to prevent the leaves from touching it; Any leaves resting against the lid will quickly rot and risk killing the seedling.
STEP 6
After about 30 days, most of the seeds that are going to sprout with this method will have done so. Transplant all of the healthy sprouts into 4cm pots using the next few steps. (Don't discard the rest of the seeds yet, as a few more may bolt into action by changing their conditions). Mix a good potting soil with about 50% small bark-chip mulch. This makes a potting mix with very high drainage that is good for bamboo. Move each seedling into a pot and fill around it so that the neck of the seedling is level with the top of the potting soil. Give the pots a good dose of water. Because of the really good drainage, don't worry too much about over watering. Set these pots in an outdoor location that gets about 50% shade and that never gets full hot direct sun for more than a few minutes at a time. These seedlings are now well on their way. You will likely lose approximately 10% of them for no apparent reason at all, but the rest will have a good chance at making it to maturity.
Tips
For the first winter in cooler climates, the seedlings will need shelter. Plant the pots in the ground and give an inch or two of mulch. Don't give them more mulch than that, as it will encourage mice to move in and later to eat the top off of your bamboo. In really cold climates or for less hardy species, they may need to spend their first winter indoors or in a greenhouse. But remember that they need some water even in winter, so don't just put them in a greenhouse and forget about them!
During the following Spring consider 'potting them on' if you feel that the roots need some more room. Then simply keep moist, sit back and wait for your first bunch of new culms / canes. Once the seedlings have reached a height of approx 30cm their ready to be transplanted into your garden.