How to Divide Bamboo Plants

Divide bamboo plants when they are outgrowing their area or to propagate new plants. Fortunately, they are usually fairly shallow-rooted, which makes the job easier. The culms and rhizomes can be quite heavy, so it may take two people to get the job done if the bamboo is large.

Bamboos grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10, depending on the species. Yellow groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata), a commonly grown running-type bamboo, grows to around 15 feet tall in USDA zones 4 through 9. Buddha belly (Bambusa ventricosa), a large, clump-forming bamboo, potentially grows to 55 feet in USDA zones 9b through 10. All bamboos and cultivars can be divided after they have been growing for two years.

Shade newly planted bamboo from direct sunlight for the first year.

Divide the bamboo before it begins to put up new shoots. In warm climates the best time is January to March. In colder climates the best time is March to May.

Plant the divided sections in fast-draining soil where they will receive the appropriate amount of sun for the species. Most grow best with at least five hours of direct sun each day but some species do better with more shade. Use the amount of sun and shade where the bamboo is currently growing as a guide. Allow at least 6 feet of space for each bamboo section.

Running-type bamboo species can be aggressive. Install a 30-inch-deep barrier at the new planting site to keep it contained. You can use 60-mil polyethylene as the barrier. If you have a type of bamboo in your yard that classified as invasive, you should work to get rid of it and you should not propagate or divide it.

If possible, prepare the new planting area ahead of time so you won't be rushing to plant the new divisions. It's not required, but it can help reduce stress on the transplants.

Garden spade

Dirt shovel

Aged cow manure or compost

Organic mulch

Water the bamboo two days before dividing.

Push a sharp garden spade directly into the soil 2 feet away from the older plant to sever the rhizomes all along the width of the plant.

Use the spade again to sever the roots around each section to be divided. Each section should be 1 to 2 1/2 feet in diameter.

Push a shovel beneath the section and lift it up out of the soil with the shovel. Rhizomes are generally only 2 to 5 inches deep in the top soil.

Dig the new planting hole 1 1/2 to 2 times the size of the rhizome with the dirt from the original planting site still intact.

Mix compost or well-aged manure into the soil taken from the hole. The resulting backfill soil should be about 25 percent compost or manure.

Place some of the amended backfill soil into the planting hole until the bamboo, when place in the hole, will be at the same level it was growing before it was dug up.

Set the rhizome in the hole and fill in around it with the amended soil.

Water the bamboo generously right after planting. Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch over the soil, but don't let it touch the bamboo's stems.

Water the new bamboo at least twice each week, giving each section a minimum of 1/2 gallon each time. Water three to four times each week in summer when it's hot.