How to water a bamboo in a pot properly?

Recognising a bamboo that is overwatered or underwatered

Des signes évidents vous aideront à déterminer si votre bambou manque d’eau, ou qu’il souffre au contraire d’un excès d’arrosage. Les symptômes sont alors visibles sur le feuillage de la plante, ainsi qu’au niveau de son substrat.

Potted bamboo.

How to tell if a bamboo is lacking water?

An obvious symptom of water deficiency is that bamboo leaves in pots curl inward along their midrib, then dry out completely. Without prompt intervention, the bamboo may eventually die.

Before it reaches this stage, it is better to regularly check the condition of the substrate in the pot. Thus, a dry substrate on the surface, about 5 cm deep, needs to be rehydrated.

Note: If the bamboo leaves curl inward despite a well-hydrated substrate, the causes of the phenomenon are likely unrelated to a lack of water. Instead, look for diseases.

How to tell if a bamboo is overwatered?

Be careful, bamboo is not a reed! Therefore, it can indeed suffer from excess water. In extreme cases, too much stagnant water can even cause its death by suffocation.

An overwatered bamboo is recognised by the pale and wilting of its leaves, which occurs before they completely dry out.

Note that yellowing leaves of your potted bamboo may indicate that it suffers from excess water, but also that it is grown in an asphyxiating substrate and therefore unsuitable. Good drainage of the pot’s substrate is one of the essential conditions for growing bamboo.

The watering frequency of a potted bamboo

Know that the watering frequency of the bamboo in a pot depends mainly on the amount of water provided, the weather conditions, the exposure of your potted plant, its size and the type of substrate in which you are growing it. Thus, a bamboo grown in well-draining substrate requires more frequent watering than one in clay-like substrate.

On average, it is recommended to water your potted bamboo at least once a week when the weather is hot and dry. If temperatures are very high, you may need to increase your watering frequency to twice a day.

Watering bamboo in a pot (© Paolo Mutti – Flickr)

However, before adding water, always check if your bamboo actually needs it.

• Thus, no watering is necessary when the substrate in the pot is still wet.
• On the other hand, if the soil is dry on the surface up to 5 cm deep, water is needed. To check, simply insert your finger into the substrate.

The amount of water needed for a potted bamboo

A bamboo just planted in its pot requires a particularly abundant and consistent water supply in the weeks following its planting. As with any other plant, this is crucial for its successful vegetative recovery and acclimatisation to its new environment.

Bamboo in pot with wet foliage (© Tadeu Pereira – Flickr)

When conditions are dry, meaning without precipitation but hot and windy, a bamboo aged 18 to 30 months requires 2 to 4 litres of water per day. However, the amount of water provided mainly depends on the moisture level of the substrate, as we discussed earlier.

More generally, bamboo needs a sufficient water supply to ensure that the root ball in the pot is completely wet.

Watering bamboo in winter

A bamboo grown in a pot also needs to be watered during winter. Indeed, the conditions for keeping your plant during this period can be very drying, especially if the pot is exposed to the wind. When it doesn’t rain, you can continue to water your potted bamboos, adjusting your water supply according to the moisture of the substrate.

• Ensure that the water has had time to drain completely before proceeding with another watering.
• Similarly, never water your potted bamboos when it is freezing, nor even in the days leading up to forecasted frosts.

Potted bamboo and drip irrigation system

Automatic watering systems are not exclusively reserved for plants grown in open ground! Potted plants, particularly bamboos, can also benefit from this system.

The ideal solution is to install a programmable drip irrigation system. The drippers are placed in each pot that your crops consist of, and they automatically ensure the watering of your bamboos according to the frequency and amount of water you have previously programmed. The system obviously needs to be connected to a tap.

Ideally, choose a system equipped with drippers that offer a flow rate of 1.6 litres per hour. During hot periods, programme the system to operate for 2 to 4 hours per day depending on the nature of the substrate in the pot.

Note: an automatic watering system does not exempt you from regularly monitoring the moisture level of your potted bamboos. This check will allow you to adjust the frequency of your waterings according to the plant’s needs.