Growing Golden Bamboo Plant in a Backyard

With its vivid green leaves and golden yellow stalks, the golden bamboo plant is popular for generating visual privacy while also infusing freshness into a place. It’s easy to cultivate and can take as little as two years to establish itself. There are unique compressed internodes and an eye-catching yellow-green tortoiseshell pattern on the bottom cane of the native Chinese golden bamboo plant, which has woody and hollow stems with rich, lance-shaped green foliage.

Golden bamboo, like most bamboo species, rarely blossoms and produces seeds. It can take a decade or more for the bamboo to bloom. Because of its rapid proliferation via tuberous rhizomes, running bamboo is considered invasive in many areas. The golden bamboo plant is difficult to remove once established, so grow it in pots or make efforts to restrict its spread. Do you want to know more such facts about growing golden bamboo plants? Before you plant this exotic hedge in your backyard, continue reading the full article.

Choosing the Location for Golden Bamboo Plant

 The Golden Bamboo plant is a hardy plant that thrives in a wide range of climates. But full sun bamboo grows the fastest. Foliage grows best in damp, nutritious soil that drains well. Remember, these are only the optimal conditions for growing bamboo. Most bamboos will be satisfied with just a few of these conditions.

 Planting Golden Bamboo plant

• Then, after you have chosen a place for your bamboo to grow, you can start planting your bamboo.
• Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball on your golden bamboo plant, and then fill it in.
• Make a hole and put the golden bamboo in it.
• Then spread the roots out a little bit in the hole.
• Gently fill in the hole, tamping down some of the soil until the hole is full.
• Water the hole to the brim to help fill in any gaps.

Many people plant bamboo this way because it helps the golden bamboo grow more quickly. After all, the soil around it will be looser, allowing the roots and rhizomes to grow more quickly. Water every week until the bamboo plants are well-established. Try to keep the newly planted golden bamboo out of the sun for the first two weeks after you plant it.

(Also Read-Beginner’s Guide to Take Care of lucky Bamboo Plant)

Major Tips for Caring Golden Bamboo Plant

Light

• Enough light will make your Golden Bamboo plant look more attractive. It will also need partial shade to keep cool and prevent scorching of the foliage.
• While this herbaceous perennial is recognized for its height, its growth rate is dependent on light. The idea is to offer your golden bamboo between 6 and 8 hours of bright, filtered light per day. 
•  Your bamboo’s leaf will change from a dark green to a yellowish hue with maturity. The drastic change in hue is dependent on the amount of light received. Notably, young golden bamboo plant seedlings require sun protection, especially on hot days.

Soil

• Golden bamboo spreads via underground rhizomes. You must loosen up the soil structure to allow for further growth. There is no adequate formula for preparing potting soil.
• All you need is soil that retains moisture, drains excess water quickly, and retains all critical nutrients organically. If you want to use this variety for seclusion, make sure your soil is rich in nutrients.
• The seedlings will be clumped together and not grow. You won’t need to transplant your golden bamboo plant because it will be grown outside and used to fence your backyard.

Watering

• The golden bamboo plant thrives in continually moist settings. It should be well irrigated regularly, and the soil should constantly be kept moist.
• During the warmer summer months, it may even benefit from weekly watering if planted in a container and at least weekly if grown in a garden.
• However, part of the allure of the golden bamboo plant is its adaptability—it’s worth noting that once established, the plant is remarkably drought-tolerant and can even thrive in rainy (but not flooded) conditions.

Temperature and Humidity

• Golden bamboo plants survive in a wide range of temperatures but thrive best in places that mimic the hot, humid tropical conditions of their native China.
• Additionally, this species is relatively cold-hardy, surviving temperatures as low as 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It will not grow nearly as tall or as quickly (especially during a prolonged cold period).
• As a result, you’ll want to provide it with somewhat higher humidity than other outside plants in your yard. Even though the golden bamboo plant favours warm and moist circumstances, it can endure extended cold periods.

Other Tips for Caring Golden Bamboo Plant

Fertilization

Golden bamboo plants in the ground should grow and spread rapidly, so they don’t necessarily need fertilizer. Suppose you are growing a golden bamboo plant in a container. In that case, it will benefit from a monthly feeding with a balanced liquid fertilizer to compensate for the lack of organic matter.

 Pruning

As with any other bamboo species, you should regularly prune your golden bamboo plant, eliminating any underperforming stems that have died or are damaged. The foliage on golden bamboo begins lower down the cane than in many other bamboo species. If you want to highlight the tortoiseshell pattern, remove any branches and foliage that fall closer to the base. 

Removing

If you want to limit the spread of existing golden bamboo (or completely eradicate it from your environment), you’ll need to be patient. First, cut down or mow all of the canes to the ground regularly throughout the bamboo’s growth season. It will eventually aid in the death of the underground rhizomes, which will be starved of nourishment. It may take several seasons—and sometimes pesticide treatment—for your efforts to bear fruit.

Propagating Golden Bamboo Plant

It’s unusual to see blooms on a golden bamboo plant. As a result, there will be no seeds to collect for propagation. You can buy seedlings from a commercial gardening store, although some are usually fake, and this method may take a little longer to produce results. As a result, most producers resort to the division method or cuttings from the mother plant. 

•  Like most other tropical garden plants, spring is the greatest time to take cuttings for propagation since this is when the growth hormones awaken from their slumber.
• Make sure your cuttings or rhizomes develop in a wet environment to encourage root growth.
• When planting, make sure to space the cuttings evenly.
• They should be at least 3 feet apart to allow for root spread and extra development in the future years.

 Potting and Repotting Golden Bamboo

If you don’t want to use a golden bamboo plant as a privacy screen or noise barrier, you should grow it in a container that is the right size. It will stop it from spreading too quickly and keep its height under control. 

•  It would be best to choose a container that is at least 12 inches wide and has the same depth.
• Fill the pot with a loose, moisture-retaining potting mix and make sure it gets enough water during the growing season.

Controlling Growth in Golden Bamboo Plant

You might find yourself with a lot of golden bamboo plants in your too big yard. It is important to determine how aggressive your bamboo plants are before you plant them. If you have a golden bamboo that grows quickly, like the running type, you might want to think about planting it in a barrier or setting up a barrier if the clump is already there.

• The barrier should be at least 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm.) underground, if not more. It should also be at least 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm.) above the ground. The barrier should completely cover the bamboo.
• You should check the top of the barrier at least once a year after the barrier is put up. Cut back any golden bamboo that grows over the top of the barrier to keep it from getting in.

There isn’t much to do to care for bamboo plants. Also, check with your local extension office to see if you can plant running bamboo varieties there is invasive or not. 

Common Diseases and Pests in the Golden Bamboo Plant

The hardiness of this herbaceous perennial is what makes it so outstanding. As a result, it is rarely subjected to major pest or disease attacks. However, because the golden bamboo plant enjoys a humid atmosphere, it’s simple to get the watering schedules completely incorrect.

• As a result, the plant may die due to root rot.
• Some sooty mold may form on the cane’s edges as a result.
• It’s a fungal illness frequently brought on by the unexpected appearance of pests, including scale insects, aphids, and mealybugs.

To avoid the aggressive development of pests or illnesses, space your golden bamboos apart to allow for adequate air circulation. If the leaf on your bamboos is heavily clamped together, they are vulnerable to disease.

Alternative to Golden bamboo

Most of the time, the golden bamboo plant is invasive in parts of North America that have warmer climates. It spreads quickly because it has strong roots that stay in the ground. Before buying golden bamboo, check with your local Extension service to see if it is an invasive species in your area. 

1. If the golden bamboo plant is a problem in your area, think about planting non-invasive ornamental grass instead. People who live in the NorthWind switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) grow it with thin blades and a strong upright habit. It can grow up to 5 feet tall.
2. You could also look into the feather reed grass called “Karl Foerster,” which has pretty seed heads in the fall and late summer. It grows 3 to 5 feet tall and has beautiful seed heads in the fall and late summer.

(Also Read- Care Bamboo Palm Indoor Plant)

Conclusion

Many gardeners have learned that the golden bamboo plant is a versatile and strong addition to the home garden, once considered an exotic plant. As a fast-growing grass, golden bamboo can transform a garden into a verdant haven in weeks. You can care for and simply maintain golden bamboo plants without much effort.The above were a few points to help you care for your golden bamboo plants more effectively.