Bamboo has over a thousand plant species, and several tower 50 feet or more in the wild.
Golden bamboo is a true bamboo with bright green upright canes that turn golden with age and sunlight.
It has narrow, lance-shaped leaves growing in clusters on short stems from canes.
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Golden bamboo grows quickly and can easily spread.
Potting bamboo keeps it contained and more manageable.
Indoors, it won’t grow as large, usually about 5 to 8 feet tall.
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Can You Grow Golden Bamboo Inside?
This plant can be grown indoors, but growing bamboo inside is not easy.
To grow bamboo successfully indoors, you need a sturdy container and ample light and humidity.
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Bamboo needs at least 6 hours of light to thrive.
Put bamboo in your sunniest window.
Sunlight
Outdoors, bamboo prefers a spot that gets full sun to partial shade.
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It should not need supplemental or artificial lighting as long as it’s placed in a sunny window.
Temperature and Humidity
Golden bamboo is known for its cold tolerance.
It can survive temperatures down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit for a short time.
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However, prolonged cold weather can cause the plant to drop foliage and might eventually kill it.
The plant prefers typical room temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Keep it away from air conditioner and heater vents.
The cold drafts from an air conditioner or drying heater vents can weaken the plant.
These plants thrive in humid air but have adapted to indoor dryness if watered well.
Most bamboos prefer a humidity level of 50% to thrive.
Watering
Bamboo has somedrought toleranceonce established and can handle soggy soil in short bursts.
However, sitting in pooled water can rot the roots and kill the plant.
The plant ideally should have evenly moist soil.
Never let the soil dry out completely.
But during the winter months, slightly cut back on watering.
Pruning and Maintenance
Bamboo typically doesnt require pruning.
you might remove old canes at their base if they begin to look unsightly.
Remove new shoots as they pop up from the soil to limit your plants growth and spread.
Pick a heavy pot so that it can anchor the weight of the bamboo canes.
You will need at least a 10-gallon container to start.
And if you don’t want to repot it yearly, begin with a 20- or 30-gallon pot.
Bamboo tends to send runners, which likes a pot that is wider versus deep.
Clumpingtypes of bamboodo better in a container with equal dimensions.
It does not like soggy soil.
A commercial potting mix or a mixture of peat moss and perlite should be fine for container plants.
Place the root ball in the pot and fill it around it with a loose, nutrient-rich potting mix.
you might mix in some compost to encourage growth.
Then, water the bamboo well.
Outdoor conditions are closer to ideal, making overgrowth a risk.
If you want to move it outdoors, slowly acclimate bamboo to outdoor conditions.
The sun will be stronger, and the temperature swing may also stress the plant.
Only bring it outside when temperatures are consistently around 60 F to 80 F, similar to indoors.
Start by placing the plant in a partial sun spot in the first few weeks.
Full sun might be too much for the plant to handle in the first few weeks of going outdoors.
Also, bring plants inside if there’s an unexpected cold snap or massive temperature swing.
Intense temperature fluctuations can stress a plant, causing leaves to wilt or droop.
Moving the plant to a warmer spot can remedy this temporary response.
A sudden leaf drop indicates the plant is experiencing extreme temperature stress.
Bamboo stands proliferate new growth yearly, making it seem like a bamboo plant is eternal.
‘Flavescens Inversa’ has a yellow stripe on the lower portion of its canes.
‘Holochrysa’ canes turn golden faster than others of the species.
‘Koi’ canes turn yellow with green stripes.
The most common reason foryellowing leavesis too much sunlight or salty or fluoridated tap water.
Water with filtered water and reduce sun exposure.
Some bamboo varieties flower annually, while others will not for over 100 years.
Golden bamboo rarely blooms; when it does, it can take decades.
The likelihood of golden bamboo flowering indoors is very low.
