Q&A for How to Plant a Running Bamboo

The use of tap water from the house can cause the leaves to turn yellow due to the chlorine found within the water.

Typically, bamboo plants grow best with bright but indirect light. Avoid putting them in a place with prolonged exposure to direct light.

Yes, you can. Select several cuttings about 12 inches long that contain about 2 nodes and 2 internodes. Cut them about a 45-degree angle and plant them in the soil about 1 inch deep.

Yes, you make a cutting of the bamboo and plant it in water until roots start to form. Then, transfer it to soil.

Yes. While planting bamboo in the spring is best, fall is also a perfectly acceptable time to plant bamboo.

Unless you are planting bamboo in the countries where it naturally grows, it is considered an "invasive" plant. Depending where you live, it may be illegal to plant non-native species, precisely because they are invasive. Bamboo is a grass. It propagates by sending out "runners." Once planted, it quickly takes over the environment. Fences, etc., will not stop it from spreading to your neighbor's lawns. Please check your local and state laws before planting bamboo or any other non-native species outdoors.

The bamboo sprigs you find in many stores look absolutely adorable, but they don't stay small. Many bamboo varieties reach six or more feet in height. Whether or not you can grow it indoors depends on how much room you have, the variety you have available to you, and a few other factors. Depending on where you live, it may be illegal to plant it outdoors if it is not native to your location. Check with your local and state laws before planting it outdoors.

Place a rhizome barrier in the soil all around the main bamboo bush, cut off and dig out all unwanted runners, rhizome and all.