Problem with bamboo leaves going brown

Abby2 · June 2017

My golden bamboo is in a very large pot and has looked great until about a week ago. I've been feeding weekly with Growmore and watering it daily when it hasn't rained. Suddenly a lot of leaves are going brown at the edges and some are yellowing completely.

I really can't afford to lose my bamboo and I also need it for privacy in my garden. Can anyone suggest whether I've been over or under watering it? I've googled and it could be either of those reasons so am

Fairygirl · July 2015

Hi Abby - think you might be killing with kindness. They don't need feeding every week. They don't like sitting in water either so it's important to get a balance. Do you replenish the soil the bamboo's in each year? If it's pot bound it will struggle to retain moisture and nutrients so it's worth taking it out the pot and seeing how much soil is there. It may be that there's more root than soil. Putting it into a bigger pot will usually help, but if that's not possible, get some more soil into the pot it's in and remove some stems completely each year so that there's less 'plant' for the available soil to support.

cathy43 · July 2015

I don't feed mine at all, but every third autumn I divide them and plant them up in manure, grit, compost and soil mix. I also put and two inch layer of gravel at the bottom of the pot to help drainage. Its a great way of increasing the number of bamboo plants. If they are happy they usually put up three or four new shoots each year

They also usually recover from whatever happens to them, mine get windburn

Abby2 · July 2015

Thank you that's all very helpful advice!

I'll cut down on the feeding in that case! It has just been in this pot for a year but has produced at least 10 new canes this spring/summer so could well be pot bound and need dividing or replenishing.

The garden is very windy and the pot has blown over a few times this year so some of the damage might be wind burn too I guess?

Fairygirl · July 2015

Some of them grow very quickly Abby which is why they can be extremely invasive in the ground. Wind can do a fair bit of damage to any plant but if it's healthy otherwise, it's not an issue. Also, evergreens of any type will drop some leaves - it's just a natural part of the growth process, so some of the damaged foliage might be put down to that. You'll find it sheds some every year so don't worry too much if that happens in future

The problem with pots in a windy site is that they do get knocked over so a wider, heavier pot is usually the answer.

cathy43 · July 2015

Just another thought Abby2, bamboos need wider rather than deeper pots, I use half barrels and then roll them where I want them. ( I change my mind, seasonally)

Fairygirl · July 2015

I change my mind hourly never mind seasonally Cathy...

cathy43 · July 2015

Glad I'm not the only one

annmarie 2 · July 2015

I have mine on plant stand with wheels on its base ,so if it gets too hot I move in the shade until it cools, much easier to move pots that way without disturbing them ... and about every couple of weeks water with seaweed feed they love it

Abby2 · July 2015

I like the idea of putting it into a half barrel - and wheels are a great idea too as I would also like to move it around! The pot it's currently in is deeper than it is wide so that's maybe another reason it's not so happy. I'm just hoping it survives the forecasted winds tomorrow without causing even more damage

annmarie 2 · July 2015

I put mine by the wall if its windy and boy do we get winds in southport I think the door has been left open it that bad

Problem with bamboo leaves going brown

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