How to grow Moso Bamboo

Phyllostachys pubescens

- Although Moso bamboo has a suggested USDA range of 7 to 10, this plant, when established, can easily live through snow and a cold winter.

Divide clumps in spring.

Transplanting Moso Bamboo

It is best to start seedlings indoors in a pot, and thin them out early on.

Once the strongest plant has outgrown it’s pot, plant it outside. Till the soil and add as MUCH organic matter as possible. Dig a hole that is approximately 5 inches deeper and wider than the pot that the bamboo is currently in. Once this has been done, you are ready to transplant your beautiful Moso bamboo plant!

It is not recommended that you plant Moso bamboo together at all, because while Moso bamboo may be very slow to start, it is a clumping variety of bamboo and therefore, once it gets going at it’s unrivaled growth rate of 120 cm per day, one plant will easily take up a very large amount of space.

Moso Bamboo is very hardy, so ensure you wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before considering planting outside.

Seed Saving Moso Bamboo

Seeds are easier to sprout then it is to create clones with cuttings. Collect seeds in early autumn. Store seeds at room temperature.1

How long does Moso Bamboo take to grow?

These estimates for how long Moso Bamboo takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

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Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Moso Bamboo?
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Days to Maturity How long until Moso Bamboo is ready for harvest / bloom?
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Moso Bamboo Etymology

The botanical epithet is from the Latin pubescens meaning “covered with downy hairs”.

The latin ‘edulis’ means “edible”.2

Other names for Moso Bamboo

tortoise-shell bamboo, mao zhu, 毛竹, pinyin, máozhú, モウソウチク(孟宗竹, Phyllostachys edulis 'Kikko' or 'Kikko-Chiku' (Synonym: Phyllostachys edulis variety heterocycla), Phyllostachys edulis 'Subconvexa' (Synonym: Phyllostachys heterocycla f. subconvexa, Phyllostachys pubescens 'Subconvexa'), Phyllostachys edulis 'Nabeshimana' (Synonym: Phyllostachys heterocycla f. nabeshimana)

Phyllostachys edulis, Phyllostachys pubescens f. luteosulcata,

Footnotes

1 ehow

2 The meaning of Latin plant names


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