Green Bamboo as One of the Four Gentlemen: Symbolism, Cold Hardiness, and Container Planting and Care Techniques

Green bamboo is a perennial woody plant of the bamboo family, Poaceae (grass family). It is greatly loved by the people of our country and enjoys such fine names as one of the “Four Gentlemen” along with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, and one of the “Three Friends of Winter” along with plum, pine and bamboo.So what does green bamboo symbolize? Is it cold hardy? What are its planting techniques? How do you care for it in a container?

What does green bamboo symbolize?

Green bamboo generally represents being full of vitality and energy, and it also symbolizes friendship that stays evergreen through all four seasons.

Is green bamboo cold hardy?

That depends on the variety.

Bamboo species suitable for planting in the north: black bamboo (Purple Bamboo), moso bamboo, green bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis (Golden Inlaid Jade Bamboo), Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. aureocaulis (Jade Inlaid Gold Bamboo), Phyllostachys praecox (Early Garden Bamboo), Phyllostachys sulphurea (Gang Bamboo), and so on.

What are the planting techniques for green bamboo?

Planting methods:

1. Green bamboo is mainly propagated by division, burying branches, transplanting rhizomes, and sowing seeds. Green bamboo rhizomes have very strong sprouting ability and clump-forming habit. Cut the rhizomes before they sprout in early spring and plant them together with the culms separately; new bamboo can grow by that summer. Seeds from green bamboo after flowering can also be sown.

2. For planting green bamboo, choose a sheltered, sunny, and moist environment. Green bamboo grows fast and puts on a lot of growth, so it has high water and fertilizer demands and requires plenty of moisture, but the soil must also drain well. It needs deep, fertile, slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter and mineral elements.

3. Green bamboo is also the fastest-growing plant in the world. The hollow above-ground stems of some bamboos can grow 40 cm per day, and their fully grown height can reach 35-40 m. The reason bamboo grows so fast is that its stems are divided into nodes, so while other plants only have growing tissue at the tip, bamboo grows at every node at the same time. However, as the bamboo keeps growing, the sheath wrapping the outside of each node falls off, and the height of the green bamboo stops increasing, though the internal tissue continues to grow and fill out. It is widely distributed and easy to keep alive.

4. For green bamboo, fertilizer should be mainly organic. Decomposed livestock manure, composted household waste, and river mud are all suitable. Organic fertilizer is mainly used as a base fertilizer, mixed into the potting soil, generally at 10% to 15% of the volume of the potting soil.

5. The main pests of green bamboo include aphids and scale insects, which can be sprayed with an 80% dichlorvos emulsion or a 40% dimethoate emulsion at 1000 times dilution; the main diseases include sooty mold and witches' broom, so management should be strengthened and diseased plants pruned promptly.

Planting time:

1. Running bamboo: running bamboo usually begins to send up shoots in spring from March to May. Most species basically finish their height growth by June and then extend branches and leaves; from August to September they produce a large number of rhizomes; after entering November, as temperatures drop, physiological activity gradually slows; by February of the following year, along with rising temperatures, physiological activity gradually resumes. Based on this growth rhythm, the ideal time to plant running bamboo should be from October to February of the following year, with the “little Indian summer” of October being best. When planting bamboo in winter from November to December, although there is little rain and the weather is dry, the bamboo's physiological activity is weak and transpiration is not strong, so the survival rate is also relatively high. In the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, bamboo can be transplanted to establish a grove during the plum rain season in a normal year. However, it is only suitable for short-distance transplanting, and only when the root ball is kept with soil can a high survival rate be ensured. Because winters in the north are severely cold, it is best to plant bamboo there in October in autumn and in February in early spring. It is worth noting that the shoot-emergence period from March to May in spring is not suitable for planting bamboo. “There is no fixed time for planting bamboo; move it after rain.” As long as the quality of the mother bamboo is ensured, management is careful, and water balance is maintained, it can be planted at any time of year except during the hot dog days of the three fu periods and the cold dog days of the three jiu periods. If container-grown bamboo seedlings are used, bamboo can be planted in all four seasons in both north and south, ensuring survival.

2. Clumping bamboo: clumping bamboo generally sprouts on the culms from March to May and sends up shoots from June to August, and clumping bamboo is not tolerant of severe cold. Therefore, clumping bamboo is best planted in spring in February, before the bamboo's buds have sprouted and before the sap begins to flow. Likewise, if management conditions are good or container-grown bamboo seedlings are used, bamboo can also be planted in all four seasons.

3. Mixed bamboo: the growth and development rhythm of mixed bamboo falls between that of running bamboo and clumping bamboo. It sends up shoots and grows culms from May to July, so the planting season is best in autumn and winter from October to December and in spring from February to March.

How do you care for green bamboo in a container?

1. Spread a thin layer of charcoal cinders and crushed stone on the bottom of the wooden box to increase air permeability around the bamboo roots.

2. Place the green bamboo bought online or from a nursery into it. Bamboo bought online generally comes with mud slurry, while that from a nursery generally does not, but in either case it is best to plant it into the wooden box as soon as possible.

3. When planting green bamboo, the principle is “deep burying, shallow planting,” letting the roots spread out as much as possible in the soil. Green bamboo most fears overwatering, which prevents the roots from breathing and easily causes root rot. In my personal experience, it is best to leave a small upper portion of the roots exposed outside the soil layer.

4. After planting, water thoroughly the first time, making sure water flows out from the bottom of the carbonized wooden box. In summer, spray water on the culms and leaves twice a day, in the morning and afternoon; in other seasons, once a day.

5. During the planting period, bamboo will show a “false death” phenomenon. If the leaves dry up, promptly cut off the dried leaves, which helps new buds sprout.