What Are the Common Varieties of Bamboo? A Detailed Guide to Growing Techniques

Bamboo is a common plant, very common in everyday life, and many parks and scenic areas have bamboo. So what are the common varieties of bamboo? What are the growing techniques? Let's take a look below.

1. What are the common varieties of bamboo?

1. Danzhu bamboo

The so-called Danzhu bamboo is the high-quality Ci bamboo (Bambusa emeiensis) of the genus Bambusa with the longest internodes; its bamboo culm is fine and smooth, and its fibers are extremely tough, so it can be woven into fine-grade bamboo craftwork that resembles silk or fine gauze. This bamboo mostly grows on fertile shaded slopes and is the best material for bamboo weaving.

2. Sijizhu bamboo

This is a bamboo variety introduced in recent years. Sijizhu bamboo is a clumping bamboo and is famous for producing shoots in all four seasons. Its biggest features are its thick, tall and straight culms, each weighing several dozen jin, and its fine fibers and rapid propagation and growth, making it a good material for papermaking with great economic value.

3. Spotted bamboo

Spotted bamboo, also called Xiangfei bamboo, is a running bamboo. Its culms are tall, straight and upright, and the surface of the culm has brown spots. Legend says these were formed by the tears of the husbands of Emperor Yao's two daughters falling on it, hence the name “spotted bamboo”. This bamboo is mostly used for building materials and can also be split into strips for weaving; for example, the tow ropes used to pull boats in ancient times were woven from these bamboo strips. Its characteristics are that it is not easily eroded by water, is lightweight and has strong tensile strength.

4. Moso bamboo

Moso bamboo, also called maozhu, is a typical representative of running bamboo, with tall, straight and hard culms. The culm diameter is about 20 cm, making it a good building material, and the bamboo shoots can also be made into delicious dishes, known as “Yunan slices”. Moso bamboo is mainly planted in places such as Zhongyan Temple and Deyun Temple, and is abundantly produced in Changning in Sichuan, Chishui in Guizhou, Jiangxi, Zhejiang and other places.

2. Bamboo growing techniques

1. Potting soil. Bamboo prefers acidic or neutral soil. When planting, you can use fertile, loose sandy soil, or mix field soil with leaf mold and fine sand to increase the soil's air permeability. Bamboo is a shallow-rooted plant, so you can use a pot with a shallower mouth for planting, then add some moss and ornamental stones to increase its ornamental value and make it look fresh and elegant.

2. Watering. Although bamboo likes moist environments, it also dislikes waterlogging. Bamboo needs watering right after transplanting, but at ordinary times it should be watered sparingly to avoid root rot.

3. Fertilizing. When growing bamboo in pots, mix organic fertilizer into the potting soil, and after normal growth, apply additional fertilizer as appropriate; you can use 0.5% urea and apply it with water.

Bamboo has strong vitality and is very easy to grow, and it also symbolizes tenacity and perseverance, so many people like to grow bamboo at home.