How should bamboo in containers be drip irrigated?

March 27, 2008 12:36 PM

How best can I drip irrigate containers of bamboo in Southern California? [Photos and detailed information provided]

Photos of the containers are here: containers and current system
I have installed a solar irrigation system but I don't think the plants are getting enough water. This is the model: Solar Irrigation System

How much water does bamboo of this type require? I don't have a hose connection on the patio/loft area but I am considering stringing up a hose connected drip irrigation tube and getting drippers with more throughput.

Any ideas or experience? Thanks!

posted by tarthur to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

Are you sure the problem isn't that the bamboo has outgrown the pots you have it planted in? If there's too much rootball to soil, then the pot can't store enough water to feed the plants for very long, so they end up drying out quickly.
posted by Joh at 12:41 PM on March 27, 2008

Response by poster: I just planted the bamboo in the pots a few weeks ago. Is it possible it just requires more water because it is getting settled in the new pots?
posted by tarthur at 12:48 PM on March 27, 2008

Is it possible it just requires more water because it is getting settled in the new pots?

Yes. Especially if it has been very warm the past few weeks. It isn't so much "settling in" as recovering from the stress of transplantation.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 12:56 PM on March 27, 2008

Best answer: Bamboo plants should sit in soil that is fairly moist during their first year or two. In the bamboo I've planted (in the ground) in the past, I've watered them twice a day for extended periods with a drip line. Basically if you walk by and stick your finger in the soil near the plant, the dirt should not be completely dry, it should always be somewhat moistened. They shouldn't be sitting in mud but definitely not dried out dirt between waterings.
posted by mathowie at 1:06 PM on March 27, 2008