How to prepare bamboo canes to use in the garden?

Gardeners and homeowners who have a bamboo grove know that bamboo canes are useful. Always handy to have them in the shed when you need them. 

Bamboo canes bought from the DIY shops or online markets places come ready prepared. You can use them straight away.

 Preparing bamboo canes for use in the garden

Buy bamboo canes for pot and garden plants

Here are some possible places to get bamboo canes for plants online or in shops.

• B&Q 
• Cherry Lane

Here are some great places where you can get potted bamboo plants.

How to prep bamboo canes for use in the garden?

When pruning or thinning bamboo plants, it is important to cut the canes close to the ground. This will give the new shoots an opportunity to grow well.

Also, you'll get tall bamboo canes that have tough 'bottoms' and can last longer in the soil.

When prepping bamboo canes, always remove the branches and leaves neatly, do not work against the grain. 

Trim the branches using a pair of secateurs or sharp knives. In addition, use a garden rope to tie the bamboo canes (see image) into a bundle.

That way, it's nice and neat as well as light and easy to store and move around when you need them.

5 preps tips for long-lasting bamboo canes

1. Work out how high you want the plant to grow.
2. Use a pair of secateurs to cut bamboo canes (cut close to the nodes, careful not to split the bamboos).
3. Use a digging tool to make holes deep into the pot and push the bamboo canes into the holes.
4. Compact the soil around the bamboo canes.
5. Use garden ropes to tie the potted plants to the bamboo canes.
6. *If you are building a wigwam-climbing frame for the crawling plants like the trellis, follow steps 1 – 4 and use smaller bamboo canes to tie them together)

Cut bamboo canes close to the nodes

Although bamboo canes have a high resistance to rotting, the exposed ends can disintegrate quickly.  

The part of bamboo cane inside the soil will rot when it is exposed to water and moisture. 

However, when cut close to the nodes, it acts as a barrier and can slow down the bamboo cane from rotting quickly.

Avoid splitting bamboo canes

Use a sharp pair of secateurs and do a clean-cut at the bottom of the bamboo canes. 

Avoid splitting the bamboo during cutting. 

Your bamboo canes will last longer, and you'll be able to re-use them for many years if they stay whole.

Be careful not to split the bamboo canes because the splinters are sharp and can cause nasty cuts to exposed skins, too.

All in all, cut the bamboo close to the ground (during pruning) and close to the node before using it to support your plants in the pots.

 

Bamboo canes great for vines and new plants

The bamboo canes are tall, slender, rounded, tough and strong. They are the perfect support for new plants, vines, beans and garden and pot plants that need stem support.

The bamboo canes will last for many years. You can use and re-use the canes, they are tough, firm and strong. They are also flexible, you can bend them to your liking and create amazing shapes and designs.

In fact, bamboo canes will form a formidable support system if you use ropes to tie the plants to the canes or group them together into wigwam climber frames. 

This has been seen in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian countries where bamboo canes are used to create stunning garden features.

In the UK, many creative gardeners and homeowners are using bamboo canes to build different support systems for their garden and pot plants.

In addition to their uses in pots and gardens, the canes are great for making frames for climbing plants such as the trellis, beans, grapes and many other vegetative vines.