Growing Tender Bamboo? Insulate Or Wrap Your Plants In Winter Says Colin Skelly
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
Bamboo is widely revered across the UK as a low-maintenance and architecturally attractive grass.
While most types of bamboo are fairly hardy, some types are more tender to cold and frost.
For that reason, it’s always a good idea to check the label or enquire with the nursery or garden centre where you bought the plant about its temperature resilience.
Generally speaking, if you’re growing a variety that is H4-H7 hardy, you should not need to take any preventative measures to protect your plant over winter in most areas of the UK – your bamboo should be naturally resilient enough to survive on its own.
As a rule, it’s advisable to purchase a cultivar with a minimum temperature tolerance that’s at least 5°C lower than the winter averages in your area.
Whether your bamboo is planted in a pot or in the ground will also affect its hardiness through the colder months – potted plants are more susceptible to frost, since they do not benefit from the natural insulation of the surrounding terrain.
Nonetheless, you should be able to ensure both potted and ground-planted varieties make it through the winter and bounce back the following spring with renewed vigour.
If you are growing a tender variety, one or more of the following steps will help preserve your bamboo for another year:
- Move potted bamboo plants indoors or into a greenhouse.
- Mulch the soil around your bamboo plant to insulate its roots.
- Wrap your bamboo with hessian or plastic tenting.
- Keep an eye on the weather and protect from heavy snowfall.
We explore each of these methods in more detail below.
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Equipment Required | Organic mulch, hessian or plastic tenting |
1) Move Potted Plants Indoors
If your bamboo is planted in a pot, the easiest and most efficient method of winter-proofing them is moving them to a sheltered location.
A greenhouse is a perfect option for this, as they will still receive radiation from the sun without suffering the extremes of the cold.
If you don’t have a greenhouse, you can also move the plant indoors.
“I move plants inside a porch or shed or garage with a window,” shares Colin Skelly, a Horticulturist and Consultant from the UK.
“This can often be enough to take the edge off freezing temperatures.
“Although it won’t be sufficient for extreme cold events, it will minimise the movement of plants for most regular frosty weather.”
Just remember that bamboo demands plentiful light, so you should move it back outside as soon as the temperature rises.
2) Mulch The Soil
A layer of organic matter atop the surface of the soil surrounding your plant is an excellent way to insulate its roots.
The roots and the rhizomes are the most important parts of any bamboo plant, so keeping them safe is the priority.
You may find that your plant provides its own insulation in the form of fallen leaves.
If this happens, don’t move them and instead supplement them with a generous layer (up to 6 inches) of organic mulch to protect them as best you can.
3) Wrap With Hessian
If your potted bamboo is too big and cumbersome to move, you can still insulate the container itself by wrapping it in hessian or a similar material.
This will help to retain warmth and prevent frost from setting in.
If the plant is in the ground and temperatures are expected to plummet, you might wish to erect plastic tenting around the bamboo.
This will protect it from strong winds, rain and snow, but will also prevent irrigation, so remember to water it yourself in this scenario.
4) Monitor Throughout Winter
Heavy snowfall can cling to leaves and stems, causing them to freeze more quickly and inhibiting the flow of nutrients around the plant.
If you notice snow settling on the plant, try to remove it immediately.
If, on the other hand, the snow has already frozen to your bamboo by the time you notice it, wait until it thaws before interfering, otherwise you will almost certainly damage the plant.
