How Long Does It Take For Bamboo To Grow (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Five To Ten Years

Bamboo is a plant from the flora community that is categorized into grass families. Bamboos grow in the spring seasons. Also, since it is a colony plant, new bamboos take the energy from the existing bamboo plants and grow.

Some plants and trees have a constant type of growth. However, it is not the case with bamboos. Bamboos grow in blocks of time. Growing bamboo requires patience as, after a year, it might feel that the bamboo is not growing. However, that is not the case. The bamboo tends to grow more after the third year after is it established.

How Long Does It Take For Bamboo To Grow?

The growth of the bamboo is divided into several stages. It includes the establishment of the roots, then the shoots to appear. After the shoots, the culms start to show up (in springs). After the culms, the bamboo plant gets into the flowering phase where it grows further.

Once the flowering phase is complete, the bamboo becomes ready to harvest, or in other words, it matures. On average the time that it takes for the bamboo to grow fully or to mature is about five to ten years.

However, the time for the lifespan of the bamboo depends on a lot of factors. These factors can vary from the type of bamboo that is being planted to how well it is being taken care of.

There are a few varieties of bamboo that can grow and reach its maturity within two to three years. On the other hand, the longest time a bamboo tree can take to grow fully can be up to twenty years. It is the Japanese Arrow bamboo that can take even up to twenty years to mature and be ready for a harvest.

Why Does It Take That Long For The Bamboo To Grow?

Planting trees and then nurturing them till reaching full growth can take time. Sometimes, it can even take years, sometimes even decades. It depends on the tree that one is planting.

However, when it comes to bamboo, there are a few types that can take two years, and some can take twenty. There are a few reasons behind the number of years bamboo can take to grow. The reasons are as follows:

• The climate and weather conditions of a region are necessary when it comes to the growth of the bamboo tree. The majority of the bamboo trees are apt to grow the best in tropical areas since they have warm temperatures. A few bamboo varieties can thrive in colder temperatures too, but the warm temperatures are most suited.
• Another factor that plays a significant role in the growth of bamboo is the type of soil it is being planted in. The bamboo tree has shallow roots and hence can grow in any type of soil. It is why the tree can be found almost anywhere in the world.
• Since the bamboo grows the best in warm temperatures, it also implies that the growth of the bamboo tree is best when it gets full sunlight. It is also a reason why the bamboo tree grows the best in the spring season.
• How the bamboo tree is getting fertilized also plays an imminent role in the span of growth for the tree. Fertilizers high in nitrogen can make the bamboo tree grow considerably faster.
• Bamboo trees need ample amount of water too. If plenty of water is given to the plant in the initial planting days, the growth can be better compared to when not.

Conclusion

It takes three years for the bamboo roots to get established in maximum types of bamboo. There are many ways in which the growth of bamboo can be improved considerably.

Techniques like vegetative propagation, or tissue culture can be used to increase the growth speed of the bamboo tree.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112704004979
2. https://www.hoshi-lab.info/cha/paper.pdf