How Often Do You Water Bamboo Plants? Ultimate Guide (2023)

Last Updated on February 24, 2023 by Mattias

For adequate growth, bamboo plants need to be watered frequently. However, watering your bamboo plant too frequently, or less than you should, can cause harm to it, so you must know how often you should water them.

To that effect, I have written this article to let you know how often you should water your bamboo plants without harming them and to answer other bamboo-watering questions.

So, let’s get into the business of the day. 

How Often Do You Water Bamboo Plants?

A Bamboo plant is a tropical plant that requires frequent watering and should be watered once every week. However, some factors could alter its water frequency and make you adjust its watering schedule.

The traditional water frequency of bamboo plants can be altered by factors such as where it is planted, weather conditions, the size of the plant, age, and the type of soil they are planted on.

Let’s take a look at these factors.

Where It Is Planted 

Bamboo plants are either planted at home or in the open. 

While outdoor bamboo plants (also called true bamboo) are planted for several reasons, indoor bamboo plants are usually used to decorate houses. 

The most popular houseplant used at home is the Lucky bamboo plant, also called dracaena sanderiana. This is because it is usually easy to care for and maintain.

The difference in the level of air and sunlight the bamboo plants planted in these areas receive leads to a difference in how frequently they need to be watered. 

Outdoor bamboo plants usually have access to intense sunlight directly from the sun. In contrast, indoor bamboo plants, like the lucky bamboo plant, only have access to indirect sunlight or artificial light, and this causes a difference in their watering schedule.

This is because outdoor bamboo plants’ access to full sunlight will make the moisture in their root system dry up faster than the roots of lucky bamboo plants and any other indoor plant that uses artificial or indirect light. 

Note: If you are growing your bamboo plant in water, endeavor to change the water once a week to keep it fresh. 

Also, avoid using tap water, as it could contain chemicals like chlorine which can cause harm to the plant. Instead, use either distilled water or filtered water. 

The Age Of The Plant

The age of the bamboo plant is another factor that can determine how frequently you should water it. 

Young bamboo plants still putting up new shoots require more watering and care than mature bamboo. 

Newly planted bamboo needs to be watered 2 to 3 times a week, unlike the conventional watering frequency of mature bamboo plants once a week.  

The Type Of Soil It Is Planted On

Some soil can hold moisture for a long time while others, such as sandy soil, cannot, so if you plant on a soil type that can hold moisture for a long time, then the watering frequency will be reduced as compared to the kind that can not hold soil moisture for a long time.

Also, ensure the soil you use to plant your bamboo has a good drainage system.

A well-drained soil will help to remove the excess water in your bamboo plants and prevent overwatering.

Read also:  How Often Do You Water Cucumber Plants?

Weather Conditions

During winter, there is high humidity, and these humid conditions lead to moist soil, so your bamboo plant requires less water during this season.

During this season, you should water your bamboo plant once in 2 to 3 weeks. 

Note: If you have to water your plant earlier than this, it should be because you noticed it has dried before then. 

However, unlike the wet soil experienced during cold winters, the summer months come with a dry climate and hot weather.

The extreme heat experienced in this season makes the soil dry fast and makes your bamboo plant require a lot of water to stay moist, leading to it requiring watering on a more regular basis.

During the summer season, you will notice inches of mulch around your bamboo plant, so to ensure the water gets in contact with the plant, use a drip line to water under the mulch. 

During the summer months, you should stick to the conventional watering frequency of once or twice every week.

Note: If you have to water your plant earlier than the specified timeframe, it should be because you noticed that it has gotten dry before then.

Read also: How Often Do You Water A Bonsai Tree?

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Water Your Bamboo Plant?

The best way to know when your bamboo plant needs water is by checking if it is dry or still has moisture. 

You can do this by using your finger. This involves sticking one inch of your finger into the soil to check if it has moisture or is dry. 

If you figure out that the plant is dry after dipping your hand into it, it is time to water it, but if you notice that it is still moist, you should wait a few days or a week before rechecking it.

Also, suppose you notice that the water level of the bamboo plant isn’t going down, and the bamboo plant is still wet even after you check it for some time. In that case, it is a sign that you are overwatering it, and you should reduce the amount of water you are using to keep it moist.

Note: To avoid overwatering your bamboo plant and causing harm, ensure you confirm that it is dry before adding water to it.

Read also: How Often Do You Water Aloe Plants?

How Much Water Do Bamboo Plants Need? 

The amount of wafer your bamboo plants needs is enough water to soak up its root system (or root ball).

One mistake most people make is to water just the top of the soil and not pour as much water to touch the rest of the plant and reach the bottom. 

So, ensure you water your bamboo plant until the water soaks up its root ball.

Note: The only exception to this method is if the bamboo roots are shallow. 

How Do You Know That Your Bamboo Plants Are Being Overwatered Or Underwatered?

The first thing that will show you that there is something wrong with how you are watering your bamboo plant is the bamboo leaves. 

When you notice your bamboo plant having brown or yellow leaves, it signifies something is wrong. 

Bamboo plants with yellow or brown leaves could imply that they are either underwatered or overwatered, so whenever you notice this, check its watering schedule and adjust it if possible.

Also, the inability to frequently water your bamboo plant could lead to its leaves curling. However, this can also be caused by exposure to too much sun, so you can take it away from much light from the sun for a while to see the cause of the curling. 

Note: It is better to underwater your bamboo plant than to overwater it. 

Read also: How Often Do You Water Cactus Plants? The Ultimate Guide

How Often Do You Water Bamboo Plants Summary

A Bamboo plant should be watered once every week, but factors such as where it is planted, weather conditions, the size of the plant, the age of the plant, and the type of soil they are planted on, can alter its watering frequency. 

I hope this article has answered your questions on how often bamboo plants should be watered.