Marcus Chen 
After fifteen years growing bamboo commercially, I thought I had my fertilization routine locked down. Then two seasons ago, I started questioning everything. My soil tests were coming back with results I didn’t love, a few of my Phyllostachys stands…
The Soil pH Meter That Helped Me Dial In My Bamboo Beds…
After fifteen years of growing bamboo commercially, I thought I knew what I was dealing with. Then I watched Phyllostachys aureosulcata push clean through a cheap 20-mil barrier I’d installed three years earlier — surfacing about four feet outside the…
Feeder roots: Fine, fibrous roots emerge from rhizome nodes and extend further into the soil. These are the actual bamboo roots responsible for water and nutrient uptake. They are shorter-lived than the rhizome itself and are replaced seasonally. When and How Do Bamboo Rhizomes Grow? Bamboo rhizome growth and culm shooting follow a seasonal cycle … Read more
Key Takeaways What Is the Fastest Growing Bamboo in the World? According to TerraBamboo’s bamboo specialists, the single fastest growing bamboo species documented is Phyllostachys edulis, commonly known as Moso bamboo. Under optimal growing conditions — warm temperatures, high humidity, ample water, and nutrient-rich soil — Moso bamboo has been recorded growing at a rate … Read more
Last spring, my tomato garden was an absolute disaster. Three weeks after transplanting, my Beefsteak and Roma plants were already flopping sideways. The wire cages I had relied on for years had rusted through over winter. I needed a replacement…
Three winters ago, I had a patio full of cracked, faded plastic pots and a serious case of plant parent guilt. Every spring, I’d drag out whatever survived — usually not much — and start over. I’d been searching for…
Last spring, I decided to build a small bamboo shade structure in my backyard. I had plenty of poles from a culm harvest the previous fall, and I was tired of watching them sit in a pile. My problem was…
If you’ve ever pulled a sad, waterlogged dumpling out of a pot, you know the feeling. That was me, every single Sunday, for about three years. I’d been attempting homemade dim sum for a while, and my results were consistently…
Last January, I stood in my bathroom staring at a overflowing trash bin. Three plastic toothbrushes sat on top, destined for a landfill where they’d likely outlive my grandchildren. That image stuck with me. I’d been meaning to make the…