Starting bamboo growing

[bigone5500]

When is a good time to dig up some bamboo to grow? What would be the downside of doing this too early?

[CaroleMeckes]

When is a good time to dig up some bamboo to grow? What would be the downside of doing this too early?
for your climate, digging bamboo in the fall and winter would be best.
the downside of doing this in the heat of the summer is the loss of the plant.

If you get a plant that is already potted up - the odds are much better.

[bigone5500]

So if I dig a plant that has sprouted this year and place it in a bucket with plenty of soil and water, the plant will surely die?

[CaroleMeckes]

There are some differences between digging bamboo and planting it in the ground and digging bamboo and potting it up.

For one - you can get a bigger root ball if you are digging and planting in the ground than if you are putting the bamboo in a pot.

Do you know which species you are planning on digging?

First year shoots are not as easy to transplant as 2nd year shoots because they are more fragile.

If your climate is as hot as it is in central Texas this summer - I'd say forget it! The bamboo here is having a hard enough time just 'staying alive'.

The odds of waiting till cooler temperatures will improve your chances of the transplant surviving.

You also have to be careful about overwatering - since bamboo roots can get waterlogged if the soil is constantly wet.