Bamboo is the fastest growing plants on land and grows year round. To grow many large strong and healthy shoots, a bamboo must be supported by a strong and substantial root or rhizome mass. Bigger root masses push up bigger and more shoots. For tropical bamboo, the growth cycle goes like this: Bamboo needs roots to support shoots, so the first necessity for the bamboo clumps survival is to grow a root base known as a rhizome mass. Once The root base is grown the bamboo will push up an immature shoot or two, usually in spring and summer. The size of these shoots is directly related to the size and health of the root mass below. A small root mass can only support a couple small shoots, larger root masses can support multiple large shoots.

In the southern climates, when bamboo is not shooting in winter, it is developing and growing its underground root mass. This root growth happens throughout the fall and winter months and grows into the early spring. It is a mistake to ignore your bamboo during the winter, as this is prime time growing season for the root and rhizome mass. I routinely grow a 3 gallon bamboo into a 10 gallon root ball over 1 winter. I consistently turn 10" root balls with 1 shoot into 20" huge masses of bamboo roots and rhizomes. We get between 8-12 shoots at least 12 feet high by Spring/Summer. This is the way bamboo is supposed to grow when planted in fertile soils.  But in the sandy soils of most of our landscapes bamboo needs to be supplemented, specifically with a fertilizer high in Potassium. This is the third of the major 2 building blocks of plant fertilizers and is the K in N-P-K fertilizer numbers listed on fertilizer labels.

For winter time feeding of bamboo we want to push the root growth without much green foliage growth. The theory is that the young green growth of shoots and foliage is delicate and easily damaged by cold temperatures. It is best to save this growth for the spring/summer, and concentrate the plants growth energy within the root rhizome mass.

This is why during winter we promote K (potassium) and during the spring and summer we start to really push the Nitrogen (N in the N-P-K)

Here are the best ways to add Potassium and build strong and healthy roots over the winter:

Our Time released 13-3-13 Bamboo Special 12 Month Fertilizer is high in Potassium (K) and Grows huge roots. It is safe to use all winter long because it uses a specially coated  heat sensitive polymer to release each element at the correct time. This is a simple way to provide the basic building blocks your bamboo needs to thrive year round. One pound of Bamboo Special 13-3-13 will feed a 3 -7 gallon clump for 1 year. This is the Hi tech approach.

Kelp Blast is 100% Kelp Extract Concentrate. This is a natural product that is loaded with easily available phosphorous created naturally and sustainably from our oceans. Our Kelp has an N-P-K Value of 0-0-17 and provides a blast of potassium directly to the roots and surrounding soil organisms. Kelp is amazing for its nutritional value and fast green up. Many think our Kelp has nitrogen in it because of the plants fast green up after it is applied, but it is kelps instant availability of soil beneficials that gives plants that instant rush of vigor and green color. The real benefit of kelp is the root and rhizome expansion it fosters. Potassium is the major building block that grows roots, and Kelp is all Potassium. A little kelp goes a long way and a tablespoon mixed into some irrigation water is plenty for a small plant. Kelp is an inexpensive, simple and natural solution for supercharging your plants with natural and organic potassium. We have 8 ounce Kelp Blast packs on sale til Christmas at $9.95