I've got several of these bamboos in my garden and they prefer a rich,fertile soil which NEVER dries out.The soil or compost must always be permanetly damp (not sodden wet) because bamboos rarely survive drying out.

Personally,i would stick them in the ground because they dont suit pots well due to being a fast grower and quickly out grow them.Before planting,dig in a load of manure/compost and chicken manure pellets and back fill the plant with this lot.They are greedy plants so will require feeding for couple of years afterwards until firmly established.Once established,try not to clear away the fallen dead leaves they deposit because they contain 'silica' and this is a vital nutrient for bamboo.Just gently fork over the soil around the plants and the worms will drag them underground for you.

Sorry to sound nerdy,but bamboos are my speciality!

No no you don't sound nerdy - they are in pots because our garden shed just got knocked down and there's no where to plant them amongst the rubble - we're hoping to get it cleared in the next few weeks, once this is done then we'll plant them. Good advice Steve, will try all of those.

What soil is presently in your garden?

The original soil in my garden is clay,but over the years-i have been digging in compost/manure etc and now is nice and crumbly.

Bamboo isnt fussed to soil type,but does need it to be fertile.They are VERY greedy and need lots of nitrogen to help them generate new leaves every so often.Chicken manure pellets are great because they contain a high percentage of nitrogen and are dirt cheap!

But the key component is water-they must never dry out and death will be swift if allowed to.This is why i recomended digging in plenty of manure/compost etc so it helps 'lock' the moisture into the soil.It also helps feed them for their first year and gets them established quicker.You cannot over feed a bamboo!

Okay - now you've scared me, right running off to the garden again with my watering can LOL

Thanks Steve

Judging by your piccys-it looks like it hasnt produced any new leaves this year and the brown ones are last years which are naturally comming to the end of their life.If planting it into your garden isnt an option just yet-try feeding it with a liquid fertiliser once a week until your ready to move it.'Miracle Grow' is a good liquid feed and has a good nitrogen content.

Okay Steve, will go down to the Garden Centre tomorrow to pick some up - think your right, it definitely needs something.

When we got them they looked quite dry and brown too so here's hoping they can be revived but your advice has been priceless, Thank you for all your help.

Kind regards
Ingrid

I am no expert in the growing of bamboo, so don't know if Steve will agree with me, but if your pots are in harsh sun or strong wind those conditions may cause burning of the leaves. While the black is quite hardy the leaves, particularly the new ones, seem to be more tender than those of the common bamboo.

A layer of plastic around the inside of the pots prior to putting the potting mix in will help to retain moisture, especially if the pots are terracotta.

You are right Shdowboxer-hot drying winds can 'feather' the edges of the leaves which isnt detrimental to the heath of the bamboo and is something you have to live with if you garden on an exposed site.

Your tip about laying a mulch around the plant covering the compost is spot on and can go one further if the pot is terracotta.Paint the inside with a PVA solution (50/50 water PVA) to seal the pot which stops it being porous and it wont dry out as quickly.