Will bamboo plants grow indoors?
When growing potted bamboo plants indoors, the single most important factor to consider is the amount of water to give them. With less circulation, and lower light conditions, its easy to over-water them. A good way to tell if you have over-watered your bamboo plants is if you start to notice dead leaf tips. Bamboo is thought of as a moisture loving plant, but without good drainage it suffers. If you suspect your potting soil is too heavy, and the drainage is not ideal, try adding perlite to it. If your bamboo plant is too dry the leaves will roll into themselves, and in extreme cases look like cactus needles.; they do this to reduce the leaf area that is exposed to evaporation. Its better to let a bamboo plant go a little dry than to over water it. Once a dry bamboo plant is watered the leaves will usually unravel themselves, and look fine within a few hours. The best way to determine your watering schedule, when growing potted bamboo plants indoors, is to let them dry out slightly between watering.
Another factor to consider when growing potted bamboo plants indoors, is humidity levels. A periodic light misting of the leaves can be very beneficial, but you need to keep in mind how easily they can be over watered indoors. Placing your pot onto an oversize drip tray filled with water, and gravel, is an easy way to raise the humidity levels in the immediate area around your bamboo plant. Be sure to keep the water level below the gravel level, so the potted bamboo plant is not sitting in water.
Food is another factor to consider when growing a bamboo plant indoors in a pot. You want the leaves to be a dark green color, so if you notice them slowly yellowing (going chlorotic), it might be time to fertilize the bamboo plant. Keep in mind that the leaves can look chlorotic when over fertilizing also, but usually the color change is more immediate.