How to Propagate Bambusa Textilis Mutabilis from Culm Cuttings

Well I’m back as promised with an updated video that includes better audio than my previous one. At the time I used my son’s GoPro and had the underwater shell on it, and for whatever reason the volume was ridiculously low at times when I talk. I assure you this is not the case this time.

So for this bamboo propagation video, I decided to use culm cuttings from my Bambusa textilis mutabilis. This is a beautiful bamboo the makes an excellent hedge and has many more uses such as wind chime and flute making due to it’s extended distance between the culm nodes. It’s also a bamboo that I’ve never successfully propagated, but I hope this changes now.

So I recently read an article that was linked from one of the bamboo Facebook groups I belong to, where the author stated he achieved 100% success rate with Bambusa textilis gracilis. The method is no different than what I have done before, however, the time is year certainly is. In the past I’ve usually taken my cuttings in the late fall or early Spring, but according to Papa Gomez he said to take them in the mid summer during a full moon phase. He also stated to use rooting hormone on the branch nodes, which is something I have not done before when propagating Dendrocalamus validus and Bambusa vulgaris. You can read his article here:

I have a dozen cuttings in pots and now it’s just a waiting game to see what my success rate is. I will also be applying the same method to my Bambusa textilis gracilis and will keep my fingers crossed. Of course I will make an update video in a few months with the resutls.

Below is the short video documenting the process…and as always, feel free to comment with any questions.