Yes, you can do this yourself and make it curl like farmers do when the stick is fresh and young. The stick is not going to grow longer but it can turn when it feels the light coming from only one side for certain length of time.

People see the fancy curls or wavy ones and think that Lucky Bamboo can grow that way. Lucky Bamboo actually only grows straight and does not grow curly or wavy at all. Farmers have to lay them on a huge long table in the hot house, cover 3 sides in the dark, one side has bright light and let them grow naturally toward the light, and manually rotate them periodically; more work, more curl. It takes an average of 1.5 years to make one curl. See similar questions...

If you are a beginner you probably should try to find a bamboo nursery somewhere near you. A local nursery would be familiar with your climate and soil conditions. If you can’t find one, then you can contact one of the suppliers close to you, who are willing to ship bamboo, and ask for advice. Be sure to tell them your hottest and coldest days, what your soil is like and how much rain you get. See similar questions...

Solaris (native cc compiler) HPUX (native cc compiler) SGI IRIX (native cc compiler) SCO UNIX (native cc compiler) See similar questions...

Temperate bamboo like water, but love drainage. There are a couple species suited to damp sites and we do generally have them in stock. The native North American bamboo 'River Cane'' and A.g. tecta or 'Switch Cane' adapt very well to swampy or poorly drained areas. There are a couple Phyllostachys species, atrovaginata (congesta), rubromarginata and purpurata, that also do well. During the early Spring we usually have these for sale, but they sell out quickly. See similar questions...

For humans, bamboo shoots are a treat. Harvest new shoots before they emerge from the ground or before their height reaches 4 times the diameter of the shoot. There are a number of recipes using bamboo shoots on our site. Bamboo shoots as well as mature leaves and branches are a favorite of many animals (in addition to pandas). Cows, horses and goats are particularly fond of bamboo which makes a good winter forage for livestock. See similar questions...

Basically, you can plant bamboo any time you can work the soil. We have done most of our planting from November through March; however, we have planted in every month of the year with success. See similar questions...

No, all the sticks receive special treatment when they have reached the shape and length needed. They only keep growing green leaves and stay green in either water or soil. See similar questions...

Check your plants for pests, such as cutworms, flea beetles, grasshoppers, spider mites and aphids. These sucking insects can cause curled and distorted leaves. See similar questions...

Bamboo is a grass, which is extremely varied. It belongs to over a hundred genera, covering over 1000 different species, and ranging in size from less than a few feet to well over 100 feet in height. It is one of the most tremendous living resources in the world. Its strength and durability lend it to many uses – from use as a structural building material to a food source. Bamboo is made of long cellulose fibers that run parallel to each other over the entire length of the stalk. See similar questions...

You can plant temperate bamboo anytime the ground is workable. We dig and plant year around in climate zone 7a. In colder areas planting is best done during the Spring time, but all during the Summer months is also fine as long as you water the bamboo frequently. See similar questions...

David Farrelly, in his The Book of Bamboo, says that bamboo has been measured to grow 47.6 inches in a 24-hour period. Other sources specify it was a Japanese scientist who measured the growth of a Phyllostachys bambusoides. That must have been under ideal conditions of heat, humidity and very fertile soil. But, in the less than perfect conditions in my garden, I've seen new shoots of Phyllostachys nigra 'Henon' grow about a foot a day. See similar questions...

Dig a hole large enough in the soil to fit the whole root comfortably, pat down the soil well and water. Fertilize the soil. See similar questions...

ART has been good to me. I was discouraged when the web site showed there was nobody within an hour's drive of me, but then later I found out there's an excellent chiropractor in the neighborhood that is ART certified. Evidently it costs extra to be listed on their web directory. I'm not sure if ART is the same thing as the old school technique of nimo but if it is, there's absolutely nothing like it for repairing damaged muscles. See similar questions...

Most of the Phyllostachys species tend to have edible qualities. While some can be eaten raw, others must be cooked, changing the water at least twice to remove the bitter taste. Usually, the new shoots of edible bamboos appear in the spring (March, April, and May) in the United States. During that period, there is a 3–4 week window of opportunity for cutting them. See similar questions...

Bamboo is notoriously difficult to identify more specifically than the species, unless there is something particularly remarkable about it. There are, by some estimates, as many as 2,000 kinds identified so far. Contacting a local chapter of the ABS and asking for help is probably the best idea. Be ready to answer a few questions. See similar questions...

Taking care of bamboo is easy. If it seems to be doing well enough without care, anything you add will be an improvement. Any fertilizer (but not weed-n-feed types) that is sold for grass would be appropriate, though manure from any animal, compost or fish fertilizer would be just fine. Many bamboo people recommend organic, slow-release formulas. Bamboo needs quite a bit of water so if you have a long dry spell during the summer and the leaves curl, it’s past time to water. See similar questions...

Bamboo is usually propagated by digging up part of a clump of existing bamboo and moving it elsewhere (see the next question.) The vast majority of propagating is done that way and it results in most plants of most varieties in the U.S. being clones. If you divide a bamboo plant and put it in a new location, it usually doesn’t do much for the first few growing seasons. See similar questions...