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Bamboo is not always among the first mentionable things when discussing reforestation. Even though it is true given that bamboo is not technically a tree, if you plant and cultivate it, both the people and the environment will benefit.
Bamboo is a sustainable resource, widely known as one of the fastest-growing grasses on the planet. But how fast does bamboo grow?
The Guinness Book of World Records states that bamboo is the fastest-growing plant in the world. Even though they fail to particularize it, they record a growth rate of 35 inches per day. While other sources have it that bamboo can reach over one meter (39.4 inches) per day.
In this article, we will be discussing bamboo growth rate, highlighting how fast bamboo grows in a day, in week, in a month, etc.
What Is Bamboo?
Bamboo is realistically a grass, but a fast-growing grass featuring a hollow stem. However, most people often mistake it for a plant or tree, but it comes from the evergreen grass family. What makes it more interesting is its uniqueness as the most extensive and only grass that tends to diversify into a forest.Â
It even holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest-growing plant. Bamboo is native to several countries and many continents with humid and tropical climates like Asia (particularly China), Australia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America.
Once it is fully established, some larger species tend to resemble trees with a wood-like trunk but grow much more rapidly and are much more sustainable than hardwood trees.
Meanwhile, there are about 1500 varieties of bamboo, and all members of similar species will bloom simultaneously, irrespective of the part of the world they grow.Â
Humans use bamboo for many things, including food, furniture, and floors. It is also a specific food source for several animals, such as pandas, lemurs, gorillas, chimpanzees, elephants, and caterpillars. Some of these animals get drunk thanks to their fermented sap.
Other products that can be made from bamboo include kitchen utensils, chopping boards, cutlery, chopsticks, serving trays, storage jars, and sports materials like skateboards, snowboards, and bike frames.
Then, bathroom necessities, toilet paper, kitchen towels, clothing items, and reusable items like coffee cups, plates, and bowls.
How Fast Does Bamboo Grow?
In simple terms! Pretty fast. As mentioned earlier, according to Guinness World Records, bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on earth and grows at a whopping four centimeters each second. At this rate, some bamboo species can reach 91 cm (35 inches) per day.
Meanwhile, there are over 1,000 bamboo species, each growing at different rates. However, generally, bamboo grows faster than any other plant on the planet.
According to records, bamboo grows at 35 inches (3 feet) daily. Various types, such as Moso bamboo, can reach up to 47 inches daily.
Bamboo is a rapid grower, as, during its tender stage, its bud already possesses every cell it requires. Rather than by cell division, bamboo grows by elongation and gathers water as it germinates skyward.
There are two ways by which bamboo grows, namely, running and clumping style.
The clumping style of bamboo growth does not grow as fast as running bamboo, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t grow fast in its own right.
In contrast, the running bamboo is a very rapid-growing type that is very invasive in some places due to its ability to dominate land within a short period.
How Can Bamboo Grow that Fast?
As long as bamboo is concerned, it produces every of the cell they require to grow when they’re still tiny buds. But unlike in animals, the cells in bamboo don’t need to separate themselves during growth; they stretch out.
These cells are filled with water which causes them to expand quickly, resembling a balloon in a faucet.
It is familiar with grasses, so you must trim your weekly lawn. However, you can only cut back every few months and prune tree branches every two years. A bamboo looks slinky. In other words, it seems tiny at first, but you’ll be amazed at how far it gets on stretching.
Based on their extensive research, modern researchers have reportedly pointed out that rapid growth in bamboo can be possible because of a higher level of coordination between cell division, cell growth, and cell wall biosynthesis, optimized for rapid growth.
How Long Does Bamboo Take to Grow?
Considered the most rapid-growing plants in the world, certain bamboo species can become fully established within only 90 days, while some will take about two years. Some species can reach 35 inches in just one day, equal to 1.5 inches in an hour.
Meanwhile, bamboo can take 1 to 3 years to grow fully mature after sowing. In those first years of planting, these species will require adequate care, as it is essential to increase the plant’s life and enhance its rapid growth.
How Fast Does Bamboo Grow in a Day?
Probably faster than you think, bamboo is widely considered the fastest-growing plant on earth and can grow at a surprising rate of four centimeters per second.
In other words, if it continues at this rate, some of its fast-growing species can reach up to 91 cm (35 inches or 3 feet) within 24 hours.
Therefore, at 35 to 40 inches per day, bamboo is recorded as the quickest-growing plant in the world. But certain factors are in play concerning bamboo and its growth habit. For instance, some species like Madake and Mosocan reach over 1 meter daily (4cm every hour).
How Fast Does Bamboo Grow in a Month?
Because of their tropical climates, bamboo species primarily originated from the Asia-Pacific area. You can also find some native species ranging from South American tropical rainforests to Central America to the Southeastern United States.
However, certain species originate from the cool mountain zones and highland cloud forests like the Andes mountain range in Ecuador.
Meanwhile, the quickest-growing species have been discovered in warm temperate and tropical climates offering the best conditions for growth.
Some of these bamboo species can grow up to 100 feet (30 meters) tall in the space of one month. While in Europe and the USA, the tallest will range from 65 to 98 feet (20 to 30 meters) in height. The tallest species recorded in the tropics was around 130feet (40 meters).
How Fast Does Bamboo Grow in a Week?
Put! Given that rapid-growing bamboo species can grow at a speed of 91 cm per day, if you calculate it for an entire week, it will equate to a staggering 20 feet.
In other words, bamboo species that grow at the rate of 1 to 3 feet per day can grow at a speed of 18 to 20 feet weekly. It could get more than 100 feet tall in less than a year.
Does Bamboo Take Five Years to Grow?
It is one of the most frequent questions that has been posed concerning bamboo species and their growth rate. Not every bamboo specie takes much time to grow. But Chinese bamboo is the most common bamboo that takes up to five years to grow.
You must water and fertilize this specie in the ground where you grow it daily. It will hardly break through the ground for five years. Then, after five years, it tends to grow 90 feet in height within five weeks when it has broken through the ground.
How Fast Does Lucky Bamboo Grow?
The lucky bamboo is native to Cameroon and the Congo, and the plant has rapidly become a household favorite in several regions of the planet.
In some parts, this specie is planted with hydroponics and tends to grow as tall as 19 inches in the space of six months, which means it can reach almost 38 inches within a year.
However, always remember that the growth of the lucky bamboo is often categorized into several steps. You’ll discover an average growth rate of about 10 to 12 inches within six months.
Like other plants, you must regulate its growth, and if it must grow rapidly, you have to offer it the optimal conditions and everything it needs.
How to Help Bamboo Grow Faster
As we mentioned earlier, it will take about 1 to 3 years for a bamboo specie to mature after planting. However, for it to happen, you must provide it with all the requirements and care factors, including the following;
1. Watering
Bamboos are thirst-loving plants, which means you can hardly overwater, as they always tend to get thirsty. Soak bamboo species on drier, hotter days will enable the plant to reach its full growth potential.
2. Sun Exposure
Bamboo species can survive several conditions, but most thrive under direct sunlight. In other words, you must cut back other plants that may be shading your bamboo to ensure it gets adequate access to the sun.
Sun-loving species will grow much faster if it gets sufficient sunlight all day.
3. Feeding
Even though bamboo species don’t necessarily require fertilizer, it can enhance the health of your bamboo and encourage its rapid growth. Use a fertilizer high in nitrogen so it can receive every nutrient it may not receive from its soil, but don’t overfertilize.
Conclusion
Even though certain conditions enable bamboo to grow as fast as it can, it is a stubborn plant that can survive several states, which makes it a great asset to the world.
Unlike most other plants, it doesn’t also need irrigation or pesticides, making it better for the planet. Additionally, its rapid growth rate means it can be harvested and replenished quickly without the devastating effects of deforestation.
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