Sowing

1.Get the seed-starting compost into a bucket or large bowl. Add a small amount of water while you mix the compost with your hand. Keep adding water while at the same time stirring until you get a moderately moist compost mixture.

2.Proceed to fill the several 3-inch square pots with the seed-starting compost.For each pot, add two black bamboo seeds on the surface and then add about 1/16 inches of compost to cover the seeds.With the seeds in place, spritz each of the pot with water to settle the compost around the newly planted black bamboo seeds. Keep spraying the water until the top layer of compost feels saturated.

3.As your choices, you need a propagation mat. Place this propagation mat near a large window with bright filtered light coming through it. Set its temperature to around 68 degrees F and set up the pots on top of the propagation mat.

4.Each time you notice the compost is starting to dry on the surface, spray a bit of water to moisten it. You should never let the seed-starting compost dry out.

5.After two weeks, you should start watching out for signs of sprouting. You should still be patient as some might take up to 6 months just to sprout.

6.With the seedlings showing better signs of growth, move them to a greenhouse environment. Such an environment should have bright light, temperatures above 68 degrees F, and high humidity. Always keep these seedlings out of direct sunlight and well-watered.

7.After a few weeks, you can now transplant the black bamboo plants into the field or garden. It is recommended that you transplant them in a partially shaded bed containing loamy soil. The soil should be well-drained.

Growing:

As part of taking care of your black bamboo plant,the use of nitrogen fertilizer is highly recommended for the best outcomes.To apply fertilizer, it should be done during the two growth phases of the plant. The first application has to be done during spring. This is when the plant is trying to gain new shoots. The second application is during the summer months when the plant rhizomes are expanding. You can prune the plants to limit their growth into thick clumps or hedges.

Black bamboo plants start out as green in color when young. The change from green to black happens after one to three years of growth. 

This type of bamboo is non-invasive as compared to some other bamboo species.

You can do so by placing them in containers that restrict their root growth,but too much restriction is not healthy for the plant.

When you plant this species in the ground, it will grow up to 5 feet in height every year that passes. The maximum height it can achieve is 20 feet, and diameter to 2 inches. For a container plant, expect that it would only reach three-quarters of its expected normal size.