Question on bamboo seed

Has anyone ever grew bamboo from seed that would share there experince on how they did it. I ordered some off ebay the seller told me to put it in kitty littler plain kind. use a margrine dish put litter in it and wet it sprinkle seed and put more kitty litter and wet it again holes put in bottom of dish put a zip lock bag over it and close.So far this has worked I don't know what to do with it now that it has sprouted. add soil to the kitty litter? Keep it moist

I raised some from seed. When it was a couple of inches tall, I transplanted it into 50% regular garden soil, 50% perlite. I hardened them off, and eventually moved the pot outside. They're growing, but slowly. For a while, they were getting too much direct sun, but since I moved the pot into half-day shade, they've perked up, lost the brown, and started growing again. (The sun in DFW can be brutal.)

Thanks so much for your reply theres hope. I am giving it a shot so far buddah belly has sprouted Is there any reason you use per;ite I thought bamboo liked it moist not dry but not wet.

I usually mix perlite in with almost everything I'm going to put in a pot. It helps with the drainage and aeration, and keeps the soil from getting compacted.

That way, the soil can stay damp, but the plants don't get wet feet (drown from root rot). If a particular plant really needs extra water, I add vermiculite or moisture crystals, depending on the kind of need and where I'm going to put the pot. Outdoor hanging pots, for example, get lots of moisture crystals. Indoor plants, like peace lily, get a mixture of potting soil, perlite, and vermiculite.

Hey, my favorite bamboo subject...
OK, there are some positives when discussing the bamboo seeds that are being distributed - mostly from Ebay sources. They are usually fresh and easy to germinate. They are, as far as I know, truly from a species of bamboo. They are cheap.
With those points in mind, growing whatever happens to come up should be fun. If you're expecting to end up with whatever species is on the label or was pictured on the listing, you will most certainly be disappointed.
Over the past few years, we (Tropical Bamboo Nursery) have received literally hundreds of emails, or actual visits, from people who have bought bamboo seeds or seedlings from Ebay. The question is always, "When will my bamboo start to look like the labeled species?" The photos emailed or the plants brought in usually look alike regardless of the species name they bought the seeds under. A few varied slightly. None were even close to whatever they were supposed to be. Our answer to the above question, "never", is met with defiance (stubborn folks), dissapointment (accepting folks), or anger (folks ready to fly to Germany to pick a fight).
I'm providing a link here with plenty of details on the subject. Mainly, there are two facts to consider:
1) A flowering event for a particular species is rare - sometimes more than 100 years, for some species, no recorded flowerings ever. Having fresh seeds available for any one species for more than a few months would be quite a trick. Having them consistently available for several years would be nearly impossible. Having fresh seeds from more than a dozen different species, for several years would be a miracle.
2) Live bamboo plants, plant parts, or seeds are prohibited from being imported into the USA without 1 year post-entry quarantine. Tiny seeds from Germany can slip through the mail easily so not many people find out about their illegal act the hard way. The details can be found in the link below.
http://www.tropicalbamboo.com/Bamboo_faq.asp#q5

I have some seeds from my own Fargesia nitida that bloomed :( this summer. When should I sow them? Our last frost-free date in my zone is May 15th. So most seeds that aren't winter sowed outside get started in March. Is this the same for the bamboo? Or should I start them now and keep them inside over the winter?

And how should the seeds be stored if planting will be delayed?

Sorry for all the questions, but I loved this plant and am heartbroken that it flowered. Everything I've read or been told tells me that I'm going to lose it now.

TIA!

Bamboo seeds do not stay viable for very long. It's best to sow them while they are fresh and protect the seedlings until you can move them outside. Your parent plant will not necessarily die although, if it's a gregarious flowering of the species, it's likely. If the same species is flowering everywhere, it's gregarious.
The good news is that you collected the seeds and didn't buy them online. If your seeds germinate, you'll know the species from which they came.

I ordered 2 different kinds of seeds and got 2 different kinds of seeds So as far as been given the same thing twice I don't think so The walking stick was a round seed and the buddah belly was wheat looking they are growing and doing just fine. Were would you go to see seeds

Betty Shor of the American Bamboo Society has maintained flowering records of bamboo species for many years. You can find her contact info, and plenty of other bamboo flowering/seed data, in the following links:
http://www.americanbamboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/WhenBambooFlowers.html
http://www.americanbamboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/FromFlowersToSeedlings.html

There are more than 1500 different species of bamboo. Gregarious flowering cycles vary greatly - some flower constantly but rarely produce seed, some flower every five years or so, some every 100 years or so, and at least one has no record of ever flowering (over more than 1000 years).
In any year, it's mathematically logical that 10 - 30 different bamboo species will flower. Some will be obsure species and no one will notice. Some will be useful species and many will notice as they will be adversely affected. Maybe a one or two will be ornamentals that people here would have varying interest in. Out of the 1500+ bamboo species, I'd guess that maybe 300 have value as garden ornamentals. Of those, maybe half (150) have real ornamental value.

The global seed vendors that I'm familiar with are constantly looking for fresh seeds. Here's the text of one of the emails my nursery has received twice in the past month (I've deleted his name):
----hi, i search a wholseller seeds of bamboo, i am from france do you have a price list for 1000 seeds / species? + shipping
or if you havn't seeds do you have a adress of distributor?
Sorry for my bad english :) ...

I'm sure they can find a source for a few different species each year. When a species (usually in SE Asia or India) is in gregarious flower, there will be bushels of seed available. The species doesn't matter. Names of desireable species will be added when sold.

You've listed two common names that could apply to more than one species. Walking Stick is most often applied to Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda, a running bamboo with prominent swollen nodes. There are several other bamboos that are used as walking sticks and also use this common name. Buddha's Belly is most often applied to Bambusa ventricosa, a clumping bamboo that can develop swollen internodes when stressed. Bambusa vulgaris Wamin also displays swollen internodes (when NOT stressed) and this species has sometimes been called Buddha's Belly bamboo.

I have no data of any of these species flowering recently (or within the past decade). That's not to say they couldn't be flowering somewhere in the world. It just seems unlikely since no US growers have reported gregarious flowering. Believe me, if it happens, it's a big deal. The word spreads fast and the American Bamboo Society is always listening.

So, I have no doubt that someone can buy a few different bamboo seeds at a time. What develops from those seeds is anyone's guess. Personally, I'd be more than shocked if yours become Chimonobambusa tumidissinoda or Bambusa ventricosa. Maybe in a few years, you can post photos of whatever they become.

tropicalbamboo, thank you for your reply. I'll get my Fargesia planted right away and keep them inside with my high-light orchids until spring.

I was planning on using a standard sterile seed-starting mix. (Boy, say that 5 times fast!) Should I place the pots in a saucer of water to keep them constantly moist? Or should they be allowed to dry slightly once they've sprouted. Assuming I get them that far.

I found an article that described gregarious flowering for me. It sounds like my bamboo went through sporadic flowering, in that only a small amount of culms produced one or two blooms. That gives me more hope that my plant will live on. I still want to try and sprout some babies, though, just in case.

I appreciate this opportunity to learn more about my beloved plant!

Yes thanks for all your helpful info. Mine are hanging in there.