Bamboo can be left unpruned, but the effect of removing lower leaves can be quite striking. After the stand is a few years old, I trim off leaf shoots to about five feet. Here you look through Yellow Grove into Vivax and Black Bamboo.

It is best to remove all dead canes, any that are damaged, any that grow in an erratic direction, and any that are unusually small.

If you thin canes to about six inches apart (more or less, depending on the size of the species) you will get fatter and taller canes.