Abstract: 【Objective】The lateral rhizome bud differentiation and growth of Phyllostachys edulis is important for improving the yield of shoot and bamboo timber. 【Method】The growth of rhizome lateral buds in on-year were studied by means of underground excavation and aboveground investigation.【Result】The results showed that rhizome lateral buds was 552 433 individual·hm^-2，including 19 433 individual·hm^-2 sprouted shoots，of which 3 543 individual·hm^-2 shoots sprouted out of the ground and 1 479 individual·hm^-2 were grown into bamboo. 20 550 individual·hm^-2 sprouted shoots from mulched bamboo forests. 75.80% abortive bamboo shoots height were less than 30 cm.  85.81% abortive bamboo shoots roots were within 10 cm in soil. 87.85% abortive bamboo shoots had few roots or no roots，and 12.15% abortive bamboo shoots had developed roots. 【Conclusion】The bud differentiation of Ph. edulis is discontinuous and the germination rate is low. Covering cultivation cannot significantly increase the number of lateral bud differentiation，and the root plays a key role in the process of bamboo shoot formation. Therefore，inducing the lateral bud differentiation and increasing the root development can significantly improve the output of bamboo forests.