Hey guys I know there was a post a few months/years? ago about growing bamboo.. I couldn't find it.

My question is what kind of bamboo is good for 'wood working'? And where can the seeds be purchased?
(Grows 8ft or so tall, good for making tables, chairs, benches, etc.)



Thanks guys!
-Todd

Researched some... bissetii ?

(I'm in Northern California)

http://www.jmbamboo.com/pricelist.htm

Try Dendrocalamus Strictus. It is solid all the way through. Great for building furniture or structures. It is possible to grow from seeds, though verrrrry difficult and labor intensive. It is much easier to buy a division of an existing plant (rhizome) and grow from there. Mine are growing about 6" per day.

Many bamboos only flower/seed every 100 yrs or so, then they usually die, so seed is fairly rare. Growing from culms is the usual way. Depending on your location, many can get 30 ft tall.

Check out the bamboo forum at gardenweb.com for lots of info. But beware! These guys are OBSESSED! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue

You need to start it from a clump. Also, make sure you box it in somehow, like in a raised planter or something, don't just plant it in your yard otherwise it will take over everything.

don't have an answer for your question but i can recommend a book i'm currently reading all about bamboo. its called (appropriately enough) THE BOOK OF BAMBOO by David Farrely. all i can say is this is one amazing plant! i was surprised to find out you can make almost anything from bamboo. homes, bridges, instruments, etc, etc etc. talk about versatility. i wonder why its use hasn't been more widespread in the west considering it grows exponentially faster than trees.

I find this interesting to be sure, but did I miss something about how this would be for survival? Anyone know if you can grow them in the Midwest (we get some pretty gnarly winters here). Also, when it's said that if you don't plant them in a box that they take over, would it be safe to plant a small grove in the timber or would it kill off native species?

bamboo grows abundantly throughout asia and there are many regions with severe winter weather so i assume cold weather isn't a problem. from what i've read there are also many different types of bamboo with different temperature tolerances. here's a little info from a website i was reading:

"The best time to plant varies from area to area and species to species. In cold winter climates, the best planting time is probably as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. This gives the plant a longer growing season to get established before the next cold season shuts it down. In hot summer climates the best planting time for cool climate species such as most mountain
bamboos, may be the fall. Heat sensitive mountain bamboos may more readily establish themselves after the passing of the hot weather"

here's the site:

http://www.maasnursery.com/bamboo.htm

and here's another site that sells cold tolerant bamboo:
http://www.jmbamboo.com/coldhardy.htm

as far as its usefullness for survival goes, the list is endless. shelter, tools, tea, water container, rope, candle wicks, and even as a signaling device (or deterrent for curious wildlife), since an uncracked section of bamboo will explode with a trememdously loud bang if heated in a fire.

I stand re-informed of the situation. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Thanks for setting me straight.

sorry, wasn't trying to be a bamboo nerd, i just read most of that stuff today and had to spill it somewhere <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Be forewarned that some of the "gardening" websites will pass along incomplete information. There are two types of bamboo, running and clumping. Running bamboo will grow and spread aggressively if not properly contained, possibly into neighboring yards which really ticks off the neighbors. Probably won't kill off native species, but will compete for resources. Clumping versions will spread a limited amount and not "take over your yard". Dendrocalamus Strictus is a clumper, can produce poles up to 60' tall with a 5" diameter base, and would be good for walking staffs.

For survival use in earthquake-prone areas, plant large groves of clumpers. The root systems are so large, thick and stable that in Japan, people run into the middle of them during earthquakes for a stable, protected place to ride out the shaking. Or so the popular legend goes...

Yes, you need to be careful with bamboo spreading. I've seen bamboo get under a concrete patio and crack the slab when it started growing from underneath. Now that's power! I've also seen a house with a bamboo shaft poking a hole through the roof. Again, it was bamboo that started growing someplace unexpected (and unseen). It can be very tough to remove bamboo completely from an area once it gets going. You may never find all the roots that it sends out (depending on the variety).

As far as the earthquake idea, that may have some merit, but only long ago. I've lived in Japan before and probably 95% of people live in big cities, and another 4.99% don't live near enough to a bamboo forest close enough to dash into when the ground starts shaking. I've been in a bamboo forest before. Beautiful, although kind of eery, and actually a bit claustrophobic because the shafts tend to grow quite close together.

In Hong Kong, they still routinely use bamboo as scaffolding for new building construction. It's wild to see these skyscrapers under contrusction surrounded by bamboo scaffolding many, many stories high. Sometimes I wonder if the scaffolding is stronger than the building! I wouldn't be surprised if they were.

"I wonder if the scaffolding is stronger than the building! I wouldn't be surprised if they were. "

Several years ago, there was an earthquake somewhere in Japan. There were before and after photos. The "before" photo showed a multi-story building under construction with bamboo scaffolding. The "after" photo showed the scaffolding still standing, & the building was a pile of rubble.

You can surround a planned grove of running bamboo with a two-foot-deep barrier of continuous pond liner type of plastic. It is best to angle it UP toward the outside of the grove. When the roots run, they hit the membrane and veer upward, where you can lop them off.

Sue