BAMBOO is found in tropical (a few species are subtropical) areas around the world. Seeing the grass in our yards, it's hard to believe that bamboo is also a grass. The stems, called culms for BAMBOO, of some species can reach to over 100 feet high. They rarely flower and therefore seeds are almost never available. However, culms can grow up to full height in one season (in some species growing one foot each day) and each rhizome (vegetative reproduction shoots that grow underground laterally and send up new culms) grows a new plant. Because of this, some BAMBOO tends to be intensively invasive and difficult to get rid of. Once established in the landscape, all the rhizomes must be dug up before the plant is eradicated.
BAMBOO has been extremely valuable to mankind. It has been used as a food source for humans and for the Giant Panda of China; wood for furniture, flooring, musical instruments, etc.; for decorative artwork carvings; hollowed into vases, tubes, and pipes; flattened into paper; honed into knitting needles; and the fibers made into yarn and clothes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo
American Bamboo Society
http://www.americanbamboo.org/
The objectives and purposes of the Society are:1. To provide a source of information on the identification, propagation, utilization, culture and appreciation of bamboos. To disseminate and store this information, the Society maintains a library of references and publishes a Journal and a Magazine.
2. To promote the utilization of a group of desirable species by development of stocks of plants for distribution to botanical gardens and introduction to the general public.
3. To preserve and increase the number of bamboo species in the United States.
4. To plant and maintain bamboo gardens to display the characteristic beauty of mature plants and to provide plant material for research in the taxonomy, propagation and culture of as large a number of species as possible.
5. To support bamboo research in the field and to establish whatever facilities are deemed necessary to carry out the research projects approved by the Directors.
The Beauty of Bamboo
http://www.bamboogarden.com/
"Watching the new bamboo shoots emerge in the spring and early summer is a phenomenon unlike any other a gardener is likely to experience. The new shoots emerge from the ground the diameter that the full culm will be, and then grow to their full height in about 60 days. These culms never grow any larger. When conditions are favorable, the bamboo will put up larger shoots, to grow into new and larger culms each spring, until the bamboo reaches its maximum size for the species in those conditions."
- More . . . .
- [This is an excellent site; don't miss it.]
Bamboo Background
1. Bamboo produces new canes (culms) in the Spring. These shoots emerge out of the ground and grow in height and diameter for around 60 days. During this 60 day period it will produce limbs and leaves.2. After the 60 day period of growth, this bamboo cane does not grow in height or diameter ever again. It will put on new foliage every year, and typically a cane last for 10 years.
3. Bamboo is a member of the grass family. It is a colony plant, so it uses energy from this existing plant to produce more plants the next year increasing the size of the colony. The new plants will grow in the same manner. New shoots emerge to turn into a cane with limbs and leaves within a 60 day period.
4. It takes bamboo about three years to get established. But once established the new shoots that emerge in the Spring (they will still only grow for 60 days, but will grow a lot more) will continue to get bigger and more numerous from year to year. It takes a varying number of years (4-15) for different species to reach their maximum size. This is dependent on species selection and soil, sunlight, climate and water conditions
- More . . . .
- [See especially their first-rate section on "Choosing Bamboo
For Your Location".]
Why Bamboo?
http://www.kauai.net/bambooweb/bamboo.html
1. The fastest growing plant on this planet2. A critical element in the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
3. A viable replacement for wood
4. An enduring natural resource
5. Versatile with a short growth cycle
6. A critical element of the economy
7. An essential structural material in earthquake architecture
8. A renewable resource for agroforestry production.
9. A natural controllable barrier
10. An ancient medicine
11. Integrally involved in culture and the arts
- More . . . .
- [Impressive section on the uses of bamboo]
New England Bamboo Company
http://www.newengbamboo.com/
"The Growth Pattern of Bamboo differs from that of most woody plants. Once a year, usually in spring, new growth occurs as a bamboo shoot. The shoot emerges from the ground and reaches its full height in 6 to 8 weeks. In Asia and the Pan Americas, some bamboos attain heights of 100' or more. You can literally watch some bamboos grow 1 ½ inches per hour or about 3 feet in one day.The Potential Growth of each variety of bamboo is genetically inherent. Plant growth can be accelerated by providing the optimum growing conditions each variety prefers. A larger starter plant (with a larger root system) will establish into a mature grove in a shorter time. A running bamboo in a Number One container will cover an area 10'x10' square in about 7 years and mature in about 12 years. A #5 container plant will cover an area 10'x10' in 3 years and mature in about 8 years.
Bamboo is a Member of the Grass Family and likes a well-drained fertile soil of neutral pH (6.5) and high organic content. Bamboo does not appreciate planting where the soil is wet for extended periods of time and will not survive in a marsh or bog."
- More . . . .
- [You cannot buy online from the New England Bamboo Company, but their site is a great source of information.]
Bamboo Products from China
China Bamboo Products: "China has abundant resources of bamboo over 400 species. To set up this websit--China Bamboo Products aims to delevop and utilize the rich China bamboo resources. At present, several processing factories and plants nursery have been set up by us in growing area.We do hope to establish business relationship with firms all over the
world."
- Click to see products . . . .
- [I know nothing about this company, but it seems to be a small company in China specializing in bamboo products. That in itself makes it interesting, plus their website shows some attractive products. It could be a good source for bamboo products directly from the manufacturer.]
Bamboo Hardwood Products
A great source of bamboo products from poles to plywood and fences to furniture. Their website is a little sparse, but their products are topnotch.Bamboo Arts and Crafts
The address says it all! This is a list of companies in China who offer bamboo crafts. They don't specialize in bamboo, but overall, they offer just about every bamboo craft product you can imagine, and some you can't.Your One Stop Bamboo Flooring Shop
"Grown in Southeast China, bamboo is a fast growing grass that requires no pesticides or fertilizers. It generates without replanting. Its a low-energy naturally renewable resource and offers ecological diversity as a sustainable resource. It only takes 3 to 4 years for bamboo to mature but it takes about 50 to 60 years for hardwood to mature. Bamboo is super strong, durable and highly versatile as building material, perfect for both commercial and residential uses."Amazon
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