A healthy grove needs an occasional thinning. Remove any dead, scarred, or weak culms by cutting them at ground level with a horizontal cut. Thinning prevents bamboo from becoming too congested. Allowing more light into the center of the grove often promotes larger overall growth, and is helpful for controlling pests such as aphids or mites. Bamboo can be pruned into whatever shape is desired. For example, one can cut a path into a hollow area in the middle of a grove, creating a peaceful sanctuary. Avoid pruning when the bamboo is producing new shoots (spring through early summer). Do not remove more than a third of the grove or screen per year. The ideal time for pruning is after the new culms have matured in late summer. Some of the best species for producing groves include: Phyllostachys vivax, P. dulcis, P. nigra ‘Henon’, and P. edulis “Moso”. Bamboo can be topped to maintain a certain height or create a dense and defined canopy. Make cuts just above a node, so as not to leave a stub that will die back and look unsightly. The branches remaining below the cut will produce more foliage to make up for what they lost, thus creating a very dense cover. Colorful bamboo, such as Phyllostachys nigra and P. vivax ‘Aureocaulis’ can be enhanced by removing smaller culms and by cutting off lower branches, a technique called legging up. This draws attention to the beautiful, robust culms at the base of the plant. To harvest edible bamboo shoots in the spring, dig beneath the shoot and clip it off of the rhizome. Look for large diameter shoots that have grown 5 to ten inches above the mulch level. Peel the culm sheaths away and cut the tender shoot into small pieces. Steam or sauté the shoots for a delicious meal.

 Selective harvest of bamboo canes,  Summer 2010
Click on each photo for larger image

About 30% of the canes the Moso grove (above) have been marked to be harvested in July, 2010

The cut canes are cut with a reciprocating saw, branch and leaf pruned, and removed from the grove.

Our Phyllostachys vivax has a 3.75" diameter cane with a broken top from heavy snow last winter.  It was selected to be harvested. Even though P. vivax are not strong, the width of the canes are impressive

The canes are brought to the upper barn and carefully placed into the storage rack.

Sometimes we make special root cut canes showing the pattern made by the support roots. These can be sanded down to reveal intricate, circular wood grains. They are often used to make shakuhachi flutes. Root cut canes are beautiful but very limited in supply.

The branch trimmings and smaller canes are chipped into a coarse mulch and recycled back into the grove. (thanks to Dain of Bamboo Valley for using his 9" Bandit chipper) The grove is then fertilized and top dressed with a 3-5" deep layer of compost, mulch, and horse manure mix. This will encourage strong rhizome growth over the summer and fall which will hopefully translate into robust and plentiful new shoots next spring!

All photos on this page are © Bamboo Garden, Noah Bell

before                                                                                after
Grove maintenance: selective summer harvest of canes; you could call it  "Bamboo Forestry".

 

Working with Bamboo Canes By Charissa Brock, Bamboo Artist, and employee of Bamboo Garden Bamboo is an amazing material to work with. It can be used architecturally, as part of a structure, or as part of a detail within a structure. It can be used in a garden to support plants. It can be used in an art studio as a fine art or craft material, or in the home, as a decorative element. Whatever the use, here is some basic information about working with bamboo. About bamboo canes (anatomy and coloring) Most bamboo has hollow culms with nodes that are solid. The skin of bamboo shreds easily when cut or drilled, and the grain runs the length of the cane, only crossing over at nodes. The color, sheen, and texture of the skin can vary within a species. The diameter of bamboo is largest the base and tapers to the top. The base also has a very thick culm wall and gets thinner as it tapers.   Bamboo Canes at Bamboo Garden: We supply both fresh cut and dried bamboo canes locally. Most canes range in price from $2 to $10 each, with a diameter of .75" to 2", cut to 10 to 15 feet. We have some larger canes that are 3" in diameter. Bundles of canes are discounted. Different species of bamboo have different quality wood and color. All are sustainably grown in Oregon, at Bamboo Garden, or other locations in the Portland area. Our canes are not imported, cured, or treated. Our staff selectively harvests most canes in summer and early spring. Please call for details about species available and pricing. We do not normally ship canes out of state, but we can deliver locally. Cutting bamboo The skin of the bamboo can easily splinter if not cut properly. To create a nice smooth cut follow these tips. Wrap one layer of masking tape around the bamboo where you want to cut it. Stabilize the cane so it doesn’t roll or vibrate. Use a fine-toothed saw. Bamboo Garden sells the Silky Oyakata folding saw. When you have sawed through the pole about 3/4 the way, rotate the bamboo so your cut is facing down, line up the blade on top of the culm and continue cutting. If you don’t rotate the bamboo, the weight of the piece you are cutting will fall and rip the skin off one side. Remove the tape carefully after cutting. Storing bamboo Moisture, light, insect degradation, and mold can all affect the quality of bamboo. Storing it outside on the ground is not adequate if the bamboo is going to be used to build with. Bamboo can be stored vertically or horizontally, just like planks of wood. There needs to be some ventilation, a little light, and a little warmth to make it unattractive to insects and keep mold from growing in the bamboo walls.

Heat-treating bamboo Preparing bamboo is only necessary when using the bamboo for fine crafts/arts or when incorporating it into an interior. It changes the surface of the bamboo, giving it a beautiful sheen. It removes a sugary starch, which some insects are attracted to, making it an archival art material. It will also kill any bugs living in the bamboo, whether they are eggs or mature insects. Preparing bamboo is done with a torch and propane. Before preparing bamboo it should be washed with a non-abrasive cloth and soap then dried. Use the heat from the flame to treat bamboo in about six inch sections, turning the culm around so all surfaces of those six inches are being heated. A sheen should rise to the surface of the bamboo-that is an oily starch that insects are attracted to, a sort of sugar they eat. When the oil has become consistent and starts to bubble just a tiny bit wipe the oil off with a rag. If you hold the bamboo in the flame for too long it will toast or burn the bamboo skin. It will also make the bamboo brittle, should you need to split or bend it. Move on to the next 6-inch section, carefully overlapping just a little. Use a different section of the rag each time you wipe a new area, as to not accidentally wipe oil back on the bamboo. Heat-treating should be done in a well-ventilated area. Preserving bamboo for outdoor use The outer skin of bamboo is fairly water resistant. The woody inside will mildew when exposed to moisture. When fencing is made in Asian countries it is not treated with anything. When parts are no longer stable they are replaced. Canes used outdoors can last in between 5 and 12 years, depending on weather conditions, structure, and bamboo species. Bamboo used in building structures should be incorporated in a way where water does not enter the bamboo cane. A good book to read for information about bamboo preservation is “Bamboo Preservation Compendium” by Walter Liese and Satish Kumar. It is available for purchase through Bamboo Garden. Changing the color of bamboo Bamboos water resistant skin is difficult for any paint, lacquer or dye to adhere to. Traditional Japanese dyes are effective, but come in a limited amount of colors, and are not available in the USA yet. Research needs to be done in this area. Bamboo can be toasted with heat to change the color to varying degrees of tan or brown. See the section on heat-treating bamboo for more information on this. If the skin is sanded or planed off paint or lacquer will stick to the bamboo but the beautiful natural sheen of the bamboo and interesting shape of the nodes will be lost. Constructing with bamboo Bamboo grain runs the length of the cane, with fibers only crossing over each other at the nodes. Because of this, pounding a nail straight into bamboo will split the cane. Putting holes in bamboo, like cutting bamboo, can tear the fragile skin, so it is better to tape where you want to drill. One easy way to attach two canes together is to tape the canes together, drill a pilot hole through both canes, then use a screw or bolt to attach the canes together. Remove the tape afterwards.

Where to learn more Bamboo Garden www.bamboogarden.com a knowledgeable staff, workshops, and supplies Charissa Brock Private instruction and group classes in working with bamboo as an art material. www.charissabrock.com www.bamboocraft.net A forum devoted to bamboo as a craft material  www.americanbamboo.org ABS American Bamboo Society, devoted to the education, utilization and beauty of bamboo. Yearly conferences and quarterly local meetings