sals
17th November 2007, 03:35 PM
This may be answered someplace but I can't find it.
I've never worked with bamboo but there is a stand on my lot (from scanning this forum probably p.aurea, max diameter about 2 inches, 10 to 15 feet tall).
When I went to cut it some were dry and some were green. Is there any reason I shouldn't use the dried stalks for making furniture?
ghmerrill
17th November 2007, 10:14 PM
welculm to bamboocraft!
From your post it sounds like the "dry" bamboo is dead culms, and the "green" are live culms. bamboo culms live for many years, depending on species, but most are prime for harvest 3-5 years old. If you harvest early, the culm has not had a chance to "harden". Harvesting older culms is not a problem, however, when they die, there is probably some structural weakening going on as the plant pulls as much as it can from the culm as it dies. If you are planning on using them for some form of construction, I would use the "green" culms, however, you will have to let them dry. Also, culms are best harvested in the summer, after shoot innitiation, but before the new shoots leaf out, as that is when they are at the lowest as far as sugars are concerned, therefore less likely to be of interest to various critters and molds.
hope that helps!
Gene
CaroleMeckes
19th November 2007, 06:10 PM
Hello Sals,
If this is your own grove of bamboo (and it sounds like it is) by all means harvest the dry poles, since they are no longer growing - they are no longer contributing to the growth of the grove - so they need to come out.
You can practice with them and probably make some fine pieces, but as Gene indicated the green ones are stronger.
Remember however that not all green culms are equal in strength.
The best green culms to harvest are the ones that are the oldest - some ways to tell it that the green color will be softer and if you can see to the tops of the canes - the ones that are losing their leaves at the top are the older ones that are most ready to harvest. (I usually make an analogy that just like people who sometimes lose their hair at the top as they age - so also goes the bamboo...)
Carole
sals
22nd November 2007, 10:27 AM
thanks for the advice. I'm off and running