How to grow

[charndannio]

I have some land that I want to start a Small Bamboo Plantation. The track of land is about 25 acres. I know it will grow here because there are a lot of small bamboo groves around me and the owners don't do anything with the bamboo. I have been harvesting some of it to sell on ebay and it seems I have developed a love for the plant. What is the quickest way to plant (25 acres) this amount, and how much spacing do I need between the plants. Can I just plant the stalk of the bamboo by cutting up sections and planting them in a linear fashion or is this possible. The bamboo around here is about 2 to 3 inches in diameter. I haven't seen much larger than this and the age of some of the groves is 40 to 50 years old. I also have access to many, many thousands of stalks that are maybe 30 to 35 feet in height. Can anyone tell me the best way to get a market for this amount of bamboo? Do I sell it by the stalk or by sections? Any help would be appreciated. I know I would need to identify the the bamboo but don't know how to go about this. I have went to the websites that suppose to help you do this but can't seem to be able to identify it. Thanks, Charlene

[CaroleMeckes]

Hello charndannio and welcome (culm) to the bamboo forums,

It sounds like you have found some "running" bamboo groves. It would be quite safe to assume that the genus name is "Phyllostachys" (http://www.bamboocraft.net/bamboo/showgallery.php?cat=502). There are many different species of this genus - so if you could post a picture some of the members here may be able to help you identify it. In the springtime, when the new shoots arise, taking pictures of the culm sheaths will be most helpful in trying to id the bamboo as the characteristics of the culm sheaths help in identification.

To grow this species you will have to dig up a root ball and transplant it. This is a good time of year for transplanting in South Carolina. Running bamboos do not propagate from culm cuttings as many of the tropical bamboos do.

Another thing you might consider is contacting and joining the Southeast Chapter of the American Bamboo Society (http://www.sec-bamboo.org/) as there may be people in your area that could help to id the bamboo.

Carole