splitting and using newly harvested bamboo questions

[kuuurisu]

Hi everyone, how're things? this is my first post.
My name is Chris, a kiwi living in Japan. I'm currently renovating an old japanese farmhouse, which has a kitchen that is attached to the back of the house and is more or less outdoors, though it is under cover. To bring it inside, I want to use bamboo to build a couple of walls.
I want to use 2 bamboo uprights spaced 6 inches apart and a couple of feet between the next 2 (if you're confused, picture people standing in a line a couple of feet apart facing the next persons back, each person's feet 6 inches apart, and imagine their legs are bamboo...) Then I want to put horizontal lengths of split (about 2 inches wide) bamboo down the middle, on both sides of the wall, and tsuchikabe (muddy slop with straw used traditionally in japan) to fill the gap, the weight of which will thus push out the horizontals hard against the uprights.
Sorry if this is hard to picture, it's harder to explain!

My questions: I have very little dry bamboo left from last november's (apparently the traditional harvest time in Japan) harvest, and will need to use fresh bamboo, from early autumn (i.e. now). Will this be a problem if I split the bamboo for the horizontals?
If I also use fresh bamboo for the uprights, what problems might eventuate?

The tsuchikabe will take a long time (probably several months) to dry. Will it start to rot the bamboo in that time?

If anyone has any advice in this regard I'd be really happy. I have looked over these forums quickly and found lots of info about drying etc, but nothing related to using freshly harvested bamboo split several times

by the way, I'm not sure of the scientific name, but the bamboo I have access to is the very thick (as much as 6-7 inches diameter) clumping variety you might associate with Japanese temple scenes.

Thanks!
Chris

[Pondman]

Chris- How fortunate you are to have access to such a large supply of big strong timber bamboo! You will need it for such a large porject. The more effort you put into the preperation of the bamboo the better. First- I hope that you will be using older culms (over 3 years old). That will give you the strength you need. As far as harvesting at the less than ideal time of year-I do but I heat treat them with a propane torch to harden, dry, and partially seal them. I also add an outdoor type varnish to seal and protect them further (seal the splits inside and out). Also, when I put the post type into the ground, I do not stick them directly into the earth (this can introduce moisture, rot, or disease into the bamboo). I use pvc pipe buried into the ground as a casing filled with sand that is about 1=2 inches above ground level.
Andy