Bamboo

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

Recently, we've begun to explore planting bamboo on our place.

Our first planting (Gigantochloa wrayii) was across the front fence line - to screen traffic noise, dust and light spill.

Today, we visited a place called Bamboo Down Under - on the way to Mt Tamborine. We bought several Chinese Dwarf bamboo to screen morning sun and neighbours from the proposed farm kitchen section of our new pergola set up. Jan also bought a thing called Gigantochloa maxima......which eventually gets to be about 10m high.

A little googling reveals some very interesting things about bamboo.

Gary

[grassroots 10]

Hi Gary

I've noticed you put this post in fodder crops. Do you intend to feed it to any of your livestock?

[GaryD 1038]

Hi Grassroots,

I read that some species of bamboo are good for cattle fodder but, other than that, my choice of forum was based on the fact that we don't have one for plants that look good and have dozens of uses......yet!

Gary

[Hofmann 10]

I remember thinking what a brilliant idea it was to plant bamboo in that ditch on the creek st blog. Whilst I've no doubt there are many other uses, as a building material it has no equal. Super strong, super light, super flexible and very attractive. Grows like crazy and you don't even have to mill it down. When I left school I was a scaffolder for a number of years and I always wanted to have a go at the bamboo scaffolds in asia but at $1 a day, there was going to be a pay dispute, possibly leading to union involvement.

Anyway, the only thing that's stopped me putting it to clients as a possible material is I don't really know how to make joins. It doesn't seem to like to be drilled or screwed as it splits easy which I gather is why they tie it. It seems like it would be perfect to make those domed green houses and pergolas would look great in it. Of course you have to be carefull of the variety. The running ones that take over your whole yard, and the neighbours yard, are what gave it a bad name in the first place. My parents spent thousands when I was a kid trying to get rid of some and never really won the battle. I shudder to think what they put in that yard. Agent orange probably would have been under consideration by the end.

[GaryD 1038]

Hi Dan,

I remember thinking what a brilliant idea it was to plant bamboo in that ditch on the creek st blog. Whilst I've no doubt there are many other uses, as a building material it has no equal. Super strong, super light, super flexible and very attractive. Grows like crazy and you don't even have to mill it down.

We've only discovered bamboo relatively recently but we're already in love with it.

When I left school I was a scaffolder for a number of years and I always wanted to have a go at the bamboo scaffolds in asia but at $1 a day, there was going to be a pay dispute, possibly leading to union involvement.

About 10 years ago, Jan and I visited Hong Kong and Singapore. I remember looking out of our hotel window one afternoon and seeing a bunch of building workers on a vacant allotment alongside of the hotel......about ten stories below.

About 3.00am the next morning, I was awakened by a noise outside of the window and, as I swung the curtains back, I came face-to-face with a person erecting a bamboo scaffold......right outside the window. The second surprise was that the scaffolder was a woman.

She was part of a team of women that was building the scaffolding. I enquired the next day......they are very quick and the whole thing is tied together.....not a scaffold clamp in sight. Oh.....and no safety harness.....or OH&S representatives and no union disputes.

Anyway, the only thing that's stopped me putting it to clients as a possible material is I don't really know how to make joins. It doesn't seem to like to be drilled or screwed as it splits easy which I gather is why they tie it. It seems like it would be perfect to make those domed green houses and pergolas would look great in it.

I have yet to make anything from bamboo (other than tomato trellises) but I've seen photos of bamboo structures made by Japanese craftsmen that suggests that it is very versatile.

Of course you have to be carefull of the variety. The running ones that take over your whole yard, and the neighbours yard, are what gave it a bad name in the first place. My parents spent thousands when I was a kid trying to get rid of some and never really won the battle. I shudder to think what they put in that yard. Agent orange probably would have been under consideration by the end.

We bought clumping varieties.....and, so far, they are performing beautifully.

Gary

[Hofmann 10]

If you could get some of that giant stuff that ends up 100mm diam. or better you could do some amazing stuff. It looks like your projects are going to be fairly ongoing so a free versatile building material would come in very handy. Heres a video on the knot. By the way, bamboo could make for some attractive bracing on your pergola.

http://www.ehow.com/video_4807673_tie-japanese-knots.html

[Hofmann 10]

way better knots here

http://www.scribd.com/doc/8749775/basic-book-of-knots-and-lashings

[Hofmann 10]

Here's some full details on how to build a structure with it.

http://www.staff.city.ac.uk/earthquakes/Bamboo/Bamboo.htm

[drewb 10]

if you are interested in different bamboo's I went and visited these guys and was blown away with the choices and colours.

http://www.bambooland.com.au

i have bought a ghost gray and a baby buddha. we have plans later to get one of the 100mm dia varieties latter on.

cheers Drew and Bec

[Guest DaveOponic]

This is a geodesic dome I am making to cover my swimming pool to keep leaves out.... bamboo leaves mostly that border one end of the pool. The finished diameter will be about 4 metres, so this photo is the top one third of the dome.

The black ag pipe forms the dome structure. Pipe is not strong enough on its own to support the weight so I have attached bamboo with cable ties. I intend to cover it with either shade cloth or plastic sheet.

Dave

[Hofmann 10]

Cool Davo, It looks like it might double as a spaceship too. I gather it's going to be permanantly fixed and you just swim inside it.

[Guest DaveOponic]

No. The pool is rectangular (40 x 15 feet) and one end is under a fence of bamboo and a huge tree that drops 100 leaves a day.

I intend to mount the dome on rubber wheels that straddle the pool. Most of the time it will remain at the leafy end of the pool to keep the leaves out. The second purpose of the dome is to provide shade so that we can swim in the pool in the heat of the day. (Brunei is in the equatorial tropics - the sun is intense in the middle of the day)

It is actually I prototype for a much stronger dome (made of steel conduit) that would also have a hammock suspended from inside and a water slide could be attached/hung from the inside of the dome.

PS.... domes should never be made less than 300mm in diameter (lol )

Dave

[Hofmann 10]

Geez thats a lot of work for a test run. You must have a couple of house boys thrown in with your contract over there. Either that or you eat a **** load of wheatbix in the morning. You gonna go natural with the pool?

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

Late in 2009, we planted bamboo along our front fence line and down the eastern side of our new pergola area.

They're growing like topsy.

Gary

[morrie 10]

hi

i've got a couple of bamboos, oldhamii, budda belly and a thin black one that was sold as a clumping but turned out a runner - a bit of frantic digging to get it all (now in a pot)

we eat the shoots of the oldhamii and try and use the poles (its about 20+ m high now) for as many things as we can but i've discovered that in our small suburban back yard its a bit labour intensive.

the shoots need a lot of boiling to flush out the bitter taste and the poles arn't much good if they are not treated to stop rot and borers. the leaves etc take forever to decompose as well.

end up giving the poles away on freecycle

just as well i like the stuff!!!

[GaryD 1038]

Hi Ian,

We planted Gigantochloa wrayii across the front fence line - to screen traffic noise, dust and light spill.

We've also planted several Chinese Dwarf bamboo to screen morning sun and neighbours from our farm kitchen area.

We've also got one Gigantochloa maxima. I love bamboo and I'd like to plant a lot more of them.

While they've all continued some growth through the cooler months, I'm expecting some serious growth during the wet season (our summer).

Gary

[Metallidog 10]

I'm really glad I read this post. When I was a kid my grandfather always had bamboo growing. He loved the stuff. Now this thread has got the wheels turning in my head. I've googled bamboo and am convinced I'm going to plant some next spring.

Hooked on Aquaponics

[GaryD 1038]

Hi Metallidog,

Recent rains and the onset of warmer weather has really kicked our bamboo along.

Gary

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

Our bamboo have continued to grow like weeds. We've had these a bit over 12 months now.

Gary

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

Our bamboo have continued to thrive.

We've trimmed those at the end of our pergola area and they grow back very quickly and the foliage becomes finer. We've used it as mulch on our raised beds and it works more effectively than anything we've tried previously......and it's free.

Gary

[Pugo 16]

Well, for me I have seen bamboo used for almost eveything living here in asia, the wife uses it as a clothes line, I see roofs made of it. and yes scaffolding around build here is only done with Bamboo. I hear some was trying to use it a piping for an Aquapoincs system, But I really don't think it would last very long as the inside is prone to rot if exposed to the elements.

At anyrate Bamboo is very useful, I like the pictures keep them coming.. I think I have some good PDF's about bamboo let me know and I can send them to anyone who wants it..

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

Do any of our members have experience of propagating bamboos?

We have lots of them that could be split (or whatever it's called) to produce more bamboos, but I know little about when and how to go about it.

Gary

[GaryD 1038]

Hi,

 

About four years ago, we planted bamboo across our front fence line.  Aside from its other benefits (screening traffic noise and providing some privacy), these amazing plants shed loads of leaves and twigs.   I use a lawn mower to chop the trash up.  

 

We use it for mulching our plants, as bedding for our chickens and quail.....and to mix with nitrogen-rich materials to produce a premium compost.

 

The really good thing about this material is that it is weed free.....essential for composting.

 

Gary

Edited October 20, 2013 by GaryD (see edit history)

[SamBurton 133]

I really want to grow bamboo, for screening, mulch and fodder, but I'm afraid it will get out of control and all my neighbors will  hate me again.  I wonder about growing clumping bamboo in wicking beds.  Thoughts?

[MikeRich 18]

What exactly is eating bamboo besides panda bears ? I've always been interested in practical building and landscaping methods. Lots of different kinds it seems . We have 3 kinds on property but unsure what kinds. Often wondered how good it may work in irrigation systems... Only thing I've made with one so far is a fishing pole. 😀