Bamboo

dufflight · **Posted:** Thu Jan 07, 2010 8:36 pm

This is the first shoot on the giant bamboo i've got growing in the back yard. This one is variegated and I also have a black variety. Both you can eat.

chillidude · **Posted:** Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:19 pm

Congrats Duff - give it a couple of years and you'll be harvesting, cooking and/or pickling shoots for yourself.

I'm growing Giant Forest bamboo (10 plants) as a screen and as a food source.

I'll put some photos up tomorrow.

Simo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 13, 2010 12:51 pm

chillidude wrote:

Congrats Duff - give it a couple of years and you'll be harvesting, cooking and/or pickling shoots for yourself.

I'm growing Giant Forest bamboo (10 plants) as a screen and as a food source.

I'll put some photos up tomorrow.

Is that the really big one that they use for scoffolding in Asia?

chillidude · **Posted:** Wed Jan 13, 2010 1:10 pm

Possibly. I'm growing Giant Timber Dendrocalamopsis oldhamii. It's not the largest (diameter) but apparently hold the world record for strongest. When mature will get up to about 12 m in height and 5-7cm in diameter.

In Taiwan this is the major shoot producing bamboo and in southern China the shoots are called Water Chestnut Shoots as they have a similar crisp texture to the water chestnut.

chillidude · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 11:16 am

OK, some photos as promised.

The first shows the layout and the second shows a new shoot (they're called culms) coming through - it is an inch (2.5cm) in diamter at the base.

One thing that needs to be understood about bamboo is that the culms do not get any thicker than their original diamter once they have emerged. What happens, as the plant matures, is that each subsequent culm is larger in diameter than the previous ones, right from the start. This contiunues until they start emerging at their maximum diameter which is then the size that all culms will emerge at.

ali_celt · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:01 pm

How much are you all paying for your bamboo?

There is a place near us (http://www.fernforest.com.au/) that sells bamboos. We were looking at a golden cane variety as DH prefers the more slender style canes. But they are charging about $70 per pot, of a bamboo that's about 3 foot high. :cry:

We really need some because when they ripped out the shiraz vines over the back fence in order to plant macmansions, we ended up with a 6 foot fence on our side, but essentially a 4.5 foot fence on theirs! So we thought we'd plant a big bamboo screen all the way across the back yard.

It's just going to be really expensive tho - we have 40 metres of back yard to screen! :shock:

So is that just insanely ridiculous??

chillidude · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 1:39 pm

Yeah, it can be expensive and that price is not outside the realms of possibility, though it's in the upper end of the spectrum.

We looked around for months and eventually discovered a guy in Perth is is a member of the Bamboo Society and just sells from his large block. We got plants of the size you are talking about for $30 each as long as we bought 10 or more. Most other prices we had come across were $50-$60 each.

I'd look around and/or push the nursery for a better price for bulk, and even more cash if they're interested.

earthbound · **Posted:** Thu Jan 14, 2010 6:31 pm

Just down the road from us here is the Perth Bamboo and bonsai nursery. He only sells wholesale now, but he's been in here a few times. Must go and check out what he's got..

chillidude · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:56 am

At first I really wanted the Buddha Belly bamboo (the giant one) but was eventually convinced that it wasn't for us. It actually needs to be quite mistreated, i.e. poor nutrition, lack of water, etc, to form the "Buddha Bellys" as shown in the picture below. Now while that sounds easy, it's actually walking a fine line between that and having it die. Also, it affects the growth and we wanted it to function as a tall screening plant.

curnow · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:47 am

G'Day Gang,

Yep I'm a fan of bamboo :thumb:

although we don't have any growing at the moment but this thread has inspired me to go hunting for some. I think there is a nursery over Malaga way that specialises in bamboo but if anyone knows of others out our way (outer northern Perth suburbs) please let me know.

:wave:

Dennis

chillidude · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:04 pm

Dennis, allow me a couple of days slack and I'll dig up the contact details for the guy we bought ours from.

He's out at Wanneroo way so in the right direction for you. There's a couple of others out there too, but he was the best of the bunch, by far - both in price and range of varieties. He's also got a lot of mature plants if you've got the money and a big trailer.

curnow · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 12:42 pm

Thanks Chilli

I wait with baited breath :god:

Cheers
Dennis

dufflight · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 10:38 pm

I got mine online. http://heartgarden.com.au/
They send them out bare rooted. And I don't recomend you leave them in pots for as long as I did. :old:

But on a lighter note my black bamboo has sent out a shoot as tall as me. :rock:

They seem to respond to being but into the ground.

Faye · **Posted:** Mon Jan 25, 2010 11:49 pm

Bamboos Of Neerabup. (08) 94051980. Neerabup, WA ...
I have some that is a large painted bamboo, too close to the pool and in a relatively easy (for bamboo) position to dig under and remove if anyone needs some in the near future.
It sheds and is a bit of a pain near the swimming pool.

chillidude · **Posted:** Tue Jan 26, 2010 2:54 pm

curnow wrote:

Thanks Chilli - I wait with baited breath :god:

Cheers
Dennis

OK Dennis, you can brush your teeth now :wink:

and get rid of the bait smell. Contact details are;

Ned
78 Nicholas Rd, Wanneroo
9306 2673

---------------

If anyone lives or is travelling down Albany way, it's worth the drive to check out Maleeya's Thai Cafe & Bamboo - 1376 Porongorup Rd !

Pretty good range of bamboo, prices weren't that economical, but fantastic Thai food, I mean really good. So good in fact that even though it's out in the boonies, you need to book for lunch. True story :shock:

. It was a pretty crappy day weather-wise when we were there and they were turning people away.

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Bamboo

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