Your Top 5 Questions About Bamboo Answered

Bamboo growth is affected by environmental conditions, and it's important to consider the optimal climate conditions and soil properties for the species you are working with. Each species has unique requirements and planting in unfavorable weather conditions for the species can stress the clump and decrease homogeneity. While bamboo can grow in various locations, it's best to check your species' requirements, including climate, elevation, and temperature, to maintain ideal conditions. It's important to know that the seaside can be particularly harsh on bamboo structures and may affect their aging differently than in other contexts.

To ensure successful growth, it's best to plant your bamboo seedling just before the wet season, allowing it to receive adequate water during its initial growth phase. For the first few weeks after planting, it's crucial to keep the seedling in partial shade, which will help it establish itself. After about three weeks, when you see new shoots emerging, you can move the seedling to full sun. Once the bamboo has grown into a small bush, it's ready to be transplanted to its final location. The bamboo rhizome will establish itself within 5-10 years, allowing the seedling to grow into a mature pole. Every year, the bamboo will grow larger culms, which will eventually reach the final size before harvest.

Treating fresh bamboo is the most effective method as it still has the ability to absorb nutrients throughout the pole. Waiting 2-3 weeks after harvesting is still possible but less effective, and the treatment method used can potentially damage the bamboo. While dry bamboo can be treated, it's not as effective as treating fresh bamboo, and pressure treatment systems may cause cracks. Boiling systems may work with dry bamboo, but there is a risk of losing material. Harvesting and treating bamboo while it still contains moisture is ideal for optimal results.

At the moment, we try not to dispose of the solution simply by throwing it away, we reuse it indefinitely. We top up the solution as it is being consumed by the bamboo during treatment and we use regular lab tests to check that the solution still has enough boron. To get rid of the sugars, we simply create bubbles that push the starches and sugars to the surface of the solution. We then use a rake to get rid of them. You can also use a protein skimmer pump to help that process along.