I have different types of bamboo. One type is edible. I can harvest almost half of all shoots (around 100) each year for eating. It’s a matter of experience to know when exactly to harvest them. If you let the shoots grow for too long they will get hard. The non-edible types I use for poles and other things in the garden. They grow new holms each year between March and June. I always cut all the holms of the previous year when most of the new holms have started to appear. If I cut before the new holms start to grow I would weaken the plant, if I cut after all the new holms have grown the old holms would impede the growth of the new holms. Under normal conditions bamboo holms are supposed to reach their maximum size four years after planting, but I find that even after 10 years they still get a bit taller each year. If you just cut a few holms, I guess you could cut anytime without weakening the plant too much. On the other hand, I don’t
find there is any point in not cutting all the holms of the previous year once the new once have started to appear because the new once are always more numerous and taller than the previous once.
Dieter Brand
Portugal
PS: I don’t use the clump-type bamboo. I had one but gave it up. Now I only have those that spread.
--- On Wed, 10/6/10, mIEKAL aND <qazingulaza@gmail.com> wrote:
From: mIEKAL aND <qazingulaza@gmail.com>
Subject: [permaculture] when to harvest bamboo
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 1:43 PM
A small clump of bamboo
(Phyllostachys aureosulcata) I planted on the
south side of one of our buildings more than 15 years ago
is finally
putting out usable wood. The first 10 years it was
never more than 3
feet high & the thickness of a pencil, but gradually
spreading
everywhere in a small courtyard. 3 years ago we got a
stretch of 35
below & I assumed it completely died back but after 2
years with zero
above ground activity this year it grew 10 - 15 feet high
& a few
pieces are almost an inch thick. Is it best to
harvest in the fall
while it is still green or should I wait until the
spring? Also is
there any problem with harvest all the growth or should a
bit of it be
left behind.
~mIEKAL
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