What kind of bamboo is this

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richmond.cd
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Location: Hawaii

What kind of bamboo is this

Post by richmond.cd »

Hello,

I've never worked with Bamboo, but my home in Hawaii has 2 large groves at the back of the property that (I heard) the previous owner planted decades ago. They seem to be very overcrowded and/or sickly? Lots of dry/brown/dying "trunks" or "shoots". Sorry I don't know terminology or anything about bamboo.

Some of the trunks or shoots are quite large in diameter..up to maybe 6 inches or more and they are about 30 feet high with lots of green leaves at the top.

I've attached photos of them to see color. I only spotted a few that appear to be new and small in diameter, but they appear to be yellow from day 1...not green like some species I have seen.

Anyway, what I hope to do some day is build some simple structures with them...like an outdoor bar/roof/bbq pit/shack..that sort of thing but need to learn about taking care of this to grow more and how to preserve and treat it since I notice the 2 shoots I did cut down last year for makeshift tent poles turned grey and disintegrated within months of being outdoors.

Here are some photos:

Here is some up close of what appear to be the more "healthy" of the shoots
bamboo2.jpg
Here is some with some less healthy looking ones
bamoo1.jpg
The bamboo is down the hill a bit..this is the canopy about 20-30 feet up from the roots below with heavy leaf coverage
bambootops.jpg

Thanks for any help/guidance.

Chris
Nicholas
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Location: Austria

Re: What kind of bamboo is this

Post by Nicholas »

Hi Chris and welcome to this forum.

I'm not very familiar with tropical bamboos but your plants may be 'bambusa vulgaris striata'.

Discolouration and brown/green growth on the outside of culms is normal in humid conditions.
Bamboo culms have a protective outer layer that generally protect them from moisture but stuff can still grow on top of that layer.

Of the tropical bamboos I have seen so far all have looked similar to your last picture if the grove is not managed by thinning out old/dead culms.

Individual culms ( first shoots appear that grow into culms and once you cut these culms they are called canes) grow old and die over time (this takes several years).
You can remove dead culms and older ones for a better appearance and it should also give new shoots more space.

If left untreated bamboo canes can rot quite quickly if the inner part is in contact with water.

I'm sure other members of this forum that grow tropical clumpers can give you more information on how to treat your groves and also tell you when and how to cut culms for cane production.

[edit]

just for clarification: Bamboo has no secondary growth of culms unlike trees and many other plants. Once a shoot is elongated the culm will stay that thickness until it is cut or dies naturally.
As new shoots come up they are first quite tender and only harden off over time. If you want to harvest canes the culm should be several years old as it first increases in hardness and durability and after having reached an optimum slowly declines until the culm dies off naturally.
richmond.cd
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Location: Hawaii

Re: What kind of bamboo is this

Post by richmond.cd »

Nicholas,

Thanks very much for the feedback.


"...If left untreated bamboo canes can rot quite quickly if the inner part is in contact with water..."

Can you recommend where in the forum I can ask to learn about how to fix this and ask more specific questions about care/growth/harvesting/working with 'bambusa vulgaris striata'.?

Thanks!
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needmore
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Re: What kind of bamboo is this

Post by needmore »

You might find it more commonly listed as Bambusa vulgaris 'vittata'. It is extremely common in Hawai'i and generally looks ratty unless the old growth is cut away.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
richmond.cd
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Location: Hawaii

Re: What kind of bamboo is this

Post by richmond.cd »

Thanks very much.

Now...do you know where I might turn regarding actually preserving it for outdoor construction use? Is that even possible?

Thanks
Nicholas
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Joined: Sat May 26, 2012 10:09 am
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Location: Austria

Re: What kind of bamboo is this

Post by Nicholas »

I'm not sure if it is okay to post links to other bamboo forums but from a quick glance http://www.bamboocraft.net and its forum may be more relevant to your specific needs.

There are of course also topics on conservation and cane treatment here, you'll have to use the search function to locate them.

Bamboo fever is very contagious so who knows, you might even consider adding a few new plants! ;-)
There are many cool looking tropical bamboos and they can be quite versatile as a resource.

Good luck and much joy with your Bamboo.
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