Awesome bamboo division tool!

Other things that involve bamboo

Moderator: needmore

Post Reply
LA Bamboo
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:32 pm
Location info: 0
Location: S. Louisiana, 9a

Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by LA Bamboo »

I now have many large clumping bamboos on my property and divide them as I clear new fence line. For a few years I've been going at it with a reciprocating saw with 12" pruning blades, a shovel and a crowbar. I saw something called a b'root bar on amazon and decided to give it a try. If you're going to divide large clumping bamboo in the ground, this tool is amazing. It's a 20 pound, 6' long solid steel pipe with an ax head on the end. My divisions use to be 1'x1', now I can easily pop 2'x3' divisions out of the ground.

I dig a trench around the bamboo (only need a few inches deep), clear a cutting path with the saw, cut through the root system then attack/pry with the b'root bar. It's a beast to wield after a couple of hours, but if you want to divide large clumpers and end up with 2-4 divisions instead of 10, this is the tool.
Alan_L
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:13 pm
Location info: 81
Location: St. Louis area

Re: Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by Alan_L »

Have you tried a regular post hole digger/tamping bar? Not as large a "cutting" end as the b'root bar, but I've found mine to be quite useful in cutting and prying up divisions. Was wondering how it compared. (1/3 the price of the b'root bar too)
LA Bamboo
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:32 pm
Location info: 0
Location: S. Louisiana, 9a

Re: Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by LA Bamboo »

I haven't, but looking at one online it would certainly do a better job than my crowbar did. I would guess that the b'root bar would make quicker work of divisions due the size of the head. It's not cheap but should be a buy it for life tool and really does a good job on large tree roots. Wouldn't be nearly as effective digging a posthole because the head it too big, but for a large hole dealing with tree roots it's nice. Probably not worth the extra money if I already had the digging bar.
LA Bamboo
Posts: 37
Joined: Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:32 pm
Location info: 0
Location: S. Louisiana, 9a

Re: Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by LA Bamboo »

Today I tried to divide a few Alphonse Karr and used only the b'root bar. No digging, no sawing and only cutting the culms on the edges to make working easier. Went around it twice then hacked/pried through the middle. A smaller bamboo (2'6" diameter) took me about two minutes of hard work to split in two and pop out of the ground. A 4' diameter took me around 8 minutes to pop out into 4 divisions. That 8 minutes was actually 15-20 minutes...it's hard work and I wasn't in a hurry. Much quicker and easier than what I've been doing for the last few years.
User avatar
needmore
Posts: 5008
Joined: Sat Oct 01, 2005 9:14 pm
Location info: 0
Bamboo Society Membership: ABS - America
Location: Kea'au, HI

Re: Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by needmore »

I like the design of that but the cost will stop me from getting one. I love the King O Spades steel shovel, can't use mine out here on solid lava but it is beveled for slicing and strong for prying - IF you are careful to sense the too heavy point on the prying. You can slice and lift/pry good size chunks with it.
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
http://www.needmorebamboo.com
Alan_L
Posts: 2966
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 4:13 pm
Location info: 81
Location: St. Louis area

Re: Awesome bamboo division tool!

Post by Alan_L »

Word of warning about the tamper tool: if you put it into the ground upright while taking a rest, make sure nothing is around it.
I did this a few years back and the thing was slightly off-center and toppled over after a few minutes (so heavy)... right onto my camera. :evil:
Post Reply