I GET TO GROW BAMBOO!!! I GET TO GROW BAMBOO!!!

[GardenerGal]

Yup, several species are still shooting here too. P. nuda, P. rubromarginata, Sasa palmata, Pleioblastus pygmaea and a couple others. We have had a lot of rain, and an early spring for hereabouts, so the bamboos are frisky this year. The P. nuda alone gave me a couple hundred shoots in May-June, and it's still throwing out some, trying to sneak 'em past me. lol

 

[gmendoza]

You struck paydirt!!!!
Make sure to use a VERY sharp spade to cut those woody rhizomes, and get LOTS of root and well formed shoots as you can.
The property owner sounds like a nice person, and certainly reasonable in his/her request.

When I visit the South, I'm amazed at all of the bamboo just growing "wild" all over. That, and kudzu.

I'd think we'd have more of it around up here in New England, as there are lots of bamboo species that are hardy here. But thus far I have not come across a naturalized stand of 'boo. Maybe because land is too dear up here and is never allowed to be turned over to something unwanted.

Let us know how your bamboo foraging goes, and have fun.

Speaking of Kudzu, I found a field where the property owner is in Florida.Its on an old York County Road called Blackmon Road. Its growing along this dirt road so Im going Kudzu hunting for feed stock for my chickies!! At the very least my feed bill will go down,hopefully diminish with the rest of the stuff around the property.

 

[GardenerGal]

Isn't forage what kudzu was originally imported for?
The first time I saw it, I was driving through Georgia and saw what I thought were amazing topiary sculptures all along the road. There were huge ones that looked like bears, giraffes, elephants. Then I remarked to my companion that there must be someone who was like a "Johnny Appleseed" of roadside topiary, and how wonderful it was. He looked at me like I had just fallen off of a turnip truck and said, "That's kudzu growing over trees and every @#^&*$ thing else in the way."

Now kudzu has found its way up thisaway and is growing as far north as Connecticut.

 

[gmendoza]

Isn't forage what kudzu was originally imported for?
The first time I saw it, I was driving through Georgia and saw what I thought were amazing topiary sculptures all along the road. There were huge ones that looked like bears, giraffes, elephants. Then I remarked to my companion that there must be someone who was like a "Johnny Appleseed" of roadside topiary, and how wonderful it was. He looked at me like I had just fallen off of a turnip truck and said, "That's kudzu growing over trees and every @#^&*$ thing else in the way."

Now kudzu has found its way up thisaway and is growing as far north as Connecticut.

Yes, thats what it was designed for.The problem is that people here forgot that and now call it a nuisence plant. I want some because of the protein properties,and that is a good side-feed for my livestock.

Use nature and nature will nuture you!!

 

[GardenerGal]

When I had goats it would have been a super forage for them. I'd see it as free food. Trouble started when people had more kudzu than livestock to feed it to.

But don't you have to control how much your livestock eat? I wonder if, like alfalfa, kudzu can lead to foundering if animals eat too much.

 

[gmendoza]

When I had goats it would have been a super forage for them. I'd see it as free food. Trouble started when people had more kudzu than livestock to feed it to.

But don't you have to control how much your livestock eat? I wonder if, like alfalfa, kudzu can lead to foundering if animals eat too much.

I dont know if it does,but I would just use it as a suppliment with their feed.It will decrease my feed bill considerably,and the rest of the vines I can weave into baskets and birhouses for sale. It has good uses.The problem is people got lazy and let it grow out of control.
Plain and simple, dont be lazy.

 

[GardenerGal]

Yup, you are probably right about it coming down to plain old laziness.
Now I have to get off my duff and go thin the bamboo patch and do some pruning!

 

[gingerbee]

This dome is sooooo awesome. I would love to buy one - can you advise??

 

[jak2002003]

What about this giant bamboo?

 

[thaiturkey]

This dome is sooooo awesome. I would love to buy one - can you advise??

Do you mean the dome of which In posted pics?

They are common in Thailand but I don't know about where you are. If you can get split bamboo, the pics. might help you or a basket-maker to copy.