Cob:Bamboo - was slab .. was Introduction

[Everhart, Gabe]

I have a grove of switch cane in my back yard in south florida.  It grows
like weeds, and in fact IS in danger of taking over that corner of the yard.
New shoots appear all over, and are tough as @?%^!@*(# to pull out.  I use
it to shade my compost pile, though the grove was there when I moved in.  

-----Original Message-----
From: jenny walker [mailto:jwalker at magma.ca]
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 12:24 PM
To: D.J. Henman
Cc: coblist at deatech.com
Subject: Re: Cob: slab .. was Introduction


Experienced gardening friends of mine grow bamboo every summer (Ottawa, 
Canada), to give their city back yard more privacy. It grows very quickly.
Apparently it grows so well it will take over your garden if you don't make
sure the roots are contained under ground. I'm not sure what they use to
prevent the roots from spreading, possibly some heavy plastic, the kind
you'd line a pond with.

Jenny Walker

Darel wrote:

> I agree.  It is not so exotic.  I remember seeing a nice little grove of
> timber bamboo in northern California about 25 years ago.
>
> There's an American Bamboo Association in the U.S. somewhere.   Bamboo
> grows very fast and could keep you well stocked with material.    I
> often though of planting it in early spring, let it grow to give shade
> in the summer then cut it down just the the right level, in winter to
> let all the sunlight through.  Kind of a living, movable shade.
>
> Darel
>
> David Knowlton wrote:
>
>> i have heard that the japanese come here to select prime bamboo from
>> the carolinas. don't have more details - not so exotic really. i think
>> we'll be seeing more of it.
>>
>>
>>> From: "Haugland, John" <JHaugland at cdfinc.com>
>>> Reply-To: "Haugland, John" <JHaugland at cdfinc.com>
>>> To: "D.J. Henman" <henman at it.to-be.co.jp>
>>> CC: <coblist at deatech.com>
>>> Subject: RE: Cob: slab .. was Introduction
>>> Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 12:14:40 -0500
>>>
>>> Hi Darel:
>>> Do the canes native to the southern US perform as well as bamboo, so we
>>> can encourage a more local economy here and not have to import/grow an
>>> exotic species from SE Asia?
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: D.J. Henman [mailto:henman at it.to-be.co.jp]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 11:21 PM
>>> Cc: coblist at deatech.com
>>> Subject: Re: Cob: slab .. was Introduction
>>>
>>> Mick,
>>> Re: i like that idea but i'd be worried about a wood floor base because
>>> of moisture and/or termites.
>>>  >i like the bamboo idea because it's probably very cheap down there and
>>>
>>> no trees need to be cut
>>>  >down, but i wonder if it is as susceptible to rot and termites as wood
>>> is.
>>>
>>> One trick with the bamboo is to harvest it at the right time.   In
>>> central Japan that is around the first two weeks of November, I
>>> believe.   The point is to harvest it when most of the starch goes down
>>> into the root system for the winter.   You would have to check this with
>>>
>>> you local species.   For all year round same temperatures, the plants
>>> would still follow the cycle.
>>>
>>> The bamboo then used as a wattle and covered with a clay duab can last
>>> hundreds of years.   As for the exposed ones, I seen used for flooring
>>> and even outside decks to chairs, not much was done to preserve it.   I
>>> guess they just like to see it age and then redo it when needed.
>>>
>>> There is some way to bug proof it, but you'd have get that info from
>>> some bamboo association.
>>>
>>> Darel
>>> -------------
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
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>
>