Bamboo Plantations - Any Thoughts?

[Smithson]

Has anybody ever looked into Bamboo as crop? Being the world's fastest growing plant it's extremely enviro friendly, consuming much more CO2 than trees. As interest increases, so will demand and it may become viable. With new preservation techniques it can be used for building, being much lighter and stronger than timber. It can also be used for a heap of other things such as paper, fabric, bio-mass. There is even a bicycle maker with a bamboo bike that's as light and strong as carbon fibre.

There is a variety called Guadua from Columbia. Has anyone heard of this or know if it's available here? Any thoughts on bamboo in general?

Edited June 16, 2008 by Smithson

[pete_r]

I know a tambon in Chonburi province where people make cages for chicken (the fighting ones) from bamboos. They say they have to buy bamboos from Cambodia as the supply in Thailand is not enough (maybe they meant too expensive). Then the cages are exported to Malaysia.

The price for a relatively large bamboo stem (3-4 meters long) was 15 Bahts per piece last time I asked (2007).

[ozzydom]

I know a tambon in Chonburi province where people make cages for chicken (the fighting ones) from bamboos. They say they have to buy bamboos from Cambodia as the supply in Thailand is not enough (maybe they meant too expensive). Then the cages are exported to Malaysia.

The price for a relatively large bamboo stem (3-4 meters long) was 15 Bahts per piece last time I asked (2007).

That particular bamboo grows at elevation ,the locals all go to an area north of Phang Khon on the hills for their supplies, its used as the poles of lift nets,plaiting bindings, as a replacement for string and twine.

A 3 metre x 3/4 inch thick stick goes for 40 baht.

The higher hills and mountains of Cambodia are covered in it.

[Lickey]

Hi Dom,

Is that the same bamboo you can cook and eat the new shoots from? if so, we have about 25 clumps in a plantation on the farm, all about av 5ft in diameter,and some must be 30ft high,[9plus mtrs] .

It never grows more than 1.5 in diameter, We use it for implement handles,covered salad bed joining poles,papaya picking sticks with a cut plastic bottle on the top and banana supports,

Ive also noticed how stringy it is, pulling a piece,it will go through all the joints to the top.

Perhaps we can make a bit of money from the farm this year if it is the right stuff???

Cheers, Lickey.

[ozzydom]

Hi Dom,

Is that the same bamboo you can cook and eat the new shoots from? if so, we have about 25 clumps in a plantation on the farm, all about av 5ft in diameter,and some must be 30ft high,[9plus mtrs] .

It never grows more than 1.5 in diameter, We use it for implement handles,covered salad bed joining poles,papaya picking sticks with a cut plastic bottle on the top and banana supports,

Ive also noticed how stringy it is, pulling a piece,it will go through all the joints to the top.

Perhaps we can make a bit of money from the farm this year if it is the right stuff???

Cheers, Lickey.

I think Thais utilize the shoots from nearly all bamboo, the mountain type grows thicker branches than most types , it seems that they only grow above 1000 ft .

If it stops raining today ,I will ask a local for its Thai name.

cheers

dom

[Smithson]

I think Thais utilize the shoots from nearly all bamboo, the mountain type grows thicker branches than most types , it seems that they only grow above 1000 ft .

If it stops raining today ,I will ask a local for its Thai name.

cheers

dom

The best ones to eat is the Mae Pai Trong, a large diameter straight bamboo with thick walls and large leaves. Excellent for construction. Another common one is the Mae Pai Leang, this is smaller diameter with small leaves and extremely strong and sharp outer surface.

For construction bamboo should be 3 to 5 yrs old and it's difficult to tell just by looking because the bamboo grows to it's full size in the first year. There maybe a demand in the future, especially if you could guarantee it's age.

A lot of ppl are talking about the low price of casava, I was thinking maybe bamboo would be worth considering as it's easy to grow and demand may increase in the future. Pound for pound it's stronger than steel. If you want to see some amazing stuff google guadua construction.

[sbk]

Bamboo flooring is very popular in the US now, is the bamboo you are calling construction bamboo the same bamboo as that used in bamboo flooring?

[Smithson]

Bamboo flooring is very popular in the US now, is the bamboo you are calling construction bamboo the same bamboo as that used in bamboo flooring?

No it's not, I'm not sure what bamboo is used, it's not single pieces but laminates. Bamboo is popular as it's considered a very 'green' material, although the laminates use formaldehyde glues. Construction grade or 'timber' bamboos are varieties with large diameters, thick walls and resistance to insect/fungal attacks. The are many species, the best one is guadua from Sth America. There is also a variety in Yunnan that grows to 15" diameters.

In the future there may also be bamboo plantations in the US and Australia, it's also a great plant for preventing erosion. There are two main types and only one is invasive.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Smithson

[Smithson]

This stuff is from Yunnan, which is close to LOS, I'd be interested to know if there's any in Thailand. Bamboo can grow up to 3ft a day. We've got some on our property, I was away for 5 days and it seems that some has grown over 2m in that time.

[ozzydom]

Smithson, the bamboo that the locals get from the mountains is called Mae Pai Hua .

Trong is the one used to split down into the string like bundles with which they tie the handfuls of rice stems when hand harvesting, T/W says the shoots from Mae Pai Trong are the best eating.

The bamboo in your photo is grown by the Chinese up around Mae Hong Son, they just call it giant bamboo ,they possibly brought it with them long ago when they fled China.

Handling Leang is like wrestling a roll of razor wire.

[Lickey]

Yes, this one, oh, perhaps this one, look at at this one! no not this, perhaps that one? Oh darling, i need sleeping, and off mrs went to bed,

Anyway, have a look at this site and you will see what she means, there isnt many pics but loadsa names,

If it doesnt rain tomorrow, i wil take some pics and post here later,

http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorti..._index.html#Mai

Cheers, Lickey.

[Smithson]

The bamboo in your photo is grown by the Chinese up around Mae Hong Son, they just call it giant bamboo ,they possibly brought it with them long ago when they fled China.

I'd be interested to hear more about this bamboo, do you know if it can be bought in other parts of Thailand? What are they using it for? If it has thick walls, it may be excellent for construction.

[rice555]

Hello All, looking at pictures again in a Thai Ag magazine and ran across an add for bamboo, unlike most Thai Co's they have a www, it's in thai. http://www.sktgarden.com/index.html

The mag add has a list of phone numbers for places around the country, CM, Korat and others.

rice555

[Smithson]

Hello All, looking at pictures again in a Thai Ag magazine and ran across an add for bamboo, unlike most Thai Co's they have a www, it's in thai. http://www.sktgarden.com/index.html

The mag add has a list of phone numbers for places around the country, CM, Korat and others.

rice555

Thanks rice, I'll get the info translated and see if they have the stuff I'm after. We already have 4 varieties, it's amazing useful, just for everyday stuff like clotheslines, fencing, tool handles, building and using as rollers for moving stuff.

[boonbohmee]

I did a lot of bamboo work on a house I built a few years ago. In the end, I had to rip most of it out. A little bug called "mot", I'm not sure of the Thai spelling, but it's sounds almost the same as "mot" for ant, began to eat away at everything. They get into anything that's split pretty quickly, but eventually they start onto even poles. They eat little holes in the bamboo and leave a fine dust behind. I had it so bad that the munching could be heard. Where I live now, there are some villages that do so lovely furniture with bamboo but the same thing happens to their work after about a year.

I've heard that this problem can be dealt with a couple of ways. One is to 'burn' the outside of the poles. This I heard will help but just to extend the life. I also read, and heard from the old boys, that bamboo should be sunk into water for a year before it's used.

[Lickey]

Yes, this one, oh, perhaps this one, look at at this one! no not this, perhaps that one? Oh darling, i need sleeping, and off mrs went to bed,

Anyway, have a look at this site and you will see what she means, there isnt many pics but loadsa names,

If it doesnt rain tomorrow, i wil take some pics and post here later,

http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorti..._index.html#Mai

Cheers, Lickey.

As promised, here are some pics, there are 2 types on the farm, sorry the pics arnt very good, the first pics are of the plantation, and an extra pic of the mrs surveying the lamyai crops, and another bamboo that is only 3/4 in dia, 2 clumps and it grows in a hedge row, at the start of the dry season, i give all the clumps a good clean and have some good fires.

[rice555]

Hello boonbohmee, a soaking in a solution of water and boric acid was what I ran across on a search on protecting bamboo used in furniture making. B-A and sugar is good for an ant bait.

rice555

[Lickey]

I did a lot of bamboo work on a house I built a few years ago. In the end, I had to rip most of it out. A little bug called "mot", I'm not sure of the Thai spelling, but it's sounds almost the same as "mot" for ant, began to eat away at everything. They get into anything that's split pretty quickly, but eventually they start onto even poles. They eat little holes in the bamboo and leave a fine dust behind. I had it so bad that the munching could be heard. Where I live now, there are some villages that do so lovely furniture with bamboo but the same thing happens to their work after about a year.

I've heard that this problem can be dealt with a couple of ways. One is to 'burn' the outside of the poles. This I heard will help but just to extend the life. I also read, and heard from the old boys, that bamboo should be sunk into water for a year before it's used.

Hi boonbohmee, the pics are the bar and the stairs in our house, its now 1 year old, the wood [from our farm] is of course planed & treated and varnished, the 1st 6 mnths required constant attention because of these borer ants, Baygon does a spray with a small tube that kills these termites, but the last pic shows there are still some busy.

As for bamboo outside, i give up!! when i replace a cross-member on the covered salad garden, i say to myself, thats good for 3 months!!!!! On the other hand, there is some very hard redwood on the farm, i use this to bang in 6in nails and posts ect, can leave it on the ground and no insect can get into it.

Cheers Lickey.

[Smithson]

I did a lot of bamboo work on a house I built a few years ago. In the end, I had to rip most of it out. A little bug called "mot", I'm not sure of the Thai spelling, but it's sounds almost the same as "mot" for ant, began to eat away at everything. They get into anything that's split pretty quickly, but eventually they start onto even poles. They eat little holes in the bamboo and leave a fine dust behind. I had it so bad that the munching could be heard. Where I live now, there are some villages that do so lovely furniture with bamboo but the same thing happens to their work after about a year.

Yes, it's an ant that eats it, but all sorts of things will attack bamboo it doesn't have the natural preservatives that timber does. Where are you? The insects tend to be worse in forested areas. What I've found with furniture is the more it's used the longer it will last. I think the movement disturbs the ants. We've had cheap outdoor furniture for 5 yrs, it's pretty much had it now. Best to avoid rain and bright sunshine.

I've heard that this problem can be dealt with a couple of ways. One is to 'burn' the outside of the poles. This I heard will help but just to extend the life. I also read, and heard from the old boys, that bamboo should be sunk into water for a year before it's used.

These are traditional methods. As rice mentioned, the method used today uses a mixture or borax and boric acid. The best way is to pressure feed the solution at the base and wait for it to come out the other end. This is the safest effective method, the solution replaces the sap, which is the food for the insects.