Grow your own bamboo canes

Richard168

I have several clumps of bamboo around the garden, Can I cut some down and use as bamboo support canes in the future

herbaceous

I use mine Richard. You may not get anything long and sturdy enough for stuff like runner beans, my bamboo grows slow and does not get very thick, I don't think we get good enough weather. I use it for peas, supporting netting and in the greenhouse with growbags.

Richard168

Thanks

I was cutting some back at the weekend and the thickest were just over 1cm wide but were 10 foot or more, I could always bind three of four together for runner beans I suppose.

How long do you have to wait to use them, I don't want bamboo popping up in my veg bed

herbaceous

I dry them out for about a week before I do anything with them Richard and I cut off all the side nibs before that, my bamboo does not 'run' and it doesn't shoot once its dry. No idea about the stuff that puts out runners I'm afraid.

Good idea binding them together. My tallest are about 6' and I don't get enough of them to use for beans but I might give the tying together a try.

BobTheGardener

I also use them, Richard.  Dry them out completely before use, somewhere under cover if you can.  I don't think they'd take root but they do rot quickly unless dried out first.  I leave mine in a dry shed over the winter and use them the next spring.

Richard168

Thank you both. I currently have them stored in my wood store underneath an old static caravan so they can stay there for at least the winter and I will check them out next spring.