Topic: bamboo

[OliveOil]

Being the tight wad I am... i was thining about growing my own bamboo canes to save money.

Any special varieties I should look out for - how long will it take to grow?

[Eristic]

The trouble with bamboo that will produce decent canes is the rampant and uncontrolable spreading habit.

Have you considered hazel instead. If you can pinch some suitable branches now and push them into the ground to make a wigwam for the runner beans there is a good chance they will root. Any that do grow can be re-located to the edge of the plot during the following autumn and cut down to produce coppice stools.

Just my tuppence worth.

[Palustris]

Have to agree about the invasiveness of the type of Bamboo  which produces canes. Aslo, up to now, the weather conditions in much of Britain are not correct for bamboo to produce the kind of tall straight strong canes needed.
Sadly Hazel  twigs pushed into the ground like that rarely, if ever, root. That  is one of the reasons why they are used for support work. You do not end up with a hazel thicket!

[OliveOil]

Ok I might go down the hazel/willow route.

Which varieties? do they grow quickly?

[Andy H]

I cut some canes the other day at home and on plot but not many and very slow way to do it. On the plot they are in a large bucket sunk into ground to stop spreading everywhere, at home I am hoing they spread!!!