How to Grow, Harvest And Dry Bamboo

Bamboo can be grown almost anywhere in the world and needs minimal care and maintenance. With some patience you can grow, harvest and dry your own poles. This guide covers all three, starting with quick answers to the questions we are asked most.

Quick answers

• How long does bamboo take to dry? Air drying, the most common method, takes between 6 and 12 weeks once the poles have been harvested and treated.
• When should you harvest bamboo? At the end of the rainy season or the start of the dry season, when its starch (sugar) content is lowest. Poles are workable from 2–3 years old up to 5–7 years old, depending on the species.
• How long does bamboo take to get established? Approximately three years.
• Can you kiln-dry bamboo? Yes, but high temperatures increase the chance of whole poles cracking and collapsing. Split bamboo kiln-dries easily.

How to grow bamboo

Bamboo grows in most soil types and thrives in moist, well-drained soil in a sheltered, sunny spot. It will not cope well in constant wet, boggy conditions or extremely dry weather. Here are our top tips on growing your own bamboo.

Clump-forming or running bamboo?

There are two main types of bamboo plant: clump-forming bamboo and running bamboo. Running bamboo produces long underground stems that pop up away from the main plant, and it will spread anywhere if it is not contained.

Where to plant: a container, a trench or the ground

• In a container is the quickest and easiest method. Sink a large container into the ground, leaving the top lip above the surface of the soil. This keeps your bamboo to the size of the container and stops it spreading beyond.
• In a trench is the best method for creating a hedge or screen of bamboo. Dig a trench 2–4 feet deep, curving at each end into a C shape. Line the trench with an impenetrable material, leaving about 3 inches above the surface of the soil, and fill the trench, compacting the soil well. It is then ready for the bamboo to be planted.
• In the ground is the best option if you are happy for it to spread. Dig a hole twice the size of the root mass and mix some compost into the base of the hole. Place the bamboo so that the root mass sits level with the ground surface, mix in more compost, then fill and water.

How long does bamboo take to get established?

Bamboo takes approximately three years to get established. Once established, the new shoots that emerge in spring will get bigger and more numerous from year to year as the plant moves towards maturity.

Looking after your bamboo

• Fertilise bamboo in early spring and again in mid to late summer.
• Keep it healthy by regularly removing dead matter from the canes and around the base. This helps maintain good air circulation.

How to harvest bamboo

Bamboo shoots are harvested in the spring, when the plants first begin to grow, by cutting those that are about 6 inches high at ground level with a sharp knife. Bamboo for building with is harvested from 2–3 years old through to 5–7 years old, depending on the species.

How to tell young bamboo from mature bamboo

Young bamboo (0–2 years) can be recognised by its shiny green colour and the presence of culm sheaths. Older bamboo changes from a shiny green to a grey or dark green colour, and the white bands at each node will have almost disappeared or been replaced with barely perceptible grey bands. That is the sign it is mature and ready to harvest.

When is the best time to harvest bamboo?

• Harvest at the end of the rainy season or the beginning of the dry season. Bamboo contains large amounts of starch (sugars), the principal nutrients for parasites, borers and fungi, and the dry season is when its sugar content is lowest.
• Once bamboo is older than 7 years, it starts to dry and gradually loses its mechanical properties.

How to cut and handle bamboo

• Cut the bamboo just above the first or second node above ground level, with a machete or saw.
• Do not drag cut bamboo along the ground, as it will damage the outer layers.
• Do not throw bamboo on hard ground, as this can cause cracks along its length.

How to dry bamboo

How long does bamboo take to dry?

Air drying, the most common way to dry bamboo commercially, takes between 6 and 12 weeks once the poles have been harvested and chemically treated. Bamboo needs more drying time than wood of a similar density because it is hygroscopic (it readily absorbs moisture) and may contain 50–60% moisture, depending on the species.

How to air-dry bamboo poles

• Store the poles under cover and away from direct contact with the soil. This prevents fungal or insect attack and stops the humidity of the soil affecting the drying process.
• Stack the poles vertically, as this leads to faster drying, but make sure there is good support to stop them bending.
• Avoid rapid changes in moisture content, as these can cause the poles to crack.
• Provide good ventilation and circulation of air.
• For even drying, rotate the bamboo every 15 days.

Curing bamboo by transpiration

Post-harvest transpiration is often used by indigenous communities and takes place on the plantation. It dries the bamboo and also helps prevent insect infestation. The freshly cut poles are stood upright on a stone and leaned against another bamboo plant, with their branches and leaves still attached, for 3 weeks, during which the stems lose their moisture through the leaves.

Can you kiln-dry bamboo?

You can use a kiln to dry bamboo, but high temperatures increase the chance of whole poles cracking and collapsing. Split bamboo can easily be kiln-dried.

Keeping bamboo green

If you need to keep harvested bamboo pliable, or it needs to be processed in its “green” condition, it can be stored in water.

Build a bike from bamboo

Growing and drying your own canes takes time. If you would rather start building straight away, our bamboo tubing is hand-selected Moso bamboo, sold as front triangle, rear triangle or complete sets with spare pieces. Our bamboo bike frame kits add the fittings, flax, resin and step-by-step instructions to build a frame at home.