# A prep you never thought of.



## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

I'd never thought about this as a prep until I noticed it sticking out of my neighbors backyard. So I did a little research and found out my hunch was correct. Bamboo is a hell of an item to prep. It's very versatile and can be used for many different things like building material, cooking, medicinal, paper, weapons and the list goes on. It grows in many different environments from cold to hot and it grows very fast. Some species can grow almost 35 inches in 24 hours. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel. If you happen to have any and want to see how it tastes be careful. The shoots (new culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo contain a toxin taxiphyllin (a cyanogenic glycoside) that produces cyanide in the gut, proper processing renders them edible.

I have some more research to do but this seems like a no brainer to me so I thought I would pass it on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo


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## darsk20 (Jun 1, 2015)

Interesting idea. 

This is just hearsay so take with a grain of salt, but I have always heard that it can actually be almost an invasive species. Taking over and requiring a lot of time to deal with. 

Neat thought though.


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Without reading the link how does it hold up to -20??


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Oh boy oh boy, if you could see all the uses that bamboo has in Papua New Guinea! The giant bamboo segments can carry a lot of water - like a canteen. But by far, the most fun use is to cut segments intact and throw them in a fire. As the liquid inside expands, the whole thing explodes and makes a very impressive BOOM! That might even have a tactical application.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

Hmmm, it attracts starlings and bats like crazy, but you may be on to something. Good observation.


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

It's got a Lotta uses for sure. But it will take over in a heartbeat in the south. Everybody I've ever known that's planted it the stuff grows like wildfire and they end up regretting it. I've made several excellent cane poles outta the stand from down the road. So there's another use to add to the list in this thread.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Chipper said:


> Without reading the link how does it hold up to -20??


Not exactly sure. The Wiki page says " Bamboo species are found in diverse climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions." I know they get snow in Japan and China but not sure how cold it gets. Still researching.


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## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

We just call the stuff "cain" down here. I doubt it would survive low temps. It grows like crazy in Tennessee.


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

Dont know how true it is, but Bamboo is supposedly a grass... (not the fun kind that you could smoke)


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## Spice (Dec 21, 2014)

I looked into it a while back; thought it might make a good fence-row. My first source indicated it wouldn't like it as cold as it gets in North Missour; I didn't look farther to see if I could find some hardier strain because of the invasive species thing. (Sooo tempting if it would grow here though, because so useful. Plus, I could get a red panda?)


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

My dad hated that stuff. Always took up the open water he needed for those sprig he lived. Dad didn't like mallards as much. Too fishy he though and they loved the tullies


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

Bamboo is useful and something I would have never considered. Glad my neighbor has a nice patch of it although it's the skinny kind rarely getting over 2 1/2" thick so not super useful for water containment.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

bamboo will hold up to any extreme temp the earth can throw at it except possibly sustained artic but don't think anyone ever tried it there.
the problems I have seen with it is it grows like crazy and over takes the area so that nothing else can grow.
me I am experimenting with some Sugar Cain and seeing if can get it to grow up here so far it still looks like I just planted it. 
I was told it would do fine here just to stick it in the ground and wait.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Bamboo (River Cane or Switch Cane as it is known in the South) is an invasive plant but does have many uses. You can manage/contain it by simply mowing the new shoots when they pop up out of the ground. I've thought about dedicating a small area for some bamboo and probably will someday. . Good suggestion Sasq.
How to Plant and Grow Bamboo - Homesteading and Livestock - MOTHER EARTH NEWS


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

I actually considered Bamboo once for planting along my back fence for privacy. The guy at the nursery said I would be sorry. It would take over everything and I would play hell getting rid of it. I could see if I had a lot of land maybe becuase it does have a lot of uses. But here in Houston it goes wild.


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

Chipper said:


> Without reading the link how does it hold up to -20??


My neighbors have bamboo. It was planted by the people who owned the house 3 owners ago. It is spreading into our lawn, what a pain in the rear to kill. Our winters hit minus 20 every year for at least a couple of days sometimes minus 30. That crap still comes back in the spring.


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## dsdmmat (Nov 9, 2012)

You can also try digging down a few feet and making a concrete box without a bottom/top then fill it with the soil and plant the bamboo in that area. the box will contain the shoots from spreading past the walls.


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## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

We have a stand of it growing in the back of our apartments. We were thinking the same thing


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## Tennessee (Feb 1, 2014)

I have three large patches within .25 mile of my home. Some are 30 feet tall. I got two pieces drying out in my garage. I think next time we go camping I'm going to try to start a fire with them.


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## topgun (Oct 2, 2013)

I admit that bamboo is really useful.

After I got married, my very first neighbor inherited both bamboo and yucca plants that one of the previous owners had planted. They had a new baby and his wife thought the yuccas were too dangerous for the baby because of their sharp points. They also decided they didn't like the bamboo much either and decided to get rid of both the yuccas and the bamboo. After two and a half summers, and digging down pretty near to china, they were only able to eliminate some and contain the rest. As they were digging out and trashing the roots, trunks and branches they asked if I wanted any. I politely said no thank you, not sure whether he was putting me on, or if he hated me.

So, my advice would be to recommend to your neighbor that HE try growing some..............Preferably, on the other side of his yard, by the other neighbors fence.


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

Its a very useful grass.we grew bamboo for privacy.it is VERY invasive though,you have to contain the rhizomes (stems)otherwise it will take over your property.
we used some tall kitchen bags 4 mils thick that worked well for us.dig a trench about 18 inches deep and as long as you want (depending on species of bamboo)leave bottom open for drainage and line with the plastic.the barrier can be old conveyer belts,old political signs (best use for them!) gorilla taped together.use a proper soil,50/50 sand mix with a good potting soil,plant and grow.after a very short grow period,the small diameter bamboo we grew was found useful for staking plants and other things of the sort,you can use it fresh cut or dry it.
some can be very pretty looking plants but,it seems like rodents and mosquitoes love to live in it.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

According to bamboo geek a species known as dragon head bamboo will withstand temperatures as low as minus 23 F.


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## tinkerhell (Oct 8, 2014)

the kind of bamboo I have in my yard is basically a weed that I would never wish on anyone.

It grows 6 feet tall in less than a month, dies every winter so the stalks never get strong

and the roots are invasive as hell.

It is nothing but a pain, and a time drain.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Spice maybe bamboo is what you need by your pond. It will provide shade, the roots/rhizomes spread fast so it might stop the soil erosion, and it provides a place for wildlife. Then you could harvest it for building fences/dividers, for your garden poles. It would provide food and fuel for your homestead.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

As has been said, it must be contained or you will wish you'd never planted it.
Dsdmmat's mention of a concrete hole in the ground is the option I've read about as having the best chance to contain it. Lining it with plastic would be even better.
One stalk will only grow one time. Once it reaches full height, it is done. They don't get thicker or taller after that, and can be harvested with no loss.
There are numerous species, and you'd want to pick the right one for an expected application.

One use I've always had in mind is bow making. Alone, you can put together a makeshift bow from just bamboo.
However, pair it with a hardwood as the belly and bamboo as the backing, and you create a monster of a weapon.
You can even line the belly with another strip to strengthen the hardwood. As stated earlier, it is exceptional in both tension and compression strength because it is a grass, and has long fibers.(like palm, also good for bows)
This makes it phenomenal for bows.
The trouble is finding the right species that produces the correct diameter and thickness standards. You would almost need a 4" inner diameter, which would likely yield many strips.
These would be very big stalks.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

The fact that bamboo is a grass means that it grows from the root and not from the tip like most plants. If you let it grow to 1" in diameter and then cut it the 1" diameter stalk just gets taller. Yes, it is more invasive than crab grass and harder to kill than most any other plant. Bamboo rope is stronger than steel cable pound for pound. Bamboo scaffolding is stronger in the wind and during an earthquake than steel scaffolding. If you cut a stalk of bamboo and stab it into the ground it will grow, just like cottonwood. For all its usefulness, bamboo is not worth the trouble to grow. Even in a thick concrete potter it will spread if a branch breaks and lands in the soil. The only sure way to contain it is to have a five sided container (4 walls and a floor) that is at least as tall as the bamboo will grow. If you "dig it out" and then concrete over it, the bamboo will crack the concrete and continue to grow through it.


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