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----What is Bamboo----
Well bamboos are part of the grass family and are evergreen woody perennial plants and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, all in all there are around 1000 different species of bamboo and no don't panic I am not going to mention all of them. Bamboo ... Read review
Advantages: Easy to grow Disadvantages: can get out of control if neglected.
...I recently bought a new bamboo plant I though I would tell you all about bamboo.
----What is Bamboo----
Well bamboos are part of the grass family and are evergreen woody perennial plants and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, all in all there are around 1000 different species of bamboo and no don't panic I am not going to mention all of them. Bamboo is formed of stems which range in height from a few centimetres ... ...often get referred to as bamboo trees. Another interesting fact is that bamboo does actually flower but this again varies by species with some species only flowering every 28 to 120 years, yes this is correct, imagine you never see a particular bamboo plant flower in your lifetime. The rate of growth for bamboo also varies widely with your normal garden bamboo growing between 3 to 5 cms per day but there are some species that can grow up to 100cm ... more
As I recently bought a new bamboo plant I though I would tell you all about bamboo.
----What is Bamboo----
Well bamboos are part of the grass family and are evergreen woody perennial plants and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, all in all there are around 1000 different species of bamboo and no don't panic I am not going to mention all of them. Bamboo is formed of stems which range in height from a few centimetres up to 40meters, each stem is jointed and looks like it has been glued together where there was a break but this is not the case, the joints are formed a fairly regular intervals. The larger bamboos look a bit more like trees due to their size and often get referred to as bamboo trees. Another interesting fact is that bamboo does actually flower but this again varies by species with some species only flowering every 28 to 120 years, yes this is correct, imagine you never see a particular bamboo plant flower in your lifetime. The rate of growth for bamboo also varies widely with your normal garden bamboo growing between 3 to 5 cms per day but there are some species that can grow up to 100cm per day.
----Where does bamboo grow----
I am sure you now all have visions of cute pandas chomping on a bit of bamboo but let me tell you that bamboo, dependant on the variety can be found from a range of cold mountains to tropical areas from Northeast Asia through the Himalaya down to northern Australia and even Antarctica also my house and garden.
----Growing Bamboo----
Be warned this is an invasive plant and can be difficult to control which is why the one I have in my garden is in a large pot. There are two main ways in which your normal garden variety grows, either by clumping where the plant tends to stay fairly well in one area or the more invasive 'running' where the roots will spread out all over your garden and it is really hard to remove once it has established itself and left unattended, a bit like a weed
----My Bamboo Plants----
Now at some point we all must have watched a garden make over programme or too and these seem to favour some of the giant bamboos and I have a baby one of these in my garden. Why do I have a baby one, well cost, a fully grown giant bamboo, you know the one, comes in a large point and over 6ft tall, costs over £60.00 as most garden centres, however, I found a baby one in Wilkinsons last year for only £2.99 and though would have a go and see if I could coax it to grow to its adult size. When I bough this is was a scrawny looking thing with a few shoots and less leaves, however, 9 months later it has filled out quite a bit and doubled in size, though I think it will be a couple more years before it has grown to its full height, I am hoping for a 6ft tall plant that will sway in the breeze in the summer and hear the gentle rustle of the leaves, maybe I am hoping for too much as I usually have black fingers and manager to kill most plants.
I also have my new bamboo purchased last weekend, this one is an indoor variety and is a 'lucky bamboo' and is very easy to care for, this particular one came from Marks & Spencer is a lovely tall thin vase with a bulbous bottom, looks a bit like you could drink a yard of ale from it, with white stones in the bottom and water. The care instructions where easy to follow and even I can't this one wrong, Mr Bamboo like light but not direct midday sun, does not need feeding and just needs his water changed once a week, easy. No this plant is unusual to look at and come is long stems and I have two in my vase, apparently this is luck for love, one of the stems is totally straight but the other is grown in a spiral and you may sometimes here this referred to a curly bamboo, there are no roots or soil at all and basically looks as though I have been out and cut two stems of bamboo fresh.
----Practical uses for bamboo---
Yes there are some uses for bamboo it is not just for eating by pandas. Bamboo can be used in construction and when pre-treated can form a sort of very hard wood to be used in the construction of buildings, fences, bridges, toilets, walking sticks and canoes to name a few. More likely in the UK we will see chopsticks, food steamers and furniture made from bamboo.
Bamboo can be carved into works of art, used as flooring, the bamboo is steamed, flattened and the glued together for this purpose but there should be a warning with bamboo floors as they can easily be infested by wood boring insects such as wood worm.
-----Cooking with Bamboo----
Now not only can we make chopsticks and steamers out of bamboo we can also eat it. Most commonly bamboo is found is a Chinese dish and the bamboo used for this is the new shoots as they are still soft and tender. You can find bamboo is most supermarkets these days and often in tins and they are a great addition to a stir fry I find to give that lovely crunchy texture, thought they do not have a strong flavour they are not tasteless either.
Pickled bamboo - yes pickled, I have never tried this and cannot imagine what I would eat it with but the thought of a cheese and bamboo pickle sandwich could be off putting.
Bamboo leaves are also used in cooking and can be used as a wrapping for rice or a Chinese dumpling similar to the way a vine leaf is used.
----Myths and Legends surrounding bamboo----
There are some Asian cultures that believe that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. In the Philippines the myth is that man and women emerged from a slit open bamboo stem on an island created after the battle of elemental forces of Sky and Ocean. In Malaysia the story is that a man dreams of a beautiful woman whilst sleeping under a bamboo and when he woke up he split the bamboo and a beautiful woman emerged. There are lots of other similar myths basically on the same theme in Japan, Vietnam and Hawaii all involving relationships between men and women.
Well I hope you have enjoyed reading this and learnt something about the humble bamboo plant and wish me luck with mine.
Advantages: Easy To Care For Disadvantages: Can Be Over-Watered Easily
Bamboo plants seem to be getting more popular and trendy, and I received one from a friend recently. I'm not one for indoor plants, as for some reason they don't seem to last long in my home, they end up dying on me, and yes they do get watered !
I was explaining this to a friend when she suggested I try one of these, easy to care for, although they have know flower, a bit of greenery would not go amiss.
I've had this one for about 4 or 5 months ... ...the plant is not a bamboo at all but a resilient member of the lily family that is know for surviving in tropical rain forests.
It is also associated with the eastern practice of feng-shui. And is renowned for bringing you luck and success, because it grows rapidly, and because of it's strength and fortitude.
Sometimes you may see a red ribbon tied around them in shops when purchasing. This is supposed to be the "fire" which is the positive flow ...
chattell 30.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bamboo
Advantages: Relatively easy to care for Disadvantages: Only ease to care for in the right conditions, if you remember to water it!
...types of indoor plant. Bamboo is increasingly becoming the most popular choice for urbanite flat-dwellers (or at least it is for me) because of its simple care regime and exotic appearance.
While there are dozens of different kinds of bamboo that will thrive indoors, "Lucky Bamboo" (which is technically called "dracaena sanderia") is probably the most easily sourced and straightforward to look after. It's also getting very popular as it is seen ... ...this is fine. However, bamboo is quite picky about the kind of water it gets. It should be changed at least once a month (more if better) and be _good_ water. Water straight from the tap is quite high in fluoride and chlorine, and both of these can play havoc with the bamboo, resulting in "leaf burn" (i.e. the tips of the leaves turn brown) or, in extreme cases, complete death of the stalk.
To get around the problem with tap water, there are a number ...
eddybennet 29.12.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bamboo
Advantages: Attractive, unusual plant Disadvantages: Takes time to mature
...different in their home. Bamboo can provide the solution to this as it is native to Asia but can tolerate the conditions in the UK. In the modern technology age people are always rushing around and have little time to spend in their garden so prefer to just buy a plant from a garden centre (at vast expense i dare say) and then leave it sitting somewhere in view. To save money i would recommend buying seeds (i obtained 30 for about £4 from the internet) ... ...The seeds of bamboo are slightly more complicated to germinate than your standard poppy or pansy. To start with you need to keep them in warm water (25C) for a day. The best way to do this is to put warm water into a bottle and put the seeds inside and then screw the lid on to keep the heat in. Having soaked the seeds in water you will not see any signs of germination, but the whole process will be a lot quicker. Once the seeds have been soaked they ...
J-D-C 12.02.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bamboo
...child my dad had some bamboo growing in a corner of the garden I used to like playing amongst it, cutting the shoots down and playing with it, making my den.
Pandas live in bamboo forests. They eat a lot of bamboo it is not easily digested, has few nutrients so pandas eat other food too. Bamboo shoots are often eaten as part of a Chinese meal bamboo does not have much flavour so takes the flavour of the food it is cooked with.
However this is not ... ...what is Bamboo Mary did I hear you ask? ~~~~~~~~
Well Bamboo is a native of Asia, islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and also Africa and South America, Bamboo is a grass with a woody stem. There are several varieties of bamboo growing to different heights from ground cover plants to stems standing 10 to 12 metres high.
Bamboo is a native of Asia, islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans and also Africa and South America, Bamboo grows long ...
mumsymary 20.05.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bamboo
Advantages: Rampant in the right conditions Disadvantages: Too many on the market which are not fully hardy
...just too many varieties of Bamboo on the market. And they are very definitely not all hardy in all parts of the UK. Which is why we’re going to sort them out.
Firstly, forgive the Latin - I’m not being pretentious, they just don’t have common names.
I live on top of a hill, a seagull’s spitting distance from the North Sea. I get it all. Salt laden winds. Penetrating frosts. Gales so strong the rain never touches the ground. And I have two clumps ... ...if you want a hardy bamboo - no matter where you live - that’s my recommendation. It is a large and spreading plant, though, although my weather conditions keep mine in check somewhat. In a more favourable environment, it may take over a smaller garden. But what an effect!
Too big for you, perhaps? Try Arundinaria nitida. It only grows to about 50cm, and is as comfortable in a big pot on the patio as it is in the ground. If you’re short of space, ...
Aspen 23.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Bamboo
Advantages: Gives good support Disadvantages: none
As well as the trellis with a rigid frame I reviewed earlier this month I have some other trellis against a fence. This trellis is Gardmans expanding wooden trellis size 1.8m x 0.6m (6ft x 2ft). This terrace is now several years old.
* Price and availability~
I bought our trellis from a local garden centre but lots of websites sell it too.
I will give you there web sites of a couple. http://www.ukgardensupplies.co.uk price £6.99 and at http://www.webbsdirect.co.uk. Here it is for sale at £6.99p too.
This trellis is available in several other sizes too, but the one I am interested in is the 1.800x x0.6metre.
*material and design ~~
This trellis is made of bamboo, you can get a natural or a honey brown colour I believe you can get a tan brown colour too..
The bamboo wood is pinned together with clips that allow it to be ...
Advantages: Does not soil the water quickly Disadvantages: none that i can think of
as i find that this is easily dispensed across the tank to ensure that all of the snails and shrimp get some. I have many snails all of whom adore this food source. The apple snails, rabbit snails, mts, nerites, etc.. and even the bamboo shrimp will make an express effort to pick these up for lunch.
The micro wafers i shop around for as i can often pick these up on promotion at one of my Local fish shops (LFS) at £1.49 for the small pack as opposed to the £3.49 every where else. I usually just pick up a large bag of the standard algae wafers For around about £12 and that lasts me at least 2 months. Which i find pretty good concidering i feed 5 tanks daily with them.
I feed no more than will be consumed within 30 minutes though as i find this is more than enough time for all to get in their dinner, and any that is left over (if any ...
stezatois1 16.03.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Algae Wafers
Advantages: A great fresh vegetable Disadvantages: None
welcome some sun but they don't enjoy being in a windy spot, the plants are also very susceptible to blackfly and rust. We net them to keep our feathered friends from devouring them before they mature and we keep everything crossed that the slugs don't suddenly choose to add them to their ever expanding menu! Each evening the young plants are given a good drink of fresh water to help promote good growth.
Broad beans are one of the first of the bean family to mature and crop but they are most definitely not everyone's cup of tea.
As the plants start to grow they will need to be inspected daily for fly or rust problems and in the not too distant future they will start to flower. If the plants need support then this can easily be provided with a bamboo cane. Last year the variety of broad bean that we chose grew no taller than three feet ...
Sarahjh1 21.04.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Broad Beans
