The Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society is holding its 15th annual Bamboo Festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Papaikou Hongwanji. The site is located between mile markers 7 and 8 on Highway 19.
The Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society is holding its 15th annual Bamboo Festival from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Papaikou Hongwanji. The site is located between mile markers 7 and 8 on Highway 19. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to meet experts in growing and using bamboo, including demonstrations on tools and weapons associated with the plant. Many specialty bamboos will be available for sale at the event, as well.
For further information call 238-5361.
Some of the 1,200 species of bamboos grow only a few inches in height, and others may reach 120 feet. Some are runners, and some are well behaved and stay in tight clumps.
Today, in Hawaii, many valuable and beautiful species have been introduced. Susan Ruskin and Peter Berg of Quindembo Nursery, Kim Higbie and others have selected the best species for food, construction and crafts. They went to great expense to get them permitted, quarantined and propagated for distribution.
Asia is the ancestral home of many kamaaina, both people and plants. When it comes to plants, one of the most valuable of these is bamboo.
With large tracts of land now available for forestry, and our interest in sustainable agriculture, bamboo may become one of our major resources. In fact, folks are beginning to build bamboo houses here. If you are interested in more information on this subject, visit bambooliving.com for details.
Some people only know bamboo from their experience with the rampant running species. Needless to say, these types are not for the small garden unless contained. However, they have been used effectively to stabilize steep slopes that are prone to erosion. That is why we find large stands of running bamboos above Waiohinu in Ka‘u, Hana Road on Maui or at the back of Manoa Valley. The intricate mat of roots and rhizomes hold soil and rocks in place and save roads, homes and streams from mud and rockslides. Bamboos are certainly a more attractive and environmentally sound approach to steep slope erosion control than concrete, wire or chainlink screens. Erosion on East Hawaii gulch roads is a serious problem that could be addressed with certain bamboo species.
Bamboos are also excellent cattle feed and have a place in supplying nutritious greens at a low cost.
Even though bamboos are excellent sources of edible shoots and construction material, most folks are interested in ornamental bamboos for their looks. Bamboos are a natural for almost any tropical garden. In fact, many of the hundreds of types of bamboos grow in the tropics, but some species grow as far north as New York or Seattle, and can be found growing at 10,000 feet in the mountains of Asia as well as Central and South America.
Many specimens of bamboo are suitable for ornamental purposes. Clump bamboos are ideally suited for ornamental uses in their area of adaptation. They can be planted in groups for hedges or singly for specimen plantings. They spread slowly and are easy to keep within bounds. One of the most popular is the Mexican weeping bamboo. Others to consider are the Bambusa multiplex forms such as Alphonse Karr, fern leaf, silver stripe and feather bamboo. These delicate clump types range from 10 to 20 feet high. Other types include Chusquea, Drepanostachyum and Fargesia bamboos.
For larger gardens, try Buddha’s belly, Oldham bamboo, punting pole bamboo and weaver’s bamboo. These clumping types grow from 40 to 50 feet high.
The giant tropical clumping bamboos need plenty of room since they soar from 50 to 120 feet tall under ideal conditions. This group includes the larger Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Guadua, and Gigantochloa species that may have culms 6 to 12 inches in diameter. They are grown for edible shoots, construction material, windbreaks and furniture.
Miniature bamboos well-suited to container growing are Sasa species and Shibatea kumasasa. These and other running bamboos such as black bamboo can be kept small or bonsai when contained. The running bamboos are more difficult to keep in bounds than clump bamboo. However, many are desirable as ornamental plants because of diversity in their habit of growth, appearance and size.
Bamboo does best in a moist, well-drained soil with some organic matter. Most bamboos do best in sunny locations or with light shade. Some understory species tolerate shade. Apply complete fertilizer high in nitrogen or manures four to six times a year. Mulch the soil around the planting. Dead leaves or dry grass clippings can be used for mulch.
If you are interested in bamboo culture for economic and agricultural uses, contact your Extension Office for the UH Extension circular “Bamboo for Forest and Garden,” and be sure to come to the Bamboo Festival.
