C!AW'KP 4 Bamboo Growing in Alabama BULLETIN DECEMBER 387 1968 d Agricultural Experiment Station/Auburn University E. V. Smith, Director/ Auburn, Alabama ~1 ~ I - / ~ CONTENTS Page BIOLOGY AND CULTURAL Botany of Bam boo-REQUIREMENTS-4 ------------------4 So ils - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 Clim ate - - - - - - - -- - --- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 Propagation and Culture----Setting Permanent Areas--------12 8 U s es -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1 4 EXPERIMENTS IN ALABAMA ---------------------------- 15 Experim ents at Auburn ---------------------------- 16 Experiments at Camden ---------------------------- 20 Place for Bamboo in Alabama-----------------------23 SUM M AR Y -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --- 26 REFERENCES ON BAMBOO-------------------------------29 FIRST PRINTING 5M, DECEMBER 1968 Bamboo Growing in Alabama D. G. STURKIE, Professor Emeritus of Agronomy and Soils* V. L. BROWN, Superintendent, Lower Coastal Plain Substation** W. J. WATSON, Assistant Superintendent, Lower Coastal Plain Substation** Fish the crop BAMBOO ISAN rakes, furniture, plant in and Orient.articles poles, plant stakes, yard shades, other manIMPORTANT ufactured from bamboo are imported from China, Japan, and other oriental countries. Oriental bamboo has been grown in small areas in Alabama for many years and used locally for stakes, poles, shades, and other purposes. Some varieties have been grown as ornamentals. Increased interest in fishing, beginning in the 1930's, created an expanded market for bamboo fish poles and suggested bamboo as a possible new crop for Alabama. Prospective growers, however, had no source of information relative to adapted varieties nor cultural requirements. Consequently, experiments with bamboo were initiated at the Main Station at Auburn in 1933. Two developments in the late 1950's and early 1960's further stimulated interest in bamboo. One was the search for new crops for industrial uses that might substitute for or complement crops then in surplus production. The other was the rapid development of the pulp and paper industry. These developments were responsible for the initiation of extensive experiments with bamboo at the Lower Coastal Plain Substation, Camden, in 1959. In addition to formal results obtained from planned experiments, a body of valuable knowledge concerning the cultural requirements and biology of bamboo was acquired. * Project leader for all bamboo experiments of Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station. Cooperation of W. B. DeVall and E. J. Hodgkins, Department of Forestry, in the bamboo-pine experiment is acknowledged. Also, cooperation of C. 0. Erlanson, J. R. Haun, and W. O. Hawley, of U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Crops Research Division, New Crops Research Branch, Crop Development Section, in planning the tests and supplying planting stock of bamboo is gratefully acknowledged. ** Co-investigators with Sturkie in the Lower Coastal Plain Substation portion of the bamboo experiments. 4 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BIOLOGY AND CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS Botany of Bamboo Bamboos are true grasses, characterized by hollow or rarely solid stems closed at the joints, or nodes. They have been known and used since ancient times, but their botanical characteristics and relationships are not fully understood. This results in large measure from the fact that most bamboos are extremely slow in flowering and producing seed. There are two types of bamboo grown in this country: (1) clump type and (2) running type. The clumb type spreads by short rhizomes that produce new canes near the base of the old ones. These are usually of tropical origin and do not thrive in Alabama except along the coast. This type of bamboo is often planted for hedges or singly for specimen plants. It spreads slowly and is easily kept within bounds. All of these bamboos tested at Auburn have been killed back to the ground many times and most of them have been completely killed. The only one surviving in 1968 is Bambusa multiplex var. stripe stem fernleaf PI No. 99289. It is defoliated nearly every winter, but new leaves put out the following spring. During several winters the stems were killed back to the ground, but new canes developed the following year from buds or rhizomes. The running type is much hardier than the clump type. It produces rhizomes that grow in all directions and may extend for 15 feet or more each year. Thus, it is difficult to confine to a given area. The running bamboos grow much farther north than the clump bamboos. Some of the species are suited to growth in all areas of Alabama. Most introduced (commonly called "Japanese") bamboo belongs to the genus Phyllostachys. Semi-arundinariaand a few other genera have occasionally been planted. The "native cane" (bamboo) is Arundinaria.Occasionally found along streams, the Arundinarias occurred at one time in abundance over much of the South in areas known as canebrakes. Plants of bamboo vary in height from a few inches to a giant size of 70 feet. Plants usually have upright stems with prominent nodes. The internodes vary in length and are usually hollow but are solid in some varieties. In most cases branches occur only at the upper nodes, the remainder of the plant being a long, slender, strong cane, which is the portion of the plant most often used. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 5 The plants have a dense fibrous root system and produce rhizomes having buds at irregular intervals along the side. The rhizones are heavy, short jointed, often branching undergroundl runners. They are essential for storage and translocation of nutrients. The buds give rise to new culms (canes or plants) or new rhizomes. Usually only a few of the buds along a rhizome begin growth (sprout) in the spring. Most buds remain dormant and max live for 5 or 6 years before they die. Germination of buds on the old (5 or 6 years) rhizomes is very poor. On firstyear rhizomes, germination of buds is poor unless attached to the mother plant. New rhizomes legin to dlevelop about June andl continue growth during mid-summer and early fall. The b~uds on rhizome-nodes swell slowly and continuously for several months. They emerge as new plants when the warm weather of spring arrives. The period of sprout emergence varies according to species, vigor of the mother bamboo, and environmental conditions. Even in one bamboo grove, there are variations of 50 to 60 days between ear] and late spring sprouting. Sprouting is also affected by moisture, decreasing in dry eather. Although it has been reported that buds sprout poorly folloving mild winters vith few or no hard treezes, the winters at Auburn were always severe enough to indice normal sprouting. -& II mv~- i s Closeup of bamboo showing growth of shoots in early spring. 6 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION It appears that the number of buds sprouting varies with the species of bamboo. In plantings at Camden, some species produced much better stands than others from the same number of rhizomes. Phyllostachys rubromarginataproduced better stands than did P. bambusoides, P. viridis, or P. vivax. The bud from which the new bamboo culm grows appears on the side of the rhizome as a small, hard swelling. As the warm weather of spring arrives, this bud begins to lengthen and expands into a compact upright growth until its point pierces the ground. The new culm first makes its appearance above ground as a sharp point, and develops slowly upward for the next few days. An interesting feature of bamboo growth is that the entire length of the cane is compressed into the sprout when it first makes its appearance above ground, the elongation being from the bottom up; that is, the bottom joints or internodes elongate much more rapidly than those above, and cease growing only when they reach their ultimate length. There is no increase in girth of the bamboo culm after it appears above ground, but the culm elongates joint by joint until it reaches its maximum height. Elongation is slow for the first2 or 3 feet, but the height growth from then on is exceedingly rapid to maturity. For example, timber bamboo growing from mature rhizomes completes its height, which may be as much as 55 feet, in 6 weeks, the average time in which all bamboo shoots reach maximum height. At this time the plant sends out branches from the nodes near the top. These produce leaves and the plant has completed its growth except for filling of the culm. The walls harden for about 2-3 years, when the bamboo culm is completely mature. The plant sheds its leaves each summer by putting out a new crop from buds in the axil of the old leaves. Old leaves drop gradually, so the change from old to new leaves is hardly noticeable. The age of a bamboo culm can be determined by the number of leaf scars on a branch (twig). A year-old culm would have no leaf scars, a 2-year-old would have one, and a 3-year-old one would have two scars. The first year after planting bamboo, culms are only a few feet in height. Culms originating during each succeeding year grow a few feet taller than those of the year before until the ultimate height for the species is reached. For the larger varieties this is usually 15 to 20 years. It usually requires 7 or 8 years after planting before canes large enough to be of use are produced. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 7 The flowering and production of seed is a curious and interesting feature of bamboo. When this event occurs, many species die. Whole forests may die, requiring several years for the seedlings or vegetative parts to repopulate the region. Another phenomenon associated with bamboo is the simultaneous development of flowers. All plants of the same species, regardless of age or size, over a wide region will bloom at one time. Plants flower for 2 or 3 years and then die. A few buds usually survive at the base of a plant. The plant must be reestablished from seed or from buds that did not die. This peculiarity of bamboo is of prime importance from an economic standpoint, for it would be unfortunate after spending time and money in the development of plantations suddenly to find the whole destroyed or so weakened that several years would be required to reestablish them. The flowering is rare, occurring only once in many years. In reestablishing bamboo after it has seeded, some small shoots appear. These should be left for the first 3 years at least. All the shoots that appear should be allowed to mature. After the grove is once reestablished, only the largest shoots should be permitted to grow, the others being cut as soon as they appear. This thinning process concentrates plant growth into a comparatively few large culms and gradually increases the height and strength of the forest. At Auburn since 1933, three bamboos have flowered, recovered, and reestablished themselves. The whole process required about 6 years. Soils Bamboo in general requires a moderately moist, well-drained soil of good fertility for best growth. Preferred soils are loams, with best growth made on moist bottom lands. Good drainage is essential, as bamboo will not tolerate a water-logged condition. Bamboo at Camden on river terrace soil has withstood flooding by flowing river water for a few weeks without being killed. Most any upland soil can be used to produce bamboo if it is fertilized. Watering is desirable for maximum growth, but the plant can stand long periods of drought. The hardy species stood severe droughts at Auburn and at Camden without dying, but growth was retarded. Bamboo has grown at Auburn on eroded Cecil clay soil, but growth was better on uneroded Cecil sandy soil. At Camden, 8 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION bamboo has grown well on Wickham sandy loam in the river terrace and on Norfolk fine sandy loam on the hills. Climate Some kinds of bamboo are adapted as far north as Pennsylvania. Others are killed by freezing temperature, hence are only suited to tropical climates. The hardy bamboos will withstand the climate anywhere in Alabama. Temperatures of 5 F may kill the leaves, but new leaves will come next spring or-the plant will come back from new shoots. The rhizomes are not killed. Leaves usually remain green throughout winter. At Auburn, a temperature of 17°F on March 26, 1955, killed the leaves of several species of bamboo and the culms of several species. In this instance the sudden cold followed a warm period in which the bamboos had begun active growth. The species damaged most had already developed new shoots. In previous winters, they had experienced lower temperatures without damage to the leaves. Some species are defoliated most winters at Auburn, whereas others are seldom damaged. Phyllostachys rubromarginataand Semi-arundinariafastuosa have never been damaged at Auburn, and Phyllostachys viridis only once in 20 years. 0 Propagation and Culture When all conditions are right, bamboo plants are easily propagated. When conditions are not right, however, little success will be obtained. Principal methods of propagating bamboos are (1) by division or splitting up the clumps, and (2) by cutting off and planting the rhizomes. DIVISION OF CLUMPS. If a young clump of any of the running bamboos is examined in early summer, young plants will be found coming up on the edges of the clump. These young plants are attached to rhizomes, which go back to an old plant. On the rhizomes will be found young plants and dormant buds or shoots. If the plant, together with a piece of the rhizome, is carefully removed with a ball of the soil, this makes a good young clump for propagation purposes. The proper time to dig these young plants is in early spring before growth begins. Then it is only a matter of transporting this clump to a new area and setting it out. A divided plant, such as described, if properly cared for will make a fair growth the first year and will usually send out new BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 9 rhizomes froml which several plants wxill dex elop the next year. This is the most satisfactory ty pe of plant to) use for p)ropagation purposes. If' the rhizomes are strong, the hl~(s sound, and the stems and roots satisfactorv, growth wbxill start promptly and be man Jtaille(I steadjil if soil and other cond~i t(ins ar~e rigvht. The dix ided plants will niot standl lotig (distance shipinent unless great precautions are taken. These usually wxeigh 10( to 15 potilils per clump, thus inakin.g the cost n early prohmibitix e. Therefore, this nmethod of propagation is sutal for mnxying o1ily short distance's. C11- RHiiIZOM NES. Banmboo plants (develop mu ine1cromms rhizomes ~, ab out 2 to G inches underneath the grond wxhich may exten d 10 to 20) fee f'4Iromnthe miother plant. They hax e nunmeroums ro ots anid devlo (b01udm~s at freqjuent interv als. hizomnes umsedl for propagation should haxve bud1(s that are b~right, andl roots groxving from the nodes should1( he hri ght and x igorous. Ehitomes that are (lark in color xxith (lark budls and fexx xigorous roots are 01(1 andi not suitedl for propagation. Txxo-y ear-01(1 rhizonmes, if carefully renmox ed an(d xwashed, make good propagatinig material amid are preferredl. Each xialble hud xxill dexvelop into a plant, xwhich in turn wxill dcx elop roots andl s('nd~ out other riziomes. These rhizomes ar(e r('latixvely, ~ v v These rhizomes are washed free of soil and cut ready for planting. 10 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION ~jA:fj~ ZI Bamboo from planting rhizomes: tap, first year, bottom, sccond year. liulit aid~ mnay be sipped long dlistanices at loxw cost. They should be kept moist and cool du~ring~ shipping and~ nexver lhe permittedl to (lrx out. The proper time to lift and dlivide the rhizomnes is iii Februrary, MIarch, or earl April, pjust before the butds begin to piiush (groxx uJ) forming plants). Failure wvill likely result if the rhizomes are nrot lifted at the proper time. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 11 ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING A NURSERY. A nursery is almost indispensable if large quantities of planting stock are needed. The nursery soil should be a rich fertile loam. It should be well prepared and irrigation provided to take care of the young plants. The rhizomes should be cut in 12- to 15-inch sections, planted in trenches, covered about 3 to 4 inches, and the soil firmed around them. Immediately after setting, they should be moistened and the soil kept moist at all times. Mulching is highly desirable. One hundred properly selected rhizomes will weigh 3 to 5 pounds. Under favorable conditions, 50 per cent germination may be expected, so the 100 rhizomes should produce 50 good plants. Careful weeding and watering during dry spells are needed the first summer. Plants usually attain a height of 1 to 3 feet the first year. At the beginning of the second year the plants may be dug and transplanted to permanent areas. If the nursery is to be used as a permanent source of planting material, it should be left 2 or 3 years to develop rootstocks before beginning digging. In digging, enough rhizomes are left to reestablish the nursery. A good fertilizer program for a nursery is 80 pounds N, 35 pounds P (80 pounds P 20 5 ), and 50 pounds K (80 pounds K20) per acre worked into the soil before setting rhizomes. Apply 200 pounds of ammonium nitrate per acre about June 15 and again about September 1. The second year, 80 pounds N, 35 pounds P, and 50 pounds K per acre are broadcast before growth begins in the spring and ammonium nitrate applications are repeated during the summer as in the first year. This treatment is needed each year as long as the nursery is in use. Weeding should be done carefully so as not to damage the rhizomes. Most of the weeding will have to be done by hand pulling or use of herbicides. Do not hoe around the young plants, because this will damage the rhizomes. Excellent control of annual grasses and weeds was obtained at Auburn and at Camden by spraying with simazine at the rate of 3 pounds active ingredient per acre after the rhizomes were set. One application controlled the broadleaf weeds and grasses until about July 1. Another application of about 1 pound per acre was sometimes necessary to control the weeds until frost. No damage was apparent to the bamboo plants. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Simazine weed control: top, untreated plot; bottom, 3 pounds simazine per acre immediately after planting March 15, 1961 (photographed June 13, 1961). Setting Permanent Areas For planting large areas it is desirable to use eliiinps of plants from a nuIIrs'ry. Plants suirv ive b~etter and1( requiirc less care than (10 rhizome Cuittings. Rhizome cuttings niav b~e ulsed for small areas. The plants should b~e remox ed from the nursery and set in February or March when soil is moist. Ifs thle plants in the nu~rserk are too tall, cult them back for case h andljing. It is desirab~le to dig a hole larmer than the div ided Clump wxith its attached roots and soil. Set the plants a few inches low er than they grew in the nursery. Carefully fill the hole so as not to damage the lbud(s on BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA Bamboo plants grown in nursery and dug with soil attached ready for planting. the Ihizoies. The hole should not be completely filled, leaing a depression to hold water. Watering plants to settle the soil aroIndl the roots is desirable. Spacing will vary with purpose of the SPACIN(G oF P.ANrTS. p'lanting, cost of planting material, and the earliness (esired to coxver the area. )eveloping a grove or a plantation re(1 llires 10 to 1.5 years to b~ring the plants to a desirable size. Bamboo culture is slow work and little can be done to speed tip the dcvelopmient. Therefore, little can be gained by going to the expense of close plant spacing. Planting 15 to 20 feet apart in each direction has been satisfactory at Auburn and Camden. On the other hand, a planting for a hedge or screen or for ornamental purposes can be brought to the desired use rapidly by a spacing of 2 or 3 feet. If possible, protect bamboo from CARE AFVTER PLANTING: dlrought anld competing vegetation. During the first year after planting water ev ery 7 to 10 days when there is no rain. In large plaltillgs, weeds and grass between rows of plants may be kept at a minimum size by mowin frequently or using herbicides. FEwiTILIZATION. Apply a complete fertilizer such as 80 poundls N, :35 pounds P, and 50 pounds K per acre. PRUtNIN(.I IEI)(.Es. Hedges should be pruned once or twice a year. Canes are alloed to grow to their full height in the spring, and then cut back to the dlesired1 height b~efore the branches put out leaxes. Cut the canes 1 or 2 inches aboxe a node and branches on the sides of the hedge to the lesired length. THINNING G(IuOVES. Thinning is necessary to produce desirable 14 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION canes for market or home use and for best appearance. A grove should be thinned when the plants have covered the area and reached a height of 15 feet. Thinning should be done in the winter, and never when new shoots are putting up since they are easily broken and damaged. The first thinning should consist of removing the small canes and crooked canes, leaving enough canes to shade the ground. Never thin enough to allow the sun to dry soil around the plants. If too many canes are cut and large spaces exist, the stems turn yellow, good canes decrease in number, and the planting becomes thin and impoverished. If canes are unthinned, the plants get too thick and are small in size and the grove becomes filled with dead, fallen, and poorly shaped canes and does not present a handsome appearance. Culms 1-2 years old have thin walls and do not produce desirable poles. The best poles are from 3- to 4-year-old culms. It is not advisable to leave stems older than 4 or.5 years, therefore older canes are always removed in thinning. Never remove more than one-fourth of the canes at one time. Some system of marking the new canes each year is desirable so that age of the cane can be determined at time of thinning. A well managed grove has stout, well shaped canes with a dense dark green foliage that is attractive. The fallen leaves accumulate and decay naturally, producing a constant supply of humus that holds moisture and fertility. The grove will furnish a continuous supply of poles that may be harvested each year. Thinning would not be practical if bamboo is grown on a large scale for pulp. Harvesting by sawing canes is better than cutting with an axe. Cutting leaves sharp points that do not decay for several years and are thus dangerous to anyone working in the grove. Uses Bamboo has many uses in the Orient where it is intimately associated with the lives and economy of the people. Currently, its uses are more limited in the United States. ORNAMENTALS. Since the species vary so widely in size, they afford many uses as ornamentals varying from shades to screens to small base plantings around a dwelling. Bamboo is an evergreen plant and makes an excellent screen. Since species vary so much in height, a screen can be almost any height from 2 feet to 50 feet. Also, pruning of large species permits height control and variable shapes and heights of screens. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 15 STAKES. Bamboo is resistant to termites and stakes will last several years. It makes excellent plant stakes for flowers, tomatoes, beans, and other plants. POLEs. Bamboo is the best plant known for fish poles or poles for knocking pecans or other nuts from trees. Thousands of poles are harvested and used in Alabama each year. The poles can be used in the manufacture of furniture and other articles and for buildings, such as tea houses in gardens. WIND BREAKS. Bamboo is an excellent plant for wind breaks. It will withstand violent winds and, growing thick, will prevent wind damage to other plants. FooD. Young shoots of many bamboos are edible. They are imported into this country and used extensively in cooking, particularly in Chinese foods. GRAZING. The leaves of bamboo are edible and animals graze on them when they have access to them. The "switch canes" (Arundinariatecta) have been grazed during the winter for many years in Alabama and other areas of the South. PAPER PULP. Bamboo fibers have excellent qualities for paper making. Used extensively in the Orient for this purpose, it has possibilities for extensive use in this country. EXPERIMENTS IN ALABAMA Experiments with bamboo have been conducted at Auburn since 1933 when the first introductions were made from several nurseries in the United States, particularly the U.S. Plant Introduction Station at Savannah, Georgia. Numerous introductions have been made. Those that have grown successfully are listed in Table 1. Large scale experiments at Camden were begun in 1959 when a planting of approximately 4 acres of timber bamboo was made to compare yields of bamboo and pine for pulp production. In 1960, approximately 100 acres of five species was planted to study the problems of production, harvesting, and utilization of bamboo. These experiments were initiated with the active cooperation of the New Crops Research Branch of the United States Department of Agriculture. The discontinuation of cooperation by the Department on July 1, 1965, reportedly as an economy I 16 TABLE 1. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION BAMBOOS THAT HAVE GRowN SUCCESSFULLY AT AUBURN, ALABAMA Species Scientific name Arundinaria amabilis Arundinaria angustifolia Arundinaria gigantea Arundinaria nagashima Arundinaria simonii (tall) Arundinaria simonii (short) Arundinaria tecta Arundinaria tecta Arundinaria tunghomii Arundinaria viridi-striata Bambusa multiplex' Phyllostachys aurea Phyllostachys aureosulcata Phyllostachys bambusoides Phyllostachys bambusoides var. castilloni Phyllostachys flexuosa Phyllostachys flexuosa Phyllostachys makinoi Phyllostachys meyeri Phyllostachys nidularia Phyllostachys nigra Phyllostachys nigra var. henon Phyllostachys rubromarginata Phyllostachys viridis Phyllostachys vivax Sasa palmata Semi-arundinaria farinosa Semi-arundinaria fastuosa Shibataea kumasaca ' Clump type. Common name Tonkin cane Canebreak bamboo or southern cane Simon bamboo Switch cane Switch cane ................ Plant IntroSourceduction No. USDA USDA local USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA local USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA USDA 110,509 129,301 75,149 142,492 75,151 153,804 153,807 139,883 75,161 99,289 55,713 40,842 42,659 116,965 52,686 195,284 116,768 66,784 24,761 66,902 77,257 82,047 75,169 77,004 52,671 75,157 var. stripe stem fernleaf Fish pole bamboo or Todd's bamboo Yellow groove bamboo Timber bamboo Castillion bamboo Meyer bamboo Black bamboo Henon bamboo Nahiria bamboo Ruscus leaf bamboo -- measure, resulted in drastic curtailment of planned harvesting research and abandonment of plans for utilization research. Experiments at Auburn The tests have consisted of observations on appearance, growth habits, cold tolerance, and yields from cutting treatments. COLD TOLERANCE. Most cold tolerant species were P. rubromarginata, S. fastuosa, and P. viridis. Next in tolerance were P. aureosulcataand P. nigra var. henon. Phyllostachys bambusoides, P. meyeri, and P. aurea have been damaged severely 3 years in the 20 years they have been observed. YIELD OF POLES. Seven species have been harvested for marketable poles. The age at harvest varied from 8 to 18 years. Yields reported in Table 2 are for canes 15 feet or longer. (Those less BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA Bambusoides bamboo at Auburn, Alabama; closeup (bottom) shows size of canes. than 15 feet are not marketable. ) Production per acre has X aried from 11,000 to 39,000) canes. Yields with selective cutting ha\ e v'ariedl from 2,000 to 10,09(0 per acre per year. The production of verv largle poles from the large species, such as 1'. ciridis, 1P.Uiu(Ix, andl P. bamhdusoides, w\ould~ le less; prohaly ab~out 1,000) per acre w~ould( lhe about the maximumn that one could expect to harv est and( naintain the 'grove. 18 TABLE 2. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION YIELD OF POLES PER ACRE 15 FEET OR LONGER OF VARIOUS BAMBOO SPECIES WHEN ALL' CANES WERE CUT, AUBURN, ALABAMA Species Common name Years Poles 15 ft. harvested or longer per acre No. No. 1 4 4 1 3 7 1 33,189 22,493 11,616 26,602 26,862 39,471 21,732 Phyllostachys aurea Phyllostachys aureosulcata Phyllostachys bambusoides Phyllostachys meyeri Phyllostachys nigra var. henon Phyllostachys rubromarginata Semi-arundinaria fastuosa 1 Fish pole bamboo or Todd's bamboo Yellow groove bamboo Timber bamboo Meyer bamboo Henon bamboo Nahiria bamboo Normally one would not cut all canes on an area at one time. Usual harvest would cut about one-third or one-fourth of the large canes at one time. All of the canes were not marketable as poles because some were crooked and not suitable except to be cut in short lengths for stakes. YIELD OF WOOD. Yields of five species of bamboo harvested for wood (suitable for pulp) reported in Table 3 are for all canes on an area. Age of bamboo varied from 15 to 20 years, with average yield of 17-54 tons per acre. Phyllostachys rubromarginatahas been the most productive species tested at Auburn. It has smaller canes than the timber bamboo, but has many more canes per acre; thus, total production is much larger. The percentage weight of leaves on a green plant has varied from 10 to 16 per cent, with limbs making up 11 to 20 per cent. It is believed that if bamboo were grown for pulp, the limbs would not be removed and would be used in the pulping process; hence the dry weight reported is the total for limbs and stems. TABLE 3. YIELDS OF DRY WOOD, PER CENT BRANCHES, PER CENT DRY MATTER, AND PER CENT LEAVES IN VARIOUS BAMBOO SPECIES, AUBURN, ALABAMA Species Species Year planted Harvest year Leaf content of green plant Pct. 15 16 13 10 13 Dry weight Pct. 68 59 62 61 65 Total Per acre dry wt. dry wt. that is with branches branches Pct. 16 20 21 11 14 Lb. 39,366 34,326 44,607 77,591 108,352 Phyllostachys aurea Phyllostachys aureosulcata Phyllostachys bambusoides Phyllostachys meyeri Phyllostachys rubromarginata 1944 1944 1944 1944 1946 1959 4-yr. av. 1960-63 4-yr. av. 1951, '57 '61, '62 1959 7-yr. av. 1960-66 BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA CUT TING IN STRIPS FOR NVOOD. Ob~servationls of P. bafld)Usoidcs at Auburn showved a m~uch slowxer recoxvery when an area was solid1 cut than wxhen it wxas cut in strips 5 feet or 10 feet wide. A study) wxas b~egunl in 1960 using P. rubrma(rginlata to determine the vield wvhen strips 10 feet widle were cut in a north-south dlirectionl. Yields for the first cutting we rc ab~out twice as large as fromt the second cutting, Table 4. The bamboo was 14 to 19 y ears old at the first cutting, but the canes we re ony .5 years old when the second( cutting was madle. Yield per acre per year of growth is much in faxvor of the strip cutting. Top, Bamboo cut in 10-foot strip; bottom, regrowth of strip year after cutting. 20 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION TABLE 4. YIELDS OF DRY WOOD PER ACRE OF PHYLLOSTACHYS RUBROMARGINATA WHEN STRIPS 10 FEET WIDE WERE CUT AND RECUT AGAIN 5 YEARS LATER, AUBURN, ALABAMA' Year when cut First cut Second cut 1960 1961 1962 1963 AVERAGE 1965 1966 1967 1968 First cut Lb. 120,382 116,311 119,271 82,950 109,729 Yield per acre dry wood Second cut Lb. 41,536 37,278 89,848 58,721 56,846 Total Lb. 161,918 153,589 209,119 141,671 166,575 1 All plantings were made in 1946. It is not known what the maximum width of the cutting strip should be. Ten feet was used because it was known from past cutting that the bamboo would recover in at least a 10-foot strip. Young plants coming up in the cut strip appear to draw on the mother plants on each side for food, thus growing faster than when no mother plants are present. It is not known whether there is any growth difference because of direction in which a strip is cut. Cutting east and west should allow more sunlight to reach young plants. Experiments at Camden PLANTING STOCK TEST. The 1960 planting at Camden included 100 acres of five species and two kinds of planting stock (plants and rhizomes). The area was river terrace soil and varied from clay to sandy loam in texture. Planting stock was supplied by the Plant Introduction Station at Savannah, Georgia. Grown, dug, and processed at the station, it was shipped by truck at various times to Camden. It was stored in moist sawdust and planted as soon as possible after arriving. It appeared to be good, live planting stock. The planting was done in well prepared soil from January 21 to April 26. Planting was by hand at a depth of 4-5 inches spaced 16 feet in each direction. The plants were watered during the summer of 1960 as frequently as possible, but it was not possible to water as often as needed. Weeds were kept down by hand hoeing a few feet around each plant and middles were kept mowed. Counts of surviving plants made in fall 1960, Table 5, show much better survival of plants than rhizomes for the three species where a comparison could be made. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 'Fxiii t- 5. PER CE (3 t""Vi) FOH Fi INEx PAT.S OBTAii INED WHXXLEN PLANTSx OH 1HiiiiONI XN I t(t S'tck or VARIOUS BAMBOOt~ SPEIES II ] CAMDEiN, ALABAMAi , 19(i0 s Ni Hi Nuillber planted x SiR-irx Plants 3184 Rbizomes :31? :38.6 24.3 19.0 1'. liii ii Hitiniiit 1'. xiii P. xix ix P~tlated~i Jaur 4,880 ')A2)) 1.56 156 9:36 2,196 3.0) :31. 86.0) 0.7 1.0 2] to \jApril 26, 1960. Phulostachy~s rublro)))(rginata anid P. nigra car. heron had muceh iv a] from] rhizonmes than the other three \ arieties. It is not known if this is a species characteristic. In plantings made in I subsequjient years, P. rtibronwrginata- has had a remarkably high percenttag.e of survxival. better sunr Phyllostachiys rubramarginata at Camden, zomes. Alabama, 5 years after planting rhi- YILSOF WOOl). Yields of wood of three species dIeterminedl in 1966 and 1967 by cutting strips 10 feet widIe across plantings made in 19.59 and 1960) show a decidedl adv antage for P. rubroma-(1rginata, Table 6. The weights are for stems and b)ranches and are assumedl to he the y ields5 that would( have been ob)tainedl if the bamboo had been cut for pulp. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL TAB(ILE 6. BA\N1130 YIELD LI) EXPERIMENT STATION LI'iN SUBI-, .IIN Lowr CADN, H COASA ALABAMAI ~ Species PIII~on ~ ~ an er-ar '(1XI . average ',elI, \(ight weIt( 1966-67 er acre 1og9 upland, Norfolk f.s.l. 1'. 6 mbuoiodcX River terrace, Wickham s.l. Y. blobIos)ideIIL 1. 1111)1olil 911nth 1'. virids ov 1959 1959 1960 196(0 6,516 7,938 24,41(0 52 .52 57 63' wXX 31,645 47,305 4,55(' 7:3,785 21,689° removed(IX(. (In-v 1)dXis Of we ig9ht of stems, ad branches le(. aves on Na-1 966. 1AB0019( AN) PINE COMPARISON. In 1959, plantings of timber bamboo ( Phyllostachzys bambusoides) and loblolly pine ( Pines taeda ) wxere madIe on river terrace soil (Wickhamn sandy loam) andl upland soil ( Norfolk fine sandy loam ) to compare the produlctionl of pulpwood. Plots were 216 feet X 216 feet and plants were set 8 feet X 8 feet. Good standls of pine andl lamb~oo were obltainedI. The first yield records were made in December of 1966. These yieldls, reported in Table 7, are calculated on basis of cutting all the plants (not selectiv e cutting). Strips were cut for record1s (I1) feet for bamboo and 8 feet for pine) , and the remainder left for records (If future cutting~s. Pine yieldis (8 tons per acre) are on the basis (of bark-free woo00( and the 14-ton yield (of bamboo is (of leaf-fire branches and stems. Labially pine (left) and bamboo at Camden, Alabama, 8 years after setting. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA I ABLi AL AAl 7. D10 \WOOD PRODUCED Pbx bI II (, ON BI-ERl i TERRAC '(I C:rop JDate set xE (Ku BAMBOO)I AND) PINL AU SA\NITY LI AM SOIL.), 1)ate cu~t ~i Al MDEN, 196( iloe-r Ii). l'ine Loblolix ( Pines taf-da) I'llosll)tachyI/ Lbusides 1959 1959 Dec. I)-e 196 1968 15.570' D7,749- 'Bark-tree woold. XWeigh t oIf stnis and( b~rane~s, fi le of leax es. Place for Bamboo in Alabama POLES AN) STAKES. There is a place for bamboo on many farms to e usedl for poles and stakes. In soeessthey aebuh b)V firms that process and sell fishing poles, which hav e a readyV market. Others are bought fo~r use in harv esting pecans. The best species for fishing canes-are P. aurea and1 P. meyeri. Phy~llostachys I)11al11iulsie may he used, lbut it should be cut so as to keep the poles short (15-18 feet). The preferred species is Phyllostacelys aurea, which has many canes with short joints near the b~ase that make for very desirable poles. For stakes, P. aurca, P. ieer, P. Ijaniu.soidces, P. nigra var. henon, and1 P. rubromarginataare excellent. Fish pole bamboo at Auburn, Alabama. ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Closeup of fish pole bamboo shows desired short joints near base. II Iniix Any1 of' the species canl le used for hedges if theys arc prunIedl correctly. Pruning caln be avoided by using a smaller species. One of the best for a hedge 4 to 6 feet high is Shibataca kumnasaca. Another good species is swxitch cane ( Aruindinaria teta ). For a hedge 8 to 12 feet tall, Ariindiiiariasimonii0 (small typie) or Aruliuiaria (i('antea are excellenit if' prun ed occasion0' allyv. OliNAM rL i~ND SHRUB S. A few of the lbambloos are small Ailci and make excellent plants for us~e around1( the home as ornamcintals. Xi imndinaria t iri(Ji-stri(Ita growXs 2-:3 feet tall andl has a yellow ish stripedI leaf. It grows wxell ini the shade. Sasa /)(lluurta, wxith a brnoad long leaf that is bright green in color, mi akes an excelleiit appearance. It grows 4 to 6 feet ini height, but can be kept smaller by p)runing. 1ABO FOR WoOOD Pui.P. Bamboo is better su~itedl than pine \ 01 for certain paper p~roducts, such as facial tissues and fine writing paper. This is because the bamboo fiber has a much greater lenigth-to-wxidth ratio than pine fiber. This property gives add~edl flexibility to 1bamb~oo-nmade paper, imparting softness and smoothness to the final produclt. The vieldls reported, TFables 3, 4, 6, and 7, show that bamboo would produce wxell in certain areas of Alabama. It wXould be limited to areas not too cold1, probably where temperatures (10 not drop belowx .5F. Many soils of the State are suited to bamboo. Bamboo sp~readls b~y rhizomnes and is a perennial. Thus, it will BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 25 grow continuously after cutting without having to be replanted. If a rotational system of cutting is used, a portion of the stand may be harvested each year after the plant is established. To lessen the risk of loss when a species produces flowers, several species should be grown. Before bamboo can be successfully grown as a crop for pulp production, several problems need to be solved: 1. Large-scale methods of propagation will have to be developed to get large acreages under production. 2. Harvesting and handling of the cane must be mechanized. Studies are needed to determine the maximum width of cut that will maintain the stand. A width of 10 feet has worked satisfactorily in studies in Alabama. It is not known how much wider widths might be used. How frequently these strips should be harvested to produce the maximum pulp per acre per year needs to be determined. Studies comparing productivity under clean cutting and strip cutting are needed. 3. Pulp mills will have to convert to a processing method that will work with bamboo. 4. The bamboo grower will have to be assured of a market before he can take the risk of investments in planting. 5. Industry must be assured of sufficient bamboo supplies before converting entire plants to bamboo processing. 6. Certain chemical problems, particularly that of excess plant silica which is comon to bamboo and most other grasses, must be dealt with. CONFINING BAMBOO TO A DEFINITE AREA. Three methods of confining running type bamboo have worked at Auburn: 1. Cutting off the rhizomes twice each year by running a subsoil plow about 15 inches deep around the bamboo in the spring and again in the fall. On a small scale this may be done by digging a trench around the bamboo and refilling it. 2. Putting a metal barrier around the bamboo. The metal should extend about 2 feet into the soil. 3. Cutting off the new shoots or treating them with a herbicide as soon as they start up in the spring. This must be done every few days for about 6 weeks since all the new shoots do not come up at one time. A herbicide that has worked satisfactorily is a mixture of 9 parts kerosene or diesel oil and 1 part creosote, with 26 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION 1 or 2 tablespoonsful applied to the top of the shoot as soon as it emerges from the ground. This will kill it back to the mother rhizome. ERADICATING BAMBOO. Bamboo can be eradicated by several methods: 1. Graze it with cattle during the summer. If the plants are so large that cattle cannot bend them over to graze the leaves, they should be cut and the cattle allowed to graze the new plants as they emerge. 2. Cut the old plants in winter or early spring and the new shoots as they emerge in the spring and summer. This will require cutting several times. 3. Spray the area with a herbicide. Of the several tested at Auburn, Sodium TCA (sodium salt of trichloroacetic acid) gave best success. This should be sprayed on the soil over the area in which the bamboo is growing at a rate of 50 pounds active ingredient in at least 100 gallons of water per acre. It is preferable to apply it in late winter or early spring before new growth starts. Rain will carry the chemical down to the root system and it will be absorbed. This will sterilize the soil for about 90 days, so nothing should be planted on the area until about June. Caution: TCA is caustic and will burn the eyes and skin. Care must be taken not to get it on animals or persons. It is corrosive to metals and a sprayer must be cleaned immediately after applying. SUMMARY Small areas of bamboo are found in nearly all sections of Alabama. The running type bamboo is better suited to Alabama. The clump type is winter hardy only in the immediate Gulf Coast area. Experiments have been conducted at Auburn since 1933 and at Camden since 1959. The findings are summarized: 1. The most winter hardy species were Phyllostachys rubromarginata, P. viridis, and semi-arundinariafastuosa. The next most hardy were P. aureosulcata,P. nigra var. henon, followed by P. bambusoides, P. meyeri, and P. aurea. 2. When all canes were cut, the yield of poles 15 feet or longer varied from 11,000 to 39,000 per acre. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 27' BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 2 3. When canes were selectively cut, yields were 2,000 to 10,000 per acre per year, depending on species. 4. The yield of large poles from the large-growing species was about 1,000 per acre per year. 5. The yield of dry wood varied from 17 to 54 tons per acre, depending on the species. 6. Bamboo cut in 10-foot strips recovered much faster than when all canes were cut. 7. Cutting in 10-foot strips every 5 years produced a yield of 18 to 45 tons of dry wood per acre. The 4-year average yield was 28 tons per acre. 8. Bamboo plants averaged the following by weight: green leaves, 14 per cent; branches (dry weight), 16 per cent; and dry matter, 63 per cent. 9. Survival rate was 19 to 39 per cent (average 26 per cent) from plants and 0.7 per cent to 86 per cent (average 6 per cent) from rhizomes. 10. Phyllostachys rubromarginatahad the highest survival rate. 11. Loblolly pine yielded 8 tons of dry wood 8 years after planting. P. bambusoides bamboo produced 14 tons in the same period. 12. Phyllostachys rubromarginataproduced the largest tonnage of dry wood per acre of any of the varieties tested at Auburn and at Camden. Bamboo could be grown for wood pulp in Alabama. It has several advantages for this use, but a number of problems need to be solved before extensive plantings are made. BAMBOO GROWING IN ALABAMA 29 REFERENCES ON BAMBOO Popular type publications of interest to the general public: (1) ANONYMOUS. 1961. Growing Ornamental Bamboo. Home and Garden Bull. No. 76. U.S. Dept. of Agr., CRD, ARS. (2) GALLOWAY, B. T. 1925. Bamboos: Their Culture and Uses in the (3) ------------------........---. 1928. Bamboos and Bamboo Culture. U.S. Dept. of Agr., Leaf. No. 18. United States. Dept. Bull. No. 1329, U.S. Dept. of Agr., Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, Bureau of Plant Industry. (4) MCCLURE, F. A. 1957. Bamboos of the Genus Phyllostachys Under Cultivation in the United States. Agricultural Handbook No. 114, U.S. Dept. of Agr., ARS. (5) .---------------------------. As A Source of Forage. 1958. Bamboo 4B:609-64. Pacific Science Assoc. - Proc. The (6) MCILHENNY, E. A. 1945. Bamboo National Horticultural Magazine. A Must for the South. (7) SHEPHERD, W. D. AND E. U. DILLARD. 1953. Best Grazing Rates for Beef Production on Cane Range. N.C. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bull. 384. (8) YOUNG, ROBERT A. 1946. Bamboos for Northern Gardens. Arnoldia, Vol. 6, No. 7-9. (9) -------.-------------------. 1945. Bamboos in American Horticulture (I). The National Horticultural Magazine, Vol. 24, No. 3, p. 171-196. (10) 1945. Bamboos in American Horticulture (II). --------. The National Horticultural Magazine, Vol. 24, No. 4, p. 244-291. Bamboos in American Horticulture (III). The National Horticultural Magazine, Vol. 25, No. 1, p. 40-64. (11) ---.------.------------------ . 1946. 1946. Bamboos in American Horticulture (IV). (12) -------------------------. The National Horticultural Magazine, Vol. 25, No. 3, p. 257-283. (13) ------------------------. (14) 1946. Bamboos in American Horticulture (V). The National Horticultural Magazine, Vol. 25, No. 4, p. 352-365. , JOSEPH R. HAUN, AND F. A. McCLURE. 1961. Bamboo in the United States: Description, Culture, and Utilization. Agriculture Handbook No. 193, U.S. Dept. of Agr., CRD, ARS. Technical publications of interest to those in research with bamboo: (1) ANONYMOUS. 1960. Studies on the Physiology of Bamboo. With Reference to Practical Application. Reference Data No. 34, Resources Bureau. Science and Technics Agency, Prime Minister's Office, Tokyo, Japan. (2) GLENN, H. E. 1950. Bamboo Reinforcement in Portland Cement Concrete. Eng. Expt. Sta., Clemson College, Clemson, South Carolina, Eng. Bull. No. 4. 30 ALABAMA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION (3) ,__________________ F. BYARS, et al. 1954. Seasoning, D. C. BROCK, E. Preservative Treatment and Physical Property Studies of Bamboos. Eng. Expt. Sta., Clemson College, Clemson, South Carolina, Eng. Bull. No. 7. (4) ------------------------. et al. 1956. Seasoning, Preservative and Water-Repellent Treatment and Physical Property Studies of Bamboo. Eng. Expt. Sta., Clemson College, Clemson, South Carolina, Eng. Bull. No. 8. Genus Phyllostachys and Descriptions of Eight New Species Introduced from China. J., Washington Academy of Science, Vol. 35, p. 276-293. (5) McCLURE, F. A. 1945. The Vegetative Characters of the Bamboo (6) .____________________________ Bamboo Genus Phyl1956. New Species in the lostachys and Some Nomenclature Notes. J. of the Arnold Arboretum, Vol. 37, No. 2. 1963. A New Feature in Bamboo Rhizome Anatomy. Rhodora, Vol. 65, No. 762. (7) __............. . ...... 1966. The Bamboos. Harvard University Press. (8) .. (9) SHINEATH, H. H., P. M. DAUGHERTY, R. N. HUTTON, AND T. A. WASTLER. 1953. Industrial Raw Materials of Plant Origin. V. A. Survey of the Bamboos. Ga. Institute of Technology. Eng. Expt. Sta. Bull. No. 18. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION SYSTEM OF ALABAMA'S LAND-GRANT UNIVERSITY With an agricultural research unit in every major soil area, Aubunn Uiversity serves the needs of field crop, livestock, forestry, and horticutltuiral prodlucers in each region in Alab~ama. Every citizen of the State has a stake in2 this research program, since any advantage I1o1 new and more economical tvavs of produciiig and Ialinhog 2 6 o 1 farm p"rodhlcts directly beiefits the (nsiimimning p)Olblic. Research 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. Unit Identification Tennessee Valley Substation, Belle Mina. Sand Mountain Substation, Crossville. North Alaboma Horticulture Substation, Cullman. Upper Ccastal Plain Substation, Winfield. Alexandria Experiment Field, Alexandria. Forestry Unit, Fayette County. Thorsby Foundation Seed Stocks Farm, Thorsby. Chilton Area Horticulture Substation, Clanton. Forestry Unit, Coosa County. Piedmont Substation, Camp Hill. Plant Breeding Unit, Tallassee. Forestry Unit, Autauga County. Prattville Experiment Field, Prattville. Black Belt Substation, Marion Junction. Tuskegee Experiment Field, Tuskegee. Lower Coastal Plain Substation, Camden. Forestry Unit, Barbour County. Monroeville Experiment Field, Monroeville. Wiregrass Substation, Headland. Brewton Experiment Field, Brewton. Ornamental Horticulture Field Station, Spring Hill. Gulf Coast Substation, Fairhope.