The Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society started on the Big Island more than 20 years ago and until now, most members from here. Nursery folks like Susan Ruskin and Peter Berg of Quindembo Nursery have been responsible for introducing more than 100 valuable species to our island. These now may be found in many farm and garden landscapes. So much interest in growing and using bamboo has been generated, that residents of Maui are expanding membership there. Ryan Zucco, of Whispering Winds Bamboo Maui, is spearheading the effort and will be coming to the Hawaii Chapter meeting next Sunday in Captain Cook.
Our gardens have many lessons to teach especially if you have bamboo in the landscape. If you don’t have bamboo, then it is time to get some. It’s a new year and time to shed those things that do not serve you. That way you may then fill your life anew. Much like the new shoots of bamboo pushing skyward as they shed the culm sheaths that protect them. Also, with the new year comes a renewed commitment to greening our Islands and bamboo is a great way to accomplish this goal.
So, if you want to learn more about bamboo and obtain some new rare species, then come to the Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society open house and meeting at noon Sunday, Jan. 22. The event will be held at the home of Kindness and Hannah Israel at 81-1018 Captain Cook Road. Their home is just mauka of the Captain Cook Coffee Museum. Sunday’s bamboo meeting and tour will start with potluck lunch, so come a bit early to get acquainted and bring your favorite dish. The program on growing and using bamboo will follow. Kindness will be sharing starts of the edible clumping bamboo, Nastus elatus from New Guinea. Call HCABS president, Jacqui Marlin at 966-5080 for directions and for other for details. You may also check out their website at https://hcabs.webs.com and click on newsletter for details and directions. If you get lost you may also call Kindness at (408) 674-5533.
Asia is the ancestral home of many locals, both people and plants. When it comes to plants, one of the most valuable of these is bamboo. Although there are many species found in central and South America, tropical and subtropical Asia has utilized bamboo for thousands of years. It is said that bamboo and rice are the very foundation of these cultures. The Hawaiian ohe kahiko, may be found in many parts of Polynesia. The actual genus and specie are not clear with taxonomists and botanists not all agreeing. We do know that it is a tropical clumper probably originating in Southeast Asia. It is likely a schizostachyum species. There are vast stands in the mountains of high islands like Raiatea in the Society Islands. Polynesians there still use it in crafts.
With large tracts of land now available for forestry, and our local interest in sustainable agriculture, bamboo may become one of our major resources. It has many uses, both commercial and ornamental. These will be discussed at the Jan. 22 meeting along with discussion of bamboo for food, construction, art and crafts.
Some folks 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 very effectively to stabilize steep slopes that are prone to erosion. That is why we find large stands of phyllostachys running bamboos on the steeps slopes above Waiohinu in Ka’u or at the back of Manoa Valley and on Maui. 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 chain link screens. Erosion on East Hawaii gulch roads is a serious problem that could be addressed with certain bamboo species. There are more than 1,200 species so there is sure to be some that will fit in your garden.
Bamboos are also excellent cattle feed and have a place in supplying nutritious greens at a low cost. Society members have been working on the potential of growing bamboos for multiple use sustainable agriculture incorporating the animal feed component, and it looks very encouraging. There are plans to work with UH agronomists in the near future to expand this project by utilizing bamboo for windbreaks and feed.
Even though bamboos are excellent sources of edible shoots and construction material, most folks are interested in ornamental bamboos for their looks. Bamboos, of one type or another, are a natural for almost any tropical garden. In fact, many of the hundreds of types of bamboos do grow in the tropics, but some species grow as far north as New York or Seattle, and can be found growing up to 10,000 feet in the mountains of Asia, Central and South America. Bamboos vary from forest giants of 120 feet to dwarfs of 6 inches.
Many specimens of bamboo are suitable for ornamental purposes. The clumping 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 very slowly and are easy to keep within bounds. One of the best for sunny locations 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 rare clumping types are beginning to show up in our nurseries like the chusqueas, drepanostachyums, and fargesias.
For larger gardens, try Buddha’s belly, oldham bamboo, punting pole bamboo and weaver’s bamboo. These are all clumping types in the 40- to 50-foot high range with fancy Latin names and multiple uses.
The giant tropical clumping bamboos need plenty of room since they soar from 50 feet 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. One of the most spectacular giant bamboos for large gardens is dendrocalamus asper variety “hitam” with black culms up to 100 feet in height and one foot in diameter.
Bamboo does best in a consistently moist, well-drained soil with some organic matter. Sunny locations are best for many species, but some will tolerate shady spots as well. Apply complete fertilizer such as organic 8-8-8 or manures four to six times a year to the planting. Mulch the soil around the planting. Mulches add organic matter to the soil, help to restrict the growth of weeds and conserve soil moisture. Dead leaves or dry grass clippings can be used for mulch. Apply a layer of mulching material at least three inches deep.
For more details on rare species check out the website bamboonursery.com.
