Bamboo As Water Resource

Md 25v

Md 25v

Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
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There is a LOT of water stored in bamboo. It is sweet tasting and safe to drink. I fill my canteen with water from bamboo all the time but I never hear of anyone else doing that. Here is a vid that shows how much water is in a four foot piece of bamboo.

[youtube]HdIeVTzchwk[/youtube]
 
I'm in Maryland.
I really need to change that on my profile box.....
 
Very cool! Looks like you could have gotten a cup or two of water. With a few of those you could fill a canteen. Too bad it doesn't really grow around hear. Good vid.
 
Man, grew up with a half acre bamboo patch in grandfathers back yard. Never had the first drip of water inside. Must be a different variety.

Doc
 
DocGP said:
Man, grew up with a half acre bamboo patch in grandfathers back yard. Never had the first drip of water inside. Must be a different variety.

Doc
Click to expand...

There are many species of bamboo but they all draw water exactly the same. Bamboo is actually a grass and has the ability to grow very quickly as well as lie dormant if conditions are not favorable. The bamboo that I cut today (rained today) has water in it but the same patch tomorrow will not. You will not usually find bamboo holding water unless you check soon after rain. This is because bamboo is able to utilize those large amounts of water for fast growth and then the incredible turgor pressure in bamboo keeps its shape until the outer wall re-hardens.

There is however another way to get water from bamboo when its not raining, as long as the ground is a bit moist. If you bend the bamboo into an arc and tie it near the ground. Then you cut the last foot off the end and it will start to drip. Place a receptacle under to catch the water and have a bit of patience. Usually, a good stalk of bamboo will fill a 20oz canteen in 8-12 hours.
 
Update-
This morning the bamboo had just a little water left and now the stand of bamboo has no water at all in the sections near the ground. Its only been 30 hours since the rain and the water has already left the low areas of the stalks. I bent one of the long stalks (apx 20+ ft) and found that the top ten feet still held water and could be used to fill my canteen. I will check tomorrow on some other stalks to see if the water is still in the top halves or if it has been used up.
 
great info, and bamboo could be a valuable resource if it were a native plant in the US.

I believe most bamboo in America has been transplanted, and it is not found in the wild, at least not often in north central Florida. ;)
 
very good info on Bamboo!
Thanks.

Just a note however,
many species of bamboo are very invasive.
if you plant some,it sends shoots underground that can pop
up quite a distance away from the plant.
Once bamboo is established,it really spreads and is hard to control.
Looks cool,fun to play with,but a chore to keep in control.
(please dont plant any out near your favorite camping site ;) )
 
Your right, some types of bamboo are very invasive. Unfortunately, that's why it is found in many wild lands in parks in many US states.

There are however two different types of bamboo that are native to the U.S.
One is known a canebreak and grows from Va. to Fl. and west to Texas. The other (Arundinaria gigantea) doesn't have a widespread common name but is similar in appearance to the bamboo in my video. Arundinaria gigantea is native and was utilized by the Eastern tribes like the Blackfoot was light weight Tipi poles.


The bamboo in my video is not native. It is one of the ornamental clumping varieties known as Bambusa multiplex sp.
 
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