BAMBOO

HARVESTING
BAMBOO BOOTCAMP
 Timing is essential in proper bamboo
harvesting

Knowing when to harvest bamboo is one of

TIMING the most important preservation methods

Right timing will significantly enhance

resistance of poles and retain culms
strength
 BAMOO IS PART OF THE GRASS FAMILY

SAP POSSES LARGE AMOUNTS OF STARCH

(SUGARS)

WHY STARCH IS THE PRINCIPAL NUTRIMENTS

FOR PARASITES, BORERS AND FUNGI

TIMING? AT SPECIFIC TIMES, THE PLANT POSSESES

SPECIFIC SAP CONCENTRATIONS

GOAL IS TO HARVEST BAMBOOS WITH LOW

LEVELS OF SUGARS TO PREVENT INSECT
ATTACKS
 DRY SEASON
November to March

Period of DORMANCY

SEASONS Bamboo is conserving nutrients for shoot

growth until rainy season

End of dry season = HIGHEST CONTENT

OF SUGARS
 RAINY SEASON
April - October

LOW sugars

SEASONS HIGH moisture content in culms

Increased risks of SPLITTING and CRACKING

NEW SHOOTS : increased risks of damage

during felling operations
 BEST
HARVESTING
TIME :
SEASONS
BEGINING OF
DRY SEASON
(NOVEMBER)
 Sugar contents VARIES WITH AGE

LOWEST during 1st year

MATURITY HIGHEST from 1 to 3 years old (major

growth period)

STABILIZES after 3rd year

 INCOMPLETE LIGNIFICATION
PROCESS

WEAK FIBERS
HARVESTING
IMMATURE WILL COLLAPSE DURING
DRYING
BAMBOO
JEOPARDIZES SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPPEMENT OF
PLANTATION
4 GROWTH STAGES

SHOOTS (CULINARY USAGE)

YOUNG STEMS (FURNITURE USAGE) WHEN IS

MATURE STEMS (CONSTRUCTION
BAMBOO
USAGE) MATURE?
OLD STEMS (FUEL PELLETS AND
CHARCOAL)
WHEN IS BAMBOO MATURE?
WHEN IS BAMBOO MATURE?
EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTICS :

COLOR shifts from light green to gray

and dark green

If it starts turning WHITE, it’s already OLD.

At MATURITY, the foliage gets - green

and looses its shine

White colored fungi (LICHENS) circles

appear on skin
WHEN IS BAMBOO MATURE?
RESONANCE:

Subtle technique performed by experienced

harvesters

Sticking stems with machete or stone

Produces a DIFFERENT PITCH at

different ages
WHEN IS BAMBOO MATURE?
 WITHIN A SINGLE CLUMP,
BAMBOOS HAVE DIFFERENT
AGE

MATURITY
ON AVERAGE, 10% OF ANY
RATIO GIVEN CLUMP CAN BE
SAFELY HARVESTED EACH
YEAR
Bamboo Species commonly
used in Construction in the PH

Kawayan Tinik Bambusa blumeana

3-4 years old
Giant Bamboo Dendrocalamus Asper
5-6 years old
Bayog Dendrocalamus merrillianus Elm.
3-4 years old MATURITY
BY SPECIES
Bolo Gigantochloa levis
5-6 years old
Buho Schizostachyum lumampao
3-4 years old
Anos Schizostachyum lima
3-4 years old
Kaychi Gigantochloa atter
4-5 years old
 Influence of MOON’s movement on FLUIDS

Ability to pull sap DOWN or UP the culms

Starch content LOWER between 6th and 8th

day AFTER FULL MOON

MOON Harvest when the moon is going DOWN toward

PHASES
end of the night (4-6am)

Harvest BEFORE SUNRISE which activates

photosynthesis process, bringing sugars up to
the leaves

BENEFITS: less attractive to insects, less heavy

to transport, faster drying.
 Cut bamboo just ABOVE 1st or 2nd NODE
above ground level

Prevents creating receptacle in which rainwater

can be collected

Stagnating water ATTRACTS INSECTS and can

FELLING result in ROTTING

You don’t want to weaken the plant system

which will grow into a NEW CULM

Preserve RHIZOME, don’t expose it! It will grow

again...
 DON’T DRAG poles on ground: may cause
damage on outer skin

HANDLING
Some bamboo can be up to 25m long, cut to
APPROPRIATE size before transporting

Don’t throw culms on HARD SURFACES, it may

cause CRACKING
 Starch content can be REDUCED by keeping
felled culms UPRIGHT for aprx. 4 weeks

Keep branches and leaves and lean against

other bamboos
POST-
HARVESTING Prevent CONTACT WITH SOIL by placing a
stone under bamboo

Some sap will DRAIN OUT and parenchyma

cells will continue to CONSUME SUGARS