where are you located? if you are near raleigh i can give you some pointers on locations. in general, we use boo quite a bit and have found if you scout around and find it growing somewhere, you can almost always get permission from homeowners to harvest some. either they planted it intentionally and love it, and don't wanna share but may be able to point you to where you can get some, or they hate it and will be happy for you take as much as you like. either way, you win. worth working up the courage the first time. also ck the boo forum- there are several members who live in the carolinas and may be able to point you in the right direction. good luck! tammy

I am located just south of Asheville in Hendersonville. I need to find a map and find out where Raleigh is!! I have been to the bamboo forum and somebody did have some for free hauling away. Big problem for us is we do not have a truck, van, or anything else that we could put the bamboo into to get it home. Wanted to build a trellis tall enough to grow my gourds on. Did not think about the transport side of it. I guess I will have to rethink this entire part of the garden plan. I would love to tour Raleigh and find bamboo with you and it is so very nice of you to offer to show us bamboo spots. Feel free to email me at lhendri479@aol.com Did not get copy of your letter at my email address and I read in a forum that the mail forwarding feature is NOT working here.

I was on craig's list last night, the asheville section and there was a post for free bamboo. You cut and haul. I bet it was at the Sanders historic home, they have a ton.

heres the link
http://asheville.craigslist.org/zip/251655649.html

well, if you lived in raleigh i was just going to email you some spots. you are aout 4.5-5 hrs from raleigh. it's ight on 40, headed east towards the coast, before it turns southeast. i know there was a guy on the forum back when we were looking at finding some for digging who lived out greensboro way i think who knew where lots of spots were. i'd post on the boo forum that you want some cut boo and list your location and a plea for help finding it. bet you'll get some helpful folks closer to your area.

when we've gotten it before, we cut it in 10-12' lenths and bundle it with duct tape then bind it to the roofrack on top of our mini van, put a flag on the end and drive very slowly back home. you don't want to transport it really far. iit's surprisingly heavy when fresh and likes to shift, even when bound with duct tape. we've done it in the back of a borrowed pickup, too, but i think the van roof works better. you could always rent a truck for that purpose. or think about a friend who maybe could help out. phyllo. aurea, aka golden bamboo, the kind you see growing the most often in these parts can get to 25' easily or more. if you could figure out a way to transport longer lengths you could have longer poles. we've never needed more than 10' lengths, though.

when you go to use it, figure out a way to poke holes in the membranes between each segment and that will keep it from splitting in the summer heat. we modified a drill bit for this purpose. it's especially important for large pieces if you are lucky enough to find timber boo. using 1-2" aurea for teepees & such it probably doesn't matter so much. you'd want to do that if you were making anything you wanted to last a long time, though. you'll get 3-4 yrs out of typical teepees, untreated. i wire mine together then cover it with twine. the twine just doesn't hold up long enough, but hides the wire.

try to pick the culms that are already starting to die up top- look for the green & brown mixed, and brown on the culm. it takes a couple of yrs for the new culms to accumulate enough silica to make them really hard and durable. the temptation is to grab the prettiest green ones, but they will get infested with bugs after the sugar and starch and rot fairly quickly- after only a yr or 2. plus, the green color bleaches within days in the sun. in the shade they'll stay green for at least a few weeks, maybe a couple months. use fine saws when cutting them or they'll splinter. hacksaws work well. you'll be surprised just how hard the wood is. there are lots of books and sites to help you learn how to work with boo. spitting it is a pain, an dthere's a trcik to it. you need a machete and a rubber mallet. you insert the machete going with the grain, at a 90 angle to the cut end. then tap the mallet on the machete and it will spilt. scootch the machete down & tap again, the ends & handle this time, and keep working down the length like this. when you get it right, it's like magic, but til you figure it out, it's a real pain. needless to say, it isn't super easy on along pole. they sell gizmos to split long lengths and in perfect 4's or 6's, but they aren't cheap. we don't use split boo much. best of luck with your adventure!!

Thank you so much for all the information. I appreciate it. Picture me trying to split bamboo without your instructions!!! Not a pretty site !! Thanks - Linda - lhendri479@aol.com

you have seen us the first time! the funny thing is if you google splitting bamboo, some of what you pull up is a kama sutra position!! NOT what you expect! lol.

Am all set on bamboo now. Please - no more posting here

Thank you all very, very much
lhendri479@aol.com

I am similarly looking for large bamboo and I am willing to drive nearly anywhere in the state. Have a crew of close to 12 that could help clear large spaces. Any guidance would be apprciated.

Thanks,
Ben

bfmatthe@email.unc.edu

the places i know in raleigh are ones where you can harvest some culms and possibly some roots to start your own patch- not clear wholesale. but my advice stands- start looking around and noticing patches. especially if it looks rundown or abandoned you are likely to get permission to clear wholesale. for something like that definitely get permission- preferable written. the hardest part is working up the courage to ask! well, digging boo is pretty stinking hard too. if you are looking for really big culms, then you may have to venture to the warmer parts. i don't think the timber boos can handle the cold of the mtns. i know it grows here. i would highly recommend posting what you're looking for/to do on the boo forum; there's a guy who's in the piedmont who runs around and does just what you're wanting to do (at least he was on there couple yrs ago). he'd probably be able to give you better advice, and maybe point you in the right direction for some specific patches that are closer to you. i know in the past they've posted when someone contacted one of them that there was a chance to clear wholesale. the homeowner and digger benefit- each getting what they want. good luck!! tammy