Have You a Use For Bamboo?

A hardy plant, bamboo grass can be quite daunting to deal with when planted in your backyard. Bamboo will grow as far and wide as you will allow it, covering most a yard in months and just about all of the sky line if you allow it. Bamboo is also difficult to remove, as it virtually cannot be killed. No matter how much you poison it, chop it, burn it, dry it out, bamboo will just return in a matter of weeks without warning.

With it being such a hardy plant, bamboo has developed many new and exciting uses. Not only is it pest resistant, it can help farmers with wind erosion and rain run off. This sturdy plant can keep soil in place, particularly in new construction areas, where the goal is to keep soil in the proper place and not have it move after a heavy rain.

Its durability makes bamboo an excellent industrial material as well. When dried and treated, bamboo can be used for a multitude of products, such as clothing, paper, furniture and building/construction material. Bamboo is also considered a food alternative. Bamboo shoots are widely held as a delicacy in Asian cultures, but are slowly finding an audience in American and European cultures as well. The Chinese have even devised a way of making beer out of bamboo. There are fragrances now that are use the essence of bamboo. You can even wear bamboo organic clothing. The possibilities are endless when it comes to bamboo!

There are so many ways to use bamboo shoots, runners and stalks for industrial and commercial use. Its quick growing nature makes it a valuable renewal resource, only requiring a few weeks to grow to full capacity rather than several decades as most trees. In fact, certain species of bamboo can grow up a foot a day, if living in the proper conditions.

While most bamboo is native to Asia and Australia, there are some that have become acclimated to certain regions of the United States, particularly the more tropical regions of the south. Florida has many types of bamboo growing wild in the swamps, as well as in the landscapes of well-groomed and finely manicured yards. Bamboo is a naturally dense plant and makes for a great environmentally friendly and very private fencing substitute.

The American trend is to use bamboo as a hardwood flooring alternative to pine, oak and other flooring. Since bamboo is naturally pest resistant, it makes it a great choice for household use. It is also as strong and durable as its hard wood cousin. While bamboo might be a bit more expensive at times, it is an environmentally friendly, eco-centric decision to install bamboo flooring in your home.

Purchasing bamboo products is a sound decision. Not only do bamboo products stand the test of time, yet as a renewable resource, bamboo can be replenished in nature within weeks without any major environmental harm. Utilizing the growing speed, strength and versatility of bamboo allows the environment a chance to replenish its own tree population and gives us much more sound, environmentally friendly options.

Blair LeMire is a writer, director, producer, and artist who first garnered the attention of the international press in 1998 when he performed his song Linda Angel at the vigil held for Linda McCartney at London's Trafalgar Square. The heartfelt tribute attracted the attention of news cameras, and his impromptu performance was televised internationally.



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