Bamboo culms (canes) emerge (shoot) from the ground from rhizome buds. They emerge with the same diameter as the final stem. All they do is grow longer in much the same way as a telescope, extending at a very rapid rate that can be in excess of three feet per day in a mature stand. When the culm has reached full height branches will start to appear and, depending on species, a new shoot can be fully developed within three months. During the shooting stage the new culm will be at least 85% water and it is imperative that regular irrigation is supplied to fill these vertical columns. Of course, standing water will drown your bamboo so make sure drainage is good. Until the branches form, the new shoots will be somewhat delicate and can easily break in storms or rough handling. A broken shoot will normally branch from the broken point and become a functional, albeit shorter, component of the clump. If construction timber is to be harvested, it takes at least three years for the water content to diminish, thus allowing he tensile strength to increase.
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