Bamboo FAQ: How Fast does Bamboo Grow?

How Fast does Bamboo Grow?

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world (fastest growing plant on land that is). They say it grows so quickly that you can hear it. Under optimum conditions, bamboo has been recorded growing up to 46 inches per day. That's nearly 4 feet! The plant will reach its maximum height and girth after a single season of growth, which can be close to 100 feet tall and 8 inches wide. A bamboo plant produces about 5 times more "Bio-Mass" than your average tree. Learn more about bamboo!

Recipe for a Cold Bamboo Shoot Salad

Here's a great recipe for a delicious cold bamboo shoot salad. Bamboo shoots can be purchased at specialty and ethnic markets. Ideally, you want to buy fresh shoots, but this is not always possibly in some locations. If you can't buy the fresh shoots the canned version will suffice.



Ingredients

• 100g bamboo shoots
• 100g yellow savoy cabbage leaves
• 100g lettuce
• 3 carrots
• 3 spring onions
• 3 tomatoes
• 2 radishes
  
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 slice of root ginger
• 2 teaspoons each of vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
  
• Half teaspoon of chili sauce

Procedure

Boil the bamboo shoots and rinse in cold water. Cut the cabbage, radishes, carrots, and lettuce into thin slices. Cut the tomatoes into eights. Chop the spring onions into 1 inch lengths and crush the garlic with salt. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and cook the onions, ginger, and garlic for three minutes while stirring frequently. Pour onto a plate when finished to cool quickly.

All the ingredients can now be placed into a large bowl. When the oil mixture of sesame oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and chili sauce has cooled to a lukewarm temperature you can add it into the bowl. Mix well and enjoy!

A Few Reasons to Choose Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is a great alternative to other common hardwood floor options. When it comes to hardwood flooring, bamboo an exotic and beautiful choice. Not only is it durable, but is also resistant to moisture and insects. Most importantly, it's eco-friendly. In fact, the United States Green Building Council's LEED program will award points for the use of bamboo flooring. Here are few reasons you might want to choose bamboo for your next remodel. 

1. Resistant to bugs and insects. 
2. Strong and durable. 
3. Keeps out moisture, 
4. Attractive, natural finishes. 

5. Bamboo is the best choice for the environment!

Complete Bamboo gets a Makeover

So I wasn't 100% happy with the original design of Complete Bamboo. I decied to use one of the backup designes I was working on a few months ago. The new design is much more eye-catching and way more efficient from a web design perspecitive. The content is also laid out better. There are still a few features to add and bugs to work out, but overall I'm happy with the finished product.

The Benefits of Bamboo Fabric

Bamboo fabric is a great alternative to traditional textiles found in the US, such as cotton and polyester. The popularity of bamboo fabric has been growing rapidly due to the simple fact that it is superior to traditional fabrics. It is stronger and more absorbent than cotton, making it useful as clothing. It has the appeal of natural fabrics like hemp or wool, but does not cause allergic reactions. Bamboo clothing will suck up moisture from the skin and allow it to evaporate. Actually, it holds 3 times its weight in moisture making it a highly desirable fabric for socks. It is soft to the touch and does not require chemical additives to increase softness. The commercial and household uses of bamboo fabric are practically unlimited. It can be used for anything from clothing to bedroom linens to furniture upholstery, and more!

Studies have shown that bamboo fabric also has mild antibacterial properties. The plant's natural protection from germs is retained in the fabric and converted into a valuable benefit to humans. This keeps unpleasant odors from building up in the fabric and can even kill potentially infectious microbes. Here are just a few of its unique benefits.

• Lightweight
  
• Strong
• Naturally Soft
• Holds 3X its weight in moisture
  
• Antibacterial Properties
• Produced Organically

So what's keeping you from buying bamboo fabric? Well its not cheap in the United States...Yet. The vast majority of bamboo fabric production takes place in China. The Chinese have been producing bamboo fabric for centuries, and are developing new ways to streamline its production. Americans have only recently become interested in bamboo as an alternative textile. Not only is it an improvement from traditional textiles, but it is also great for the environment. A bamboo grove provides an incomparable level of environmental benefit than say...a cotton field. Bamboo grows rapidly without the use of pesticides or non-organic fertilizers. In fact, a bamboo grove can colonize an area, pound for pound, 5 times faster than a typical pine forest. So looking to trying out bamboo fabric the next time you buy new linens. You won't be disappointed...And neither will our planet.

The Bamboo Press - Complete Bamboo is Online

CompleteBamboo.com was launched today. This will be a great resource for anyone interested in growing or learning about bamboo. We hope to cover many more topics in the coming months and add a whole bunch more content. The bamboo species list which is currently in the works will be perhaps the most comprehensive on the web. A huge thanks goes out the Jungle Supply Company of Sacramento, California. Your contributions are greatly appreciated. There is still plenty of work to be done. Check back often...