Giant bamboo species: Poles and plants for FREE — ฟรี

 — UPDATED 21 JANUARY 2024 —

Species of bamboo that can grow 22 m (72 ft) and more are known as giants. Living plants of giant species at Bambusetum Baan Sammi are usually available for distribution during the late dry season and early rainy season from March to June, and poles from November to May/June.

For types and availability of bamboo species, please enter the "Read more" link below.

1. Dendrocalamus asper, ไผ่ตง (phai tong) — BS-0130 (available irregularly for a few months and only in small quantities)
2. Dendrocalamus cf. giganteus, ไผ่ยักษ์ (phai yak) — BS-0028 (available for a few months during dry season and only in small quantities)
3. Dendrocalamus sp., ไผ่ซางหม่น (phai sang mon) — BS-0228 etc. (available during dry season 2025 and only in small quantities)
4. Thyrsostachys oliveri, ไผ่รวใหญ่ (phai ruak yai) — BS-0002-1 etc. (up to about 50 stems are available almost year-round)

These four bamboo species can be bought as young plants (saplings, not seedlings) at Kham Thiang Market: see the bottom of this post for details.

Giants are listed in USEFUL BAMBOOS, where their height and diameter are also given. More information in BAMBOOS OF THAILAND.

Bamboo poles (cut stems) and plants (propagules resulting from plant division) are offered. They are free, but you will have to do the cutting and digging yourself and with your own tools. However, we assist you as explained below.

Procedure:

• First of all, we urgently recommend anyone interested in our offer to visit us in Baan Sammi in advance to inspect the bamboo clumps that may be considered. Furthermore, bamboo stems that a person wishes to receive can be individually marked. Or, in case a person wants to divide, dig up, and get a particular bamboo plant, the plant will also be tagged. In addition, all further procedures are discussed and planned, in particular whether preparations can or should be made on our part, and what these are. For example, whether the sawing off of the stems should be prepared, whether a bamboo clump in the area in which a partial plant (propagule) is due to be divided and dug up should be watered beforehand in order to make the digging easier. We need to find out from the interested person in what way they can or will help with the work. For example, most of the long, sawn-off stems have to be pulled out of the bamboo clump by 2 people, the branches have to be sawn off or chopped off, the stems have to be sawn off to the desired length, etc. The type and quality of garden tools (e.g. saws, machetes, hoes) that are required and that the interested person has to bring and use must be agreed. In addition, dates and, if necessary, alternative dates are to be agreed on, on which the work can be carried out.
• Secondly, we will carry out the agreed preparatory work at a later date, in particular sawing off bamboo stems at their base, and possibly watering the excavation areas.
• Third, the main work is carried out by the interested person on the agreed date. We will accompany this main work, provide advice and suggestions, and help to move the stems out of the clumps in order to be able to place them flat on a free area from where they can be further processed, e.g. cutting off the branches and sawing the stems to the desired length.
• Fourth, the material can be loaded onto a truck for transport, on the same day or on a different day, if a separate date has been chosen for this.

Good preparation is the most important thing for all of this work. So if you have any questions, please let us know in advance.

The work varies in difficulty and time required. The work is easiest when all you need is the bamboo poles and no living plants. However, if you want to dig up one or more partial plants, the work requires a lot of strength and can only be done with suitable gardening tools.

In addition to the preparation, it is very important for a smooth execution of the work that you have the suitable gardening tools and bring them with you: In the Google Album "Horticultural Stuff" there are two photos with explanations that show important bamboo gardening tools for various work. The same photos can also be found in the Facebook Album "Garden tools for cutting and digging bamboo".

In order to only get bamboo poles, all you need is a good, sharp handsaw (e.g. number 10, 13 or 14 are suitable, but short handsaws such as number 9 and 15 are not suitable). You can use a saw to saw off the bamboo poles to the desired length. To cut off the branches, you will need a medium-weight machete (number 4), and for thinner branches you will need a pair of secateurs (number 8). To chop or cut the branches so that they can be composted, you will need the same tools: machete and secateurs.

To dig up partial plants, the most important garden tool is a spade-like long-handle thrust hoe, in Thai เสียม (siam) /'sǐːam/, and only the heaviest and strongest hoe is suitable, namely number 2 in the photo. The thrust hoes with the numbers 1 and 11 are too light and not strong enough, but this light version can be bought everywhere, e.g. in Global House, HomePro and on the Kham Thiang Market. Whereas better thrust hoes are only available in special shops. Better thrust hoes may be sold in the Kham Thiang Market and online through Lazada, but a recent visit to that market and a quick search on the Lazada website failed to find better thrust hoes. A heavy, strong hoe (number 3) is required as further gardening equipment, mostly for the purpose of digging around the plant in whole or in part for easier excavation. Various garden tools can be used to chop off or saw off the usually very thick rhizomes on their necks. Consider a thrust hoe (number 1, 2, and 11), or an ax with a heavy hammer (number 12 and 6), or a short saw (number 9 and 15). Secateurs (number 8) are only suitable for thin rhizomes.

Much easier than digging up propagules of giant bamboo is to buy potted saplings at Kham Thiang Market. Species of giant bamboo are available almost all year round and are not expensive, ranging from 60 to 200 Baht per sapling. We particularly recommend a seller (specializing in fruit trees but also with a good range of usable bamboo including giants) at Kham Thiang Market, which is easy to find using Google Maps.

This offer is valid during this and next year, or as long as suitable bamboos are available.

Contact: Email baansammi@gmx.net or Facebook Messenger https://www.facebook.com/khun.dieter

All bamboo offers in:
https://thai-bamboo-plants.blogspot.com/

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สวนไผ่บ้านแซมมี - Bambusetum Baan Sammi
has been closed to the public since 1 March 2022.

Visits are still possible, but only by appointment with an exact date and an exact or approximate time.

Visitors are still offered free of charge: pre-cut bamboo poles to take away, bamboo stems to harvest yourself, and living bamboo plants from the garden to dig up yourself.

Contact: Facebook Messenger or email, no calls and no SMS please ☺.