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I don't know any seed providers in Mexico. There are som good nurseries in Georgia and Alabama, and a large tissue culture lab in Florida. For species selection, take a look at this: bambubatu.com/best-bamboo-species-for-farming-cultivating-allies/

You can propagate seed in cups or trays, small bags can work too.

I would recommend substituting half of the flour with bamboo and see how it goes. Some experimentation will probably be needed.

The climate there is not optimal for bamboo. So it'll be somewhat challenging to compete commercially with bamboo grown in warmer climates. But consider these species: bambubatu.com/temperate-timber-bamboo-for-cool-climates/

Yes, that's definitely the advantage. I'm not so concerned about the price of the pellets if it's a truly sustainable product. And I'll gladly promote that. But in some cases, usually on a small scale, it takes more energy to crush and pelletize the bamboo than you get from the pellets. And obviously that should be avoided. What seems to make the most sense is to pelletize the sawdust which is already available as a waste product from very large scale bamboo processing.

Thanks Nico!

I think that one is supposed to be purple, but usually looks closer to maroon or brown. Then again, most black bamboo is more like dark brown.

Thanks Rick. I'll try to make more. Check out this Playlist: th-cam.com/video/MvIw-cTtpTw/w-d-xo.html

I wish. I have had a few bamboos misidentified and then had to remove them and replace.

I will look for the original article and send it to you and/or share it here. But there's more research ongoing.

Selective harvesting of about 1/5 of the culms per year, only the ones that are more than 3-4 years old. This is tropical bamboo (Asper), in Southeast Asia, but I'd rather not be specific, to avoid embarrassing anyone. You might get away with this if you were harvesting Bambusa vulgaris (indestructible), but not Dendrocalamus asper.

We usually recommend mixing with compost or manure to balance the nitrogen levels with biochar's high carbon content. Otherwise, the short term results aren't very good, although in the long term the biochar will still increase soil quality and microbial life, among other benefits. You can get great results with urine too. Nice that it also works as a pest deterrent!

Yay!

There is a point where the volume of biochar in the soil can be excessive. This depends on the local conditions - climate, soil type, crop type. When there's too much carbon present, the soil has a way of balancing the equilibrium, and that could mean drawing nitrogen away from the plants, in the short term. So it's very important to inoculate the biochar with a nitrogen-rich substance like compost or manure. Unlike fertilizers, biochar is not added to the soil on a regular basis. It remains there for hundreds of years, and will continue to bring the benefits of improved moisture and nutrient retention, and increased presence of micro-organisms.

Great question. Biochar in general has a great capacity for soil remediation, and one of the ways it does that is through bonding with heavy metals. I'm not aware of a specific type of biochar (made from a specific biomass) that is more effective than others in this aspect. But it's another area where more research is probably needed.

@@bambubatu Thanks, I have not done any research but from what I have seen about Biochar on the internet and in real life is that it is probably one of those best things humans can do as a blessing to the earth when all that is argued is how humans are a curse to nature. It's a seemingly way more promising thing to revitalize hope around the world. But in general to the knowledge people have about chemical fertilizers do people know about biochar even half as much?

My pleasure!

No, the smoke is a negative side effect. With proper pyrolysis process, there is almost no smoke. (That's the difference between making biochar and just making a bonfire. Also, very little ash left at the end.)

Dinosaurs enjoyed great big plants at a time when carbon was really high in the atmosphere.

And therefore, more atmospheric carbon will make the world a better place? I'm afraid this line of reasoning does not qualify as scientific, or even reasonable.

The bamboo would simply decompose, but it's an ok way to add organic matter to the soil. After pyrolysis, the carbon is stabilized so you can create a permanent carbon sink with more long-term benefits.

Yes, biochar is essentially high-grade charcoal. But if you burn it, you send all the carbon back into the atmosphere.

Jurassic era had much more carbon in the air and yet plants and animals were huge.

Can you be more specific?

Thank you!

Email me and we can help

Bambu Parque. The link is in the show notes.

OK. I won't post it in the comments, but you should be able to find my email address. Photos of young shoots will be the best way to ID the species. You can also compare to the photos here: bambubatu.com/genus-phyllostachys-prolific-bamboo-for-all-climates/

Yes, they're running a serious operation!

Sorry about that. I'll try to get a decent mic before my next bamboo expedition.

Some pretty remarkable biodiversity here. I know foxes are very commonplace in the UK, but for me it's still kind of rare and exciting!

Not really, but sometimes you just have to work with what you have. In Colombia they have the Andes!

These are the Colombian Andes. They are not volcanic. Coffee farmers have used traditional fertilizers for decades, and the soil has gradually degraded, which is why we've been encouraging and supporting more regenerative practices, including the use of biochar.

I prefer tea as well, although Colombia temporarily had me reconsidering my preferences...

Thank you!

Glad you enjoyed it!

they thought I was just on a coffee break

You said it, my friend!

Sounds good. The shoots are more palatable. Bon appetit!

ONCRA

Long time if you put them in the freezer, otherwise try to plant them within 6 months.

No, this is pretty well established