Bamboo. I am in Merida, MX., with access to lots of long, tough bamboo, 1-3" thick. I would like to try working w/ thinner, and more flexible STRIPS of it, to weave or build furniture. Using the full, round pieces does not interest me; too heavy, bulky, rigid and looks bad. But when I ask about cutting or stripping it, i just get blank stares. Cut in 1/2, ok, but thinner, lighter, no. I have bamboo baskets from other parts of Mexico, so it is done here. Any ideas on getting more mileage from this cheap, abundant material?
posted by ebesan on Oct 30, 2009 - 6 answers

Help me protect my new bamboo floors [more inside]
posted by markblasco on Oct 30, 2009 - 13 answers

How do I glue (or otherwise connect) two pieces of plastic bamboo barrier? [more inside]
posted by molybdenum on Jun 21, 2009 - 13 answers

What plants are suitable for putting on our deck in Seattle? There's no yard/soil, so they must live in containers. The deck is quite large so I was thinking about large decorative plants like small trees or some form of bamboo. Climate-wise, we have the typical PNW weather of moist winters that only fall below freezing a few days out of the year. Also, we are completely ignorant of gardening and would rather have something that can survive with a minimum of attention.
posted by matildaben on Nov 18, 2008 - 11 answers

Japanese knotweed is extremely difficult to kill with herbicides such as round up and the like, does anyone have any other ideas or herbicides in mind? I have a commercial property that has a bad case of this stuff that I can't get control of. I have at least 1000 square feet of this invasive plant and it keeps spreading. I useually run over it with a skid steer loader and knock it down and crush it but it comes right back. Round up does not seem to do anything and I look ridiculous with a little spray bottle of Round Up up against a towering wall of this weed. Any help?
posted by CFMartin on Aug 30, 2008 - 15 answers

I have two half whiskey barrels in my backyard, which I'm trying to grow bamboo in. One of them is VERY prone to flooding. What can I do to stop it from turning into soil soup?
posted by beatgenxer on Jun 5, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm planning to use bamboo plywood for a section of kitchen countertop. How should I treat it to make it both water and stain resistant and food-safe? [more inside]
posted by RandlePatrickMcMurphy on May 7, 2008 - 8 answers

How best can I drip irrigate containers of bamboo in Southern California? [Photos and detailed information provided] [more inside]
posted by tarthur on Mar 27, 2008 - 4 answers

I'd like to grow bamboo in a container indoors (I have a sunny south-facing window that it can live in front of). Any advice about the best varieties, how to get it to grow tall, and where to get a plant (I'm in NYC) would be much appreciated. (NB: I am NOT looking for info on "lucky bamboo" plants, I want the real thing)
posted by agent99 on Mar 21, 2008 - 11 answers

Can Bamboo (rhizomatous) damage a fibreglass swimming pool? [more inside]
posted by figment on Nov 2, 2007 - 5 answers

How do I make a planter box for a sloped driveway? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library on Sep 4, 2007 - 5 answers

I would like to paint my wall so it looks like a bamboo forest, but I'm left-brained and would like some help. [more inside]
posted by kookywon on Jun 15, 2007 - 26 answers

bamboo flooring...its been discussed in the past but was wondering if anyone had new advice or anecdotes.. [more inside]
posted by TheLibrarian on May 27, 2007 - 13 answers

Where can I find Bamboo like the stuff they use for scaffolding? [more inside]
posted by Chamunks on Nov 22, 2006 - 5 answers

My lucky bamboo has developed bumps along the underside of the stalks. Does anyone know what is causing them, and if they are harmful to the plant? [more inside]
posted by donajo on Nov 7, 2006 - 7 answers

Can you help me build a "sauna?" [more inside]
posted by iurodivii on Oct 8, 2006 - 2 answers

One of my neighbors has been 'pruning' his 30ft-high bamboo forest recently, and being a bit of a scavenger I've been taking the 5ft lengths he's chopped and storing them in my shed. It seems such a waste to have them shredded. Having grabbed all this lovely bamboo, I'm now at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it. I've made a couple of little holders for odds-and-ends (like my toothbrush), but I'm wondering if there's a great resource out there that would give me some more ambitious ideas. What would you do with a shed full of bamboo? (Diameters of the bamboo range from twigs up to 5 inches thick.)
posted by dunstanorchard on Sep 14, 2006 - 21 answers

Have you ever seen a warped, damaged engineered hardwood floor? [more inside]
posted by spacewrench on Jul 25, 2006 - 5 answers

Help us keep bamboo from invading our yard. [more inside]
posted by saucy on May 15, 2006 - 10 answers

Is it possible to make a living as a bamboo farmer? How would I go about this? Leaving NYC might be a first step. After that, other than scaring off the pandas, I am stumped. Where should I go? How much space would I need? What do I do once it gets grown? How can I learn more? And why is this suddenly so fascinating to me?
posted by kingfisher, his musclebound cat on Apr 26, 2006 - 8 answers

Does anyone here have experience with buying and installing bamboo flooring? [more inside]
posted by vers on Oct 2, 2005 - 8 answers

So I recently saw House of Flying Daggers and I have a general question. [MI with a spoiler-free scenic question] [more inside]
posted by bshort on Dec 12, 2004 - 3 answers

Need help diagnosing bamboo ailment and preventing further damage. [more inside] [more inside]
posted by christie on Aug 1, 2004 - 3 answers

When I lived in the Philippines, we had a Christmas tree assembled out of bamboo. Every year I search online for a source for these, but this year, as previously, I've come up empty. Does anyone know who sells them? It was my understanding at the time that they were very common (there), but now all trace of them seems to have vanished.
posted by rushmc on Dec 18, 2003 - 6 answers