Dendrocalamus giganteus seed

LATIN NAME: DENDROCALAMUS GIGANTEUS

COMMON NAME: Giant Bamboo, Dragon Bamboo

The Dendrocalamus giganteus, or giant bamboo, is one of the largest and most impressive of the bamboos, and its massive, tall, green canes and its large, graceful, bright-green leaves have made it a plant of the tropical forests and the large gardens across the regions of the Southeast Asia. It grows as a giant, clumping, evergreen bamboo of the grass family, reaching up to thirty metres or more, with the massive, thick, green canes which can reach a diameter of twenty centimetres or more, growing in tight clumps, and bearing the large, graceful, bright-green leaves in the drooping sprays at the ends of the branches. It is a species of the bamboo, native to the tropical forests of the Southeast Asia, while it has been cultivated for its timber and its ornamental value, and it is known as the giant bamboo or the dragon bamboo.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The giant bamboo has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in the forestry and the materials science, since the Dendrocalamus giganteus is one of the largest and most useful of the bamboos, and the researchers have examined its growth, its wood properties and its many uses, while the study of the bamboos has drawn attention in the international forestry and materials press. The plant has also been studied in the horticulture and the landscape science, since the giant bamboo is a dramatic, ornamental plant for the large garden and the tropical landscape, and the researchers have examined its cultivation, its propagation and its value in the landscape, while the study of the ornamental bamboos has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in the ecology, since it is a plant of the tropical forests and a habitat for the wildlife, and its role in the ecosystems has been examined, while the massive, tall canes and the large, graceful leaves of the giant bamboo have been of interest to the botanists and the gardeners. For a bamboo of such size, the Dendrocalamus giganteus has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

To grow the Giant Bamboo from seed, the giant bamboo is a giant, clumping, evergreen bamboo of the tropical forests, bearing the massive, tall, green canes and the large, graceful, bright-green leaves. Its dense growth gives a shelter and a habitat for the wildlife, and its massive canes provide a valuable timber for the construction and the crafts, while its dramatic, architectural habit gives a fine presence in the large garden and the tropical landscape. Its economic value is real: the giant bamboo is prized for its massive, useful canes and its dramatic ornamental value, and its value has drawn attention in the international forestry and horticultural press, while the massive size and the fast growth have made it a favourite of the tropical gardens and the large landscapes, and the bamboo is a fine addition to the large garden, the tropical landscape and the woodland. To raise the giant bamboo, sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a warm, bright place, keep them gently watered, and grow the little bamboos on in the warmth.

sow the seeds in pots of moist, open soil in a warm, bright place, keep the young bamboo gently watered, and grow the little bamboos on in the warmth.

 

 

 

 

Dendrocalamus giganteus giant bamboo

Dendrocalamus giganteus, also known as Giant Bamboo or Dragon Bamboo, is a giant tropical and subtropical clumping species native to Myanmar (Burma), Bhutan, China and Thailand. It is considered the tallest bamboo in the world.

Dendrocalamus giganteus Height 25 – 35 m Diameter 15 – 30 cm Growth Habit Dense Clumping Climate Tropical – Subtropical Hardiness -1°C Origin Southeast Asia

Culms: Dendrocalamus giganteus is the tallest of all bamboos with gigantic large culms between 25-35 m tall and 15-30 cm in diameter. Culms are thick-walled (2-2.5 cm), dull green to dark bluish green and covered with a white waxy crust when young. Internodes are usually 35-45 cm long, and with roost scars on the lower nodes.

Branches: Many clustered branches with 1 larger dominant branch.

Leaves: Leaves are variable in size, but can be from 15-50 cm in length and between 3-10 cm wide.

Seeds: Flowering cycle and seed-setting is reported to be about every 40 years for Dendrocalamus giganteus.

Habitat: Giant Bamboo occurs naturally in humid tropical highlands or hill slopes, usually up to 1,200 m altitude. It can be grown successfully in lowlands on rich loam or alluvial soils, where humidity is high.

Uses: Dendrocalamus giganteus is one among the twelve high yielding bamboos worth raising as a large scale bamboo plantation, as it is very good for construction, paper production and young shoots are good for vegetable products. Culms are also used for scaffolding, boat masts, rural housing, water pipes, vases, buckets, water pitchers, matting, boards and parquet, furniture, water pots. Culm sheaths are used to make hats.

Biomass: This bamboo species produces a large amount of biomass. It can give an annual yield of 20 to 30 t/ha, which is 2.7 times more than that of Dendrocalamus latiflorus.

Germination Guide:

Seed Treatment:

1. Rinse seeds with clean water.
2. Soak seeds for 5 minutes in 10% salt water solution. Rinse.
3. Soak seeds for 15 minutes in clean water.

Sowing:

1. Use a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat/sphagnum moss, moistened to the point where you can barely squeeze water out of it. You can either mix this yourself or buy it pre-mixed at any local garden center. Do not use all your mix.
2. Place soil mixture in either a 1020 flat w/ humidity dome or I have also used a plastic Tupperware style sweater box with lid.
3. Scatter seeds randomly or place them in rows in the mix…its up to you.
4. Cover lightly with remaining soil mix and place cover on flat.
5. Lid should keep moisture high. Open once or twice a week to allow fresh air in and check soil moisture. If dry, gently mist with clean water.

OR:

1. Moist a paper towel to the point where you can barely squeeze water out of it.
2. Lay seeds on the paper towel.
3. Fold the paper towel and carefully slip the paper towel into the plastic bag. Seal the bag completely.

3.Store the plastic bag in a light, warm place until seeds germinate.Remove the seeds to individual peat pots after theyve grown their roots.

Germination and Seedling care:

1. You should begin seeing germination occur within 2 to 4 weeks.
2. Keep cover on for another week to keep humidity up and enhance seed germination. Once seedlings begin to reach the top of the cover remove cover.
3. Seeds will continue to germinate for upwards to 4 weeks after you see the first seed germinate.
4. Your new bamboo seedlings will grow to approximately 4 inches in the first month.
5. After the first month you can begin applications of an all purpose fertilizer. For this I mix Miracle Grow plant food into spray bottle and gently mist them thoroughly.
6. Depending on what container you used to germinate your seeds in, you can transplant the new seedlings safely after the first month. I have been putting all mine into 4″ round pots.
7. When new seedlings are about 2 to 3 months old they will begin to send up new shoots.
8. 1 year old seedlings will vary in height between 1 to 2 feet.