Bamboo fields

[sddsddean]

Thought 'Garden' was closest! Anyway, around our way (Northants) there seem to be loads of fields of bamboo. I know one particular farmer has been growing this for about 4 years, but this year there is loads of it about. My question is what is it used for? It all looks fairly thin stuff, so I'm guessing canes for the garden, or are there some weavers out there? Does anyone know?

[Thunderbird+]

Complete guess but it could be that it's grown to make bio fuel for diesel engines.

[Hawkwalk]

It could well be Miscanthus grass which does look similar to bamboo and is grown as a bio-fuel.

[sddsddean]

If it is miscanthus grass, do they still harvest it when its green or wait until its gone brown?

[Hawkwalk]

It will be harvested from February until around May and it will be brown and often over 8 feet tall.

[sddsddean]

Had a look at some pictures on google and that could be it. I noticed some today near Towcester that had a flower on the top that looked a bit like a purple thistle head. Does that sound right?

[Hawkwalk]

They dont have a flower like a thistle head. I pass that way fairly often on the A43. Let me know exactly where and I will look out for it.

[NIPPJUNE]

i too was wondering about the bamboo in fields along the m180/j2 and i have seen another 2 fields on the a16 between louth and grimsby , sounds feisable, biodiesel or could be supplying a garden centre with plants,
i think they may be a bit on the big side by the m180,for transplanting, could be suppling the zoo's with food for the panda's?
must be someone out there that knows about growing it,???

nippjune

[sddsddean]

Hawkwalk - if you head south on the A43 from Towcester, up the hill past the racecourse, past the Whittlebury x roads, you drop down the hill to Cuttle Mill. Look to your left just as you climb the hill towards the Shell petrol station at Alderton x roads. Sounds like it is this bio fuel grass though.