What is a “good bamboo”?

In contrast with the most bamboo species, guadua has 1 to 3 cm thick walls which can be worked without easy splitting or cracking.

“Good guadua” depends on the use that you want to give to it and on the requirements of your final product. For example, the elaboration of furniture, floors, constructions, interior or exterior decorations require different guaduas with different characteristics in diameter, length, preservation, drying and finishing. Independent of your special use you should consider the following points:

Sustainable management of the guadua-plants: In order to guarantee the sustainability of a guadua plant, only a part of the mature guaduas can be cut in each harvest (approximately 25% of 4 to 5 years old guadua). This way, one makes sure that the guadual has a continuous production and that it continues ensuring its environmental goods and services.

Selection during cutting and culm-curing: Selection of the best guaduas begins with cutting. Some producers still apply a traditional method of cutting that is made during the wane of the moon and during dawn. The selected pieces are culm-cured during 15 to 20 days to obtain a natural preservation.

Careful handling of the culms: To avoid superficial damages, the handling of the poles on its way from plantations to the treatment plant requires much care of part of the handling personal.
 

Preservation and drying: Even if you apply the natural preservation of culm-curing, for long term use it needs a second preservation. The common method of preservation in Colombia soaking the poles or in a water solution with boron salts or in petroleum-soluble chemicals. The use of boron salts seems to be less impacting o contaminating, while the second method may have advantages in outdoor use. Anyway you should consider, that solar radiaton and water are no friends of bamboo. The constructive protection of bamboo in outdoor uses is moe than a recommendation if you want to enjoy it for longer time.

During drying, a guadua pole can loose upto 10% of its diameter! Depending on your use, you should define if you need well-dried bamboo.

Standard poles are classified by their diameter from 2” to 6” (5 to 15 cm) and are 6 meters long.