Bamboo poles
Some of them (canes), especially in Malabar, are found so large that the people make use of them as boats, ....
A bamboo pole or cane starts as a bud on the rhizome. When it emerges from the soil it is called a shoot. In 30 to 90 days it will start to put out side branches with leaves and is called a culm. When you harvest the culm, it is called a pole or cane.
Culms mature and harden each year and will reach their maximum strength in the 4th to 6th year. Many growers will mark the new culms each year with a distinctive mark to identify the year it came up so they know when to harvest. Selecting bamboo for pole production will depend on the final use. Length, diameter, color, internode length, node size, branching habit, strength and working properties are some the the factors that must be considered. If you want poles for construction, culm wall thickness will be a consideration; however. if you want bamboo for basket weaving, flexibility will be one of the considerations.
