Top Uses for Bamboo

While bamboo may be an invasive species, it is still considered very useful in many ways. Let’s take a closer look at how helpful bamboo can be when it’s properly contained.

Read more for some further information on some of the top uses

Building Material

Throughout the world, bamboo is used as a building material, including in the UK. You’ll find everything from furniture to sheds and homes crafted from the bamboo poles that are collected. It’s a cheap material and tends to be quite durable. It’s also fire resistant and flexible, which makes it ideal for areas where earthquakes are an issue. The tensile strength of bamboo is actually higher than steel, thanks to the way the fibres run.

Bamboo flooring is popular in many homes, as it is a light, elegant-looking wood. It’s easy to maintain and stays looking beautiful for a long period of time. It’s not surprising that more and more UK homes are considering bamboo flooring.

Food

You know that pandas eat bamboo, but it’s also a rather common food for humans, too. We can only eat the sprouts and shoots, however, as the rest of the plant is too hard. However, bamboo shoots are highly nutritious and full of fibre, which makes them an excellent food for anyone.

While found in many Asian dishes, there’s no reason not to toss bamboo shoots into your salad, stews, or other food. Just be sure to soak overnight or parboil to remove any traces of cyanide that may linger.

Medicine

In many countries, bamboo is thought to be medicinal. In Chinese traditional medicine, black bamboo shoots are used to treat kidney problems whilst traditional medicine in Indonesia uses side branches for bone disease. While these may not be used around the world, it’s interesting to consider that bamboo can be a useful, natural medicine, as well. 

Bamboo is not something you want getting out of control in your garden, certainly. It can spread rapidly and the fact that it grows insanely fast is part of the reason why it’s a sustainable source of wood, but also a terrible pain if it continues to grow in your garden.

Aside from using root blocks to prevent the bamboo from getting out of control, you can bring in the experts and have them eliminate it for you. It’s nearly impossible to get rid of bamboo on your own, thanks to the roots that spread just as fast as the upper leaves grow.

Get In Touch

Tired of bamboo taking over? Let Gaia Environmental help you remove it and leave the benefits of bamboo to other areas of the world. Contact our team today for bamboo removal services by calling 01634 924315 or emailing info@gaiauk.com.