I want to grow my own arrows !

[dan d]

I have been searching the forums (the last few days) studying different arrow materials. I read about Mudds arrow garden and get jealous !  I live way to far away to get some bamboo cuttings from Mudd. I enjoy gardening and realize here in Michigan I would probably have to plant them in large tubs burried in the ground next to my house by the warm foundation to survive the winter, maybe even bring them in my garage. I know bamboo grows in japan and it gets pretty cold there, where can I get / buy some bamboo shoots to play with (grow) ? Key words are "play with" I enjoy making arrows, have all my life, but now I want to take it to the next level  And grow em !  Yes I searched the forums and read about sanding them, using a torch to straighten them, putting the larger end forward and on and on (just saying so someone don't post "search the forum, this has been talked about before" ) yes it has, but my search didn't come up with where to get bamboo, or what kind would do best in Michigan. Thanks in advance for any info !
Dan

[dan d]

I should rephrase my last sentence to, where can I get the correct type of bamboo to grow and use for arrows here in Michigan ?

Also my searches came up with rose bush canes ? Is this possible here in Michigan ?

Dan

[seabass]

multiflora rose grows everywhere.it is the stuff that grabs you when you are walking in the weeds.very long and green with nasty thorns.great stuff for arrow shafts.best of all it is free.it takes about 4 months for it to cure before you can make arrows from it.some one wrote me awhile back about a website where you can get 500 bamboo sharts for 50 bucks.i think the site is bamboo.com.there is also a recent post about multiflora rose arrows.try some of the old posts and you will find it.hope this helps,steve

[Grey Taylor]

Japanese arrow bamboo is Pseudosasa japonica. Just have your local nursery order some for you. If they won't help, do an internet search for a grower that will ship it to you.

Guy

[dan d]

I just found a nursery about an hour and a half away, claim to have bamboo that can take -10 degrees !

  http://www.mibamboo.com/plants.htm  

Dan

[WINDTALKER]

Glad to see I'm not the only crazy one. I dug a few from a guys yard on one of our jobsites this year (arrow bamboo that is) he said it will grow like crazy next year when it warms up. If only the osage trees I planted would be ready to harvest that quick. Keep your eyes open also I've got a few shoots just stopping to ask homeowners if I could help cut back there invasive bamboo

[dan d]

Originally posted by WINDTALKER:
Glad to see I'm not the only crazy one.  

Nope your not alone ! Now I need to study up more yet on this art form ! I learned a lot of the basics already from various posts here. If anyone has any recommendations on good study info for bamboo arrows  please post it.
Thanks, Dan

[Eric Krewson]

What you want is "Pseudosasa japonica" or Japanese arrow bamboo. Looks like the nursery you find sells it.

[Danny Roberts]

Wherever you put it, make sure you don't care where it grows. Those rhizomes spread a long way !

[Mudd]

Be careful what you wish for...lol  

I can send you pictures of a back yard with somewhere between and 1/8th to 1/4 acre of bamboo and arrow wood shrubs of more than one kind.

It sure cuts down on the amount I have to mow,,,lol

God bless,Mudd

[Paul Mattson]

Pseudosasa japonica
Common Name: Arrow Bamboo, Yadake

Maximum Height: 18 feet
Diameter: 1 inch
Hardiness: 0º F
Recommended for USDA zone 7 through 10

This bamboo is one of the most widespread bamboos in the country. It makes an excellent screen or container plant. Pseudosasa japonica is also quite happy indoors. The leaves, 5 to 13 inches long by 1.75 inches wide, are much larger than the leaves of other hardy bamboos of similar size. The culm sheaths are persistent. This is also one of the best bamboos for a windy or seaside planting. Although Pseudosasa japonica is a spreading bamboo, this hedge in the lower pictures is 20 years old and has not spread under the sidewalk. Yadake, the Japanese name for arrow bamboo, is a literal translation: ya means arrow, and dake is one of the words for bamboo.

 http://www.bamboogarden.com/

[dan d]

I just recieved an email from the link I posted here in michigan, he gave all the arrow bamboo to a friend down south, said it didn't do well here in Michigan. Off to check Out badger arrow's link, wisconsin  should be the same growing conditions as Michigan. Mr. Mudd, I would love to have an arrow garden ! I don't think the stuff grows as good up here, so it probably don't spread as bad as what your seeing, at least I hope not. Off to Badger's link to check things out, thanks for all the replies !
Dan

Just recieved another email from mi.bamboo, said it would live and grow, but not very vigorous like his customers would like, he sells bamboo as a privacy hedge and arrow bamboo didn't do well for him. Sounds like it would grow me arrows, but not take over like Mudd was describing.

[dan d]

Dang, arrow bamboo from Badger's link says zone 7
 http://www.bamboogarden.com/Pseudosasa%20japonica.html
We are in zone 6, I'm wondering if I planted it next to my foundation of my house if it would grow. Sounds like it's an iffy thing to grow here, I wonder if that stuff would do damage to my foundation ? Some tree roots can do damage ?
I guess I call the experts @ Bamboo garden .com, I wish I knew where I could find a clump to just dig up and try, I travel the whole state of michigan, I wonder why they say they ship it in 1 or up to 5 gallon pots, I have ordered trees bareroot, The way it sound a this stuff grows like a weed so I wonder why I need to pay shipping on a pot full of dirt ? I guess I need to call.
Dan

[Dave Bowers]

I gonna be doin the same thing dan d. For two reason...of two make arrows. But to make a natural fence as well.
One the I noticed with the on line suppliers that i don't fully understand is their supplying method? Are they supplying you seeds or tiny trees? I did see one or two that shipped 2-3 footers, but other I couldn't figure out.
Thats why I think going to a local nursery would probably be the ticket.

[dan d]

I just ordered some fargesia nitida (blue fountain) from Badger's link. They said arrowBamboo wouldn't make it here, this stuff is suppose to have similar canes and was their  recommendation. We will see how this $50 dollar experiment goes !
Dan

[dan d]

I just ordered some fargesia nitida (blue fountain) from Badger's link. They said arrowBamboo wouldn't make it here, this stuff is suppose to have similar canes and was their  recommendation. We will see how this $50 dollar experiment goes !
Dan

[dan d]

Originally posted by Dave Bowers:
I gonna be doin the same thing dan d. For two reason...of two make arrows. But to make a natural fence as well.
One the I noticed with the on line suppliers that i don't fully understand is their supplying method? Are they supplying you seeds or tiny trees? I did see one or two that shipped 2-3 footers, but other I couldn't figure out.
Thats why I think going to a local nursery would probably be the ticket.

The link where I got mine from on badger arrows post was my best deal, 2 gallon pot with plants 3 feet tall.
Dan

[Hopewell Tom]

One thing to try is creating a "microsite" that is warmer than your zone. Like by the foundation idea but out in the yard somewhere. Maybe build a wall(fence) on the North side, paint it black to absorb the sun's heat and plant on the south side. Maybe some straw mulch around the trees for the winter. Worth a try.

[Wind D Ranch]

I have some Japanese Arrow Bamboo that I am growing in the house.  It hasn't gotten very big yet but seems to be doing well as a house plant.  I hope to be able to make arrows with it someday.  As it grows, I may try putting some outside as well to see what happens.

[Wind D Ranch]

Has anyone tried Viburnum dentatum aka arrowwood?  It seems to grow well in Missouri so I might try it if I hear good things about it.