www.turubri.com - Bamboo Garden
Bamboo Collection
Costa Rica Tropical Garden
There are few places where one can enjoy such a perfect harmony with nature as in Turu Ba-Ri’s bamboo field. Here, visitors can enjoy the mystic sound made when the wind passes through the tops of these gigantic plants. The gentle rustling of these trees makes this place a special spot, perfect for relaxing and meditating on the course of the day, thinking about the wealth with which this small but important country called Costa Rica is blessed. The tour normally ends here. In addition to these important plants, they are used for a myriad of purposes, of which many are still unknown. For example, did you know that some types of bamboo are edible to humans, or that many of these plants are used to make houses? Bamboo is actually very useful, and when you visit you’ll get to know it.
Bamboo is the fastest-growing plant on Earth; it has been measured surging skyward as fast as 121 cm (48 in) in a 24-hour period and can also reach maximal growth rate exceeding one meter (39 inches) per hour for short periods of time. Many prehistoric bamboos exceeded heights of 75 metres (250 ft). Primarily growing in regions of warmer climates during the Cretaceous period, vast fields existed in what is now Asia.
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Unlike trees, all bamboos grow to full height and girth in a single growing season of 3–4 months. During this first season, the clump of young shoots grows vertically, with no branching. In the next year, the pulpy wall of each culm slowly dries and hardens. The culm begins to sprout branches and leaves from each node. During the third year, the culm further hardens. The shoot is now considered a fully mature culm. Over the next 2–5 years (depending on species), fungus and mould begin to form on the outside of the culm, which eventually penetrate and overcome the culm. Around 5 – 8 years later (species and climate dependent), the fungal and mold growth cause the culm to collapse and decay. This brief life means culms are ready for harvest and suitable for use in construction within 3 – 7 years.
