Fishing trip salvaged...River Cane Harvested!

[SEMO_HUNTER]

Me and my dad took a fishing trip on a southeast Missouri river yesterday and while the bass weren't cooperating very well, I did manage to find a way to salvage the trip down there.

I cut some river cane and brought home some with the culms still on them and see if I can start some roots to transplant here. I know the best way from what I've read is to dig up the root balls and transplant those, but I forgot to throw a shovel in the back of the truck.....dammit! 

Anyway, the 3 bundles each have a dozen shafts in them and the cane in the bucket is what I left the culms on. There's at least another dozen shafts in there as well.
I didn't get crazy with the cutting because this cane is growing where it is as part of a restoration effort on this particular river. I only took what I needed for my personal use and I also asked permission from the local conservation agent to harvest some for this purpose. He agreed to let me cut some for shafting material but specifically asked me not to take more than I could use and I agreed to those terms. Hopefully if I don't get too greedy I'll always have a good supply of shafting material down there, but it's about an hour drive one way. It sure would be nice to get this river cane started here within walking distance of my back door.

I thought you all might enjoy my story and how I managed to turn an otherwise crappy fishing trip into a very productive one.

[hillbilly61]

Nice "catch" Hope the root starting works for ya. I tried it once with no luck I also brought some rot balls but the horses ate the shoots Gona try again in the fall and put them out of reach of the horses

[cowboy]

Sounds like me. Any trip can turn into a rock, cane, wood hunt . Nice batch there. I tried starting some roots balls on my place with no luck either, hope you fare better.

[sadiejane]

some suggestions i found on line for transplanting river cane:
"transplant cane by digging it in clumps, keeping the entire root ball (as opposed to bare-root) seems to work the best. It should be planted in moist, rich soil. Transplanting usually works best in late winter-early spring."

"• clump division, which involves digging up and replanting intact culms, rhizomes, and roots, or
• rhizome cuttings, which can be surface planted provided there are at least 10 internodes in the cuttings
To thrive, river cane needs:
• to be transplanted after it has been well watered
• a light canopy
• no competition from fast-growing plants such as privet
• good drainage, as found in sloped areas"

"The most successful methods so far have been planting either bare rhizomes(sprout new growth and spread by use of underground stems, termed rhizomes) or planting seedlings cultivated in a greenhouse from bare rhizomes.  Spring plantings have been most successful. Significant new growth usually takes an additional two to three years to re-establish. These methods require an abundant source of mature plants from an established location that can be dug up for rhizomes to be transplanted."

thought this might help with getting it started...

[mainehunt]

From the time that you cut that cane, how long does it take until you can make arrows out of it?

Kev
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[SEMO_HUNTER]

some suggestions i found on line for transplanting river cane:
"transplant cane by digging it in clumps, keeping the entire root ball (as opposed to bare-root) seems to work the best. It should be planted in moist, rich soil. Transplanting usually works best in late winter-early spring."

"• clump division, which involves digging up and replanting intact culms, rhizomes, and roots, or
• rhizome cuttings, which can be surface planted provided there are at least 10 internodes in the cuttings
To thrive, river cane needs:
• to be transplanted after it has been well watered
• a light canopy
• no competition from fast-growing plants such as privet
• good drainage, as found in sloped areas"

"The most successful methods so far have been planting either bare rhizomes(sprout new growth and spread by use of underground stems, termed rhizomes) or planting seedlings cultivated in a greenhouse from bare rhizomes.  Spring plantings have been most successful. Significant new growth usually takes an additional two to three years to re-establish. These methods require an abundant source of mature plants from an established location that can be dug up for rhizomes to be transplanted."

thought this might help with getting it started...

Thanks Sadie. I scoured the internet last night and read everything I could get my hands on. I have my doubts about transplanting this time of year and so I had thought about putting them in planting boxes here at the house and see if I can just keep them alive. Then transplant them late this fall or late winter.
If I can keep some plants alive long enough even if it's just in my sunroom I might be successful? If not, I'll go back and get some root balls from the place where I got these early next spring or late winter and give that a try.
I've got the perfect area up and down the river where I live that the river cane should thrive here, the conditions are exactly like they are where I cut my cane. It just needs some help getting here and maybe I'll see some cane breaks near my home before I die. LOL

Mainehunt- Somebody with more knowledge will have to answer that one, I haven't messed with cane that much myself yet and only made a few arrows out of it. I just left it in the rafters of my garage for about a year and it had dried through and through. Not sure how long green cane takes to dry out?
PatB would have the answer to that question and I'm sure he will stop in here shortly with some tips.

[rover brewer]

nice job,gee all I come back with on a fishing trip is a bunch of fish lol . keep us informed on the cane transplant.

[SEMO_HUNTER]

I got my limit plus a nice goggle eye on Monday night, I like to do my bass fishin at night during a full moon on the river. I hate fishin during the day now, but my dad wanted to go fishin so I went for his sake. He don't see quite as well as he used to so he likes fishing during the day, and the fact that I knew there was alot of River Cane down there where we were going helped convince me that I needed to go.
I just spend most of the time running the boat so he can fish, cause I can go anytime I want to by myself.

Here's a pic of the bass I caught Monday night. I guess I'm a loner cause I fish alone most of the time and tend to do a whole lot better when I'm by myself, the dark doesn't bother me a bit. I actually find it very peacful and relaxing. Lots of critters making noises at night that you don't hear during the daytime. I love it. 

[rover brewer]

nice fish,FISH FRY,can't beat that trip fish arrow shafts way to go.

[aero86]

i believe the cane reaches full height by its first year.  then you want second year stuff.

[Marlin]

Just an idea, but maybe you could make glue outa the fish guts. Ive never done it, but ime sure someone on here has.

[razorsharptokill]

Good haul in all respects!