Cane harvest discussion

[Pat B]

Years ago while reading Al Heron's book, he discussed harvesting only culms(canes) from male cane plants. For him it is a traditional thing with his Cherokee heritage. I never really considered this while harvesting cane, only getting cane that is mature and the correct size for shafts.
 Lets see where this discussion takes us.........

[Urufu_Shinjiro]

Well probably the first question is how do you tell the difference?

[bjrogg]

I don't know about cane per say but most male plants have pedals and pollen, females have stigma and ovaries. Some plants are self pollinators corn the male parts the tassel, flowers drops pollen on the female parts the silk and shunt. The pollen travels though silks and fertilize's ovaries which develope into cobs. Not sure why they would only harvest males but one male could probably fertilize many females. They may be stiffer if they have a big tassel on top but my guess would be to keep Their plants re multiplying

[DC]

I would think that the traditional reason would be the (perceived) obvious strength advantage of male over female. (As I run for cover)

[Ed Brooks]

it could be something as simple as a superstition, they were very a superstitious people (in the old ways). I believe enough so that we may never make heads or tails of some of the stuff they did.  Ed

[bjrogg]

That may be true Ed but they also understood plants and nature pretty good, then again DC could be right

[Ed Brooks]

perceived & superstition could be about the same thing in this instance. IMHO, Ed

[Pat B]

If I remember correctly the females have small branches down the shoot and males mostly at the top. Personally, I cut any mature culms of the right size and haven't noticed any difference but I wasn't looking for a difference either.
 DC tell that to those 2 new female Navy Seals or heavy weight lifters. 

[DC]

That's why I'm running for cover but way back then it was understood that males were stronger than females.

[JoJoDapyro]

I would think that the traditional reason would be the (perceived) obvious strength advantage of male over female. (As I run for cover)

If I remember correctly the females have small branches down the shoot and males mostly at the top. Personally, I cut any mature culms of the right size and haven't noticed any difference but I wasn't looking for a difference either.
 DC tell that to those 2 new female Navy Seals or heavy weight lifters. 

Or all of those mothers out there! 

[DC]

If I remember correctly the females have small branches down the shoot and males mostly at the top.

Maybe that's the answer, fewer branches where the arrow is going to come from. If that was the question?

[Pat B]

I've cut and use lots of cane for arrows over the last 10 years. I see no difference between male and female cane as far as arrows go.
Bamboo doesn't flower like other plants. In some cases it blooms every 100 years and when it does flower the whole colony and the species flowers and fruits at the same time then dies, not just that plant but the species. A new cane patch develops from those seeds. I'm do not know how the American canes(Arundaneria) flowers and fruits or do I know if it dies afterwards.

[bjrogg]

It's quite interesting to me being a farmer. I believe sugar cane is planted as rhyzons I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong but basically pieces of roots. It then grows for several years if I'm right

[mullet]

I know when I cut cane I look for the stuff that is about ten to twelve feet tall. I pull it over and just cut the tops out. It is usually a different color, leaning more towards a purplish green.

Pat, that's what Steve and I have been cutting at Cade's, what we call the Honey Hole of cane.

[Pat B]

That's probably switch cane(A. tecta) Eddie. It also makes very good arrows.