How to Fire Cure Bamboo

Bamboo is one of my favorite things to use in the garden. It is prolific and very sustainable, meaning I don’t feel bad cutting it down and using it. I just don’t want it in my yard since it spreads so fast…but the good news for me is that my uncle’s yard is teeming with mature bamboo plants that he has to cut down every year (first pic below).

So I went over with my cousin one day, and we cut down a bunch of bamboo shoots. Then I got to work cleaning them up and loading them in my little car to take home for heat curing. Lots of work, but totally worth it for the haul! I don’t want to buy any new trellises this year and am going to be using these bamboo stalks for a lot 🙂

Why fire cure bamboo?

But why fire cure it in the first place? Well, you don’t really have to. You can just cut down bamboo shoots and use them in the garden as is. Even when they are freshly cut, they are very sturdy and strong. Or you can let them air dry, but that takes a while.

Curing bamboo is a great way to dry, strengthen, and preserve it so it will last longer than one season. When you cure bamboo, you do the following—

• Remove moisture, which helps to prevent cracking and warping as it dries.
• Increase durability and moisture resistance by bringing the bamboo’s natural resins to the surface, creating a protective coating.
• Kill pests and make the bamboo less enticing to future pests by removing the sugars and starches that attract them.

What I used to heat cure

• Propane torch
• Rag
• Heat protectant gloves
• Eye protection
• Drill and drill bit
• Buckets to prop the bamboo shoots up

Step 1: Cut off all foliage

The very first step we took was to cut off all of the foliage. As the shoot gets taller, the base gets thicker. But that means the newer growth at the top is thinner and has most of the foliage. So to save yourself some time, chop off the very tops of the shoots first.

Once I’d chopped the tops off to get the shoots down to about 8 or 9 feet long, there weren’t a ton of leaves left. So cutting them off didn’t take too long. Then I threw them in my backyard for a few days, where they got rained on a bit before I drug them back to my shed. (See below—the glossiness is just from the rain.)

Step 2: Drill holes

Each bamboo shoot has a series of different “compartments” called internodes. These are the hollow areas between the nodes, which are the circular horizontal joints that separate each compartment.

Before you heat cure your bamboo, it is absolutely essential that you use a drill to drill holes in each of the compartments (or internodes). Because the circular nodes separate each of these hollow compartments, heat curing can build up pressure and that can make the shoots explode.

I read that drilling holes isn’t always necessary if you heat slow and steady, but I’m using a blow torch. Even if you’re heating slow and steady, I still recommend drilling holes in each of the internode compartments to prevent pressure buildup while heating. I drove my drill bit completely through the shoots, so each internode actually had 2 holes.

You can also hollow out the inside of the shoots by using something like a long steel pipe, but that seemed less practical to me. Just to make sure we’re super clear before getting started—do NOT heat cure your bamboo shoots without drilling holes in each internode or hollowing out!

Step 3: Torch it!

Now it was time to torch this bad boy. I used a propane torch and two buckets to elevate my bamboo shoots. Make sure to wear heat-protectant gloves and protective eyewear (just in case!). Check out the photos below to see the progression of how the bamboo responds to heat over a minute or so.

First you’ll notice a bit of glossiness that will then start to bubble up. This is good—it’s the resin coming to the surface. As you continue applying heat, the bamboo will turn a yellowish color and eventually a tan to brown.

I don’t mind the color variation and burnt look around the nodes on the shoots. I actually think it looks pretty cool. The most important thing to be isn’t necessarilly a uniform color—it’s drying and curing the shoots to enhance their endurance and longevity.

A note on using the rag—I kept mine close by mostly for cleaning up any drips. I did do some buffing on areas of the shoots, too. However, I mostly just applied the heat to bring out the resins and then let them dry with no buffing.

Step 4: Store or use

It’s a bit of a process heat curing a thick 9-ft shoot. My hand was cramping up pretty badly once I was done with two of them—but that’s okay. I got my first two done! I really love how they look and hope this helps them survive a few growing seasons. They light sheen from the resin is lovely, too.

I’ll throw these in the basement to continue drying out any residual moisture left in the shoots. It’s only February here, so I don’t plan to put these out in the garden for a few months anyways. Can’t wait to see how they hold up compared to uncured shoots!

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