Bamboo Canes.

[Tilly2]

What do you use to cut bamboo canes to a shorter length?
I don't want to snap them but would like some shorter canes. I could buy some shoeter ones but I have loads of 6 ft ones which need halving.

[alavahalf]

A junior hacksaw will give you a clean cut !

[rowanwitch]

I use loppers

[Tilly2]

I think I've got a hacksaw and I certainly have loppers.

Thank you both.

[bednobs]

It begs the question what tools do you have. I second junior hacksaw

[alavahalf]

If your canes are a few years old and a bit dried out the hacksaw with it's fine teeth is probably the tool. The loppers might crush the weaker dried out cane.
Here's me telling you what to do .. this morning I went to the allotment to cut old canes down, so as I can use them to support the tomato's inside the polytunnel.
Who forgot to take his toolbag with him and spent the last three hours cutting old canes with secuaters !
Every single cut crushed the cane .. all the crushed ends are buried in the ground, so it will be new canes all round next year !

[Togo]

Hacksaw every time. But I am loth to cut down canes when they are so cheap to buy and the longer thicker ones not so inexpensive.

[Tilly2]

I was just trying to avoid going to the shop. I used both loppers and hacksaw and each were fine.

[Togo]

You were lucky that they didn't split Tills. Been there done that, just like Alva. Every time I ever cut canes down I found myself desperate for.........one the same size that I cut down last year. Lovely up here now. Sun is blazing and the ruddy wind has gone(not mine). We have done the rounds and tidied up after the howler and besides aggravating the deserving on other threads I am now settling down with a glass of vino.....or 3.

[Tilly2]

I want to make a little trellis to support my nasturtiums. The bird feeder idea didn't work.

Enjoy your wine, Togo.

[Togo]

Shame that Tills. At least we all know that a recycled feeder doesn't give enough scope for plants to thrive....Maybe try Aubrecia next time, that grows in all sorts of unlikely places and keeps coming back. Hope your Nasturtiums please you in the end. Worth the effort when they start to glow.

[Tilly2]

The plants are growing well, Togo. The reason the bird feeder plan didn't work was because I, stupidly, didn't think about transferring the rooted seedlings into the mesh bird feeder.

What I should have done, is push the seeds into the bird feeder compost and let them germinate from there.

Hence my little trellis idea. The nasturtiums can grow up, instead of down.

Best laid plans, eh?