Cooling Effect of Bamboo - Microclimate Protector
In my research of various bamboos, I came across some accounts of Moso bamboo working as a natural swamp cooler, carrying moisture into its canopy and dropping it down to have a pronounced cooling effect on the understory. Logically, I would think any bamboo that covers a wide enough area consistently would have this effect. Could I expect this effect from Guadua bamboo as well, once fully established? And, if the understory is cooled, what are your thoughts on using the newly formed microclimate to farm perennial shade plants (such as coffee) in environments that would otherwise be a little too hot for them?
⭐ Best Answer:
Yes Guadua, and all giant bamboos for that matter, have a cooling effect. At our farm I have noticed a 8 degree Celsius drop once you stand under a bamboo canopy compared to full sun exposure. There is also a wide variety of understory plants growing in natural Guadua forests.
Although Moso is a runner and Guadua is officially a clumper, their growing habits are somewhat similar. Guadua has long-necked pachymorph rihzomes, which means culms could grow as far as 2.5 meters apart. Since there is quite some space between the culms, and diffuse light can still enter the forest floor, many tropical plant species grow vigorously in such environment.
In the coffee zone of Colombia, native Guadua and coffee plants grow side by side. If you plan on establishing this combination from scratch I would suggest to plant a row of Guadua a few rows of coffee, again a row of Guadua, etc. This will facilitate maintenance and harvest. Between a row of Guadua and coffee plants you should keep at least 5 meters of space.
