Post #429028 by tikiskip on Thu, Jan 15, 2009 8:07 PM

"When I harvest, I try to pay close attention to the best time of the year and optimum phase of growth in regard to when harvest should take place. There are numerous books and articles you can refer to in this regard. I also highly recommend that you choose culms of maturity — meaning culms that are 3-7 years of age. Younger culms have not established the lignin and cellulose in the cell structure for greatest strength and the older culms tend to be brittle and structurally unpredictable. Dead culms are generally junk and better composted"

I could not have said it better myself.