Arundo donax for reed cane

Harvesting of reed cane takes place in the wild in many places in the world.

Here's some information and advice for a good harvest that I gave to David Richmond.

I did a research project on my own about when to harvest cane after reading in the IDRS that cane is harvested by the moon phase. I did this over several years harvesting cane at different times to see which worked best The interview was with Maurice Allard in the 80s who didn't say what moon phase, just that it was very important and a secret. I read during research that timber harvested at a certain phase of the moon had excess pitch oozing out. So, of course, I made assumptions that were wrong. I believed that cane should be harvested like timber when the pitch is down. Wrong.

Harvest cane at the new moon. Pitch is up because the moon is out during the day, and with that excess moisture in there the cane dries out more slowly and discourages shrinkage. But the cane should be harvested when its first year growth leaves are drooping in the dormant stage. Soil temps should be in the 30s for best results. Usually Dec-to early February. After that cane starts up again. Harvest only second year growth, those with branches. First year growth is not woody enough. For bassoon cane select diameters of 24-26 millimeters or approximately 1 inch in diameter. Cane from the bottom 6 feet of the pole is more stable and dense than that from the top. The cane poles can be 18-20 in height.

Cane can be left outdoors to dry out as long as it doesn't freeze. If it dries quickly in a heated indoor location it could shrink too fast. If left outdoors, it could mildew if the air is too humid though. Chinese cane that is available in the U.S. market apparently is harvested in one location and air dried outdoors in another drier location. The 80 acre Rico Reeds "plantation" I visited in California had tall metal buildings where they stack up the cane and get the air out with exhaust fans. During the summer when things heated up they cooked a bit in there. The final part of the process is heat and sunshine to get the cane to push some of the waxy substance to the surface and tune from greenish to gold. I had good luck with putting the cane in the back window of the car. Works okay up on a roof too. Extra heat seems to help push the wax to the surface.

In France the poles of second year growth are stacked around a pole to create a teepee effect, over them a layer of first year growth of unusable diameters protects them from rain. Air circulation around the harvest poles is essential to prevent mold and mildew. They may or may not put the cane into the sun during the first summer. Poles are stacked but away from direct sunlight. Some sun cure the first summer and stack for more drying into the second summer.

Second choice harvest time is at night when the moon is in the sky. I found a reference to that somewhere later after I had done my tests, but I think the new moon harvest is best.

Now you know more than most bassoonists on how to deal with cane harvesting, except for a few guys in California, like Bob Stevens who took me to the Rico and whose plants I've been growing out at the family farm in Yamhill county. Cane in front yard is from him too, and originally brought over from France as cane with the right DNA. Ha. Bob's cane was better than Ricos because he had a some better ideas on irrigation, etc. You are harvesting cane in Texas. Was it planted there by some Johnny Appleseed like California or is it native to that area? Have you ever heard of Prestini USA in Nogales, AZ? Their cane may have come out of Mexico. Somewhat soft but nice tone color. There are several different techniques for the sun/heat curing depending on the climate. There's a photo of Prestini with tubes of cane hanging on ropes.
By the way, the cane buyer for Rico Reeds visited my cane field and told me some good stories. He said my cane looked just like VanDoren's! Little did he know where I got it, and the soils and climate must have made it look they way it does. Just like wine grapes....location, location, location. The best cane I've seen growing is in southern Oregon in Ashland. Beautiful looking plants and nice tone color in the finished reed. I supplied the cane for that plot.