Dont be 'bamboo'zled

[Hagar]

The big British bamboo crisis: ‘It invaded my beautiful home’

The plant can punch through paving stones, asphalt and even the foundations of your house. In one case, the bill for damage reached £100,000. So why does this problem just keep on growing?

www.theguardian.com

Buying a house or concerned about creeper coming under your fence? It could be much worse. I noticed a roaring sale in bamboo plants at our local supermarket a while ago. Surely buying an invasive plant species you should only buy from a reputable source like a garden centre asking how fast does this plant grow? Otherwise every shrubbery could soon come with a lost Japanese soldier.

 

[ChrisD.]

Precisely why I've been removing the bamboo the previous house owners planted.

 

[Yaayuh!]

There's two types of bamboo and they're not identified and differentiated properly for sale, which is dumb.

We've got some nice clump forming bamboo that hasn't spread more than 30cm in almost 10 years.

Bamboo with running rhizomes are frequently sold alongside these and that's the source of the problem.

 

[cuke2u]

People just need to do some research and not base their purchases upon 'that'll look nice'...

 

[Blackjack Davy]

People just need to do some research and not base their purchases upon 'that'll look nice'...

Yeah. This is not Japanese Knotweed (and I know places with JK in the district the owners are oblivious)

 

[sparton_SPA]

Never knew this was a problem. Will keep an eye on the bamboo we have !

 

[Terminal_Boy]

When you go to dig out bamboo, invest in a pick axe first as you’ll be needing it most to break up the root balls.

 

[SpeedFreak]

These are relatively easy to control if you do a bit of research. Let them sprout to near full height, cut them before they form leaves. Repeat once or twice and the root will be depleted of energy to form new shoots.

 

[alchal]

Mate at work has bamboo, it's now an endless task cutting it back.

Why people plant bamboo is beyond me, looks meh at best.

 

[ChrisD.]

Why people plant bamboo is beyond me, looks meh at best.

It's a quick win for privacy, especially in new build areas where quite often you can see straight into other peoples living rooms/kitchens etc. There's not much else that grows as tall as bamboo does in little time, and it doesn't particularly need anything special doing for it to grow. We left it when we moved in while the trees were growing, now they provide the cover we're looking for the bamboo is coming out.

 

[SeatIbiza]

Yeah. This is not Japanese Knotweed (and I know places with JK in the district the owners are oblivious)

It's not, but it will be. It's the same family of plants and is incredibly hard to get rid of. They've been talking about it for a while now and putting it on the invasive list...

Just never plant it - put it in pots and it's (usually) fine!

 

[GeX]

When you go to dig out bamboo, invest in a pick axe first as you’ll be needing it most to break up the root balls.

A reciprocating saw and supply of blades also works

 

[Mekrel]

Bah we've got bamboo in our garden (previous owners, not planted by us). I was wondering how you control it, on moving in back in winter, it was just a very square hedge so to speak. Now there's 3 to 4 large shoots that have grown insanely quick this spring.

So as one poster said above, we just cut these back? Back down to soil level?

 

[ChrisD.]

So as one poster said above, we just cut these back? Back down to soil level?

Way I've been doing it is to cut it right to the base, if the ground is dry then water it heavily well in advance. Then just dig it out, will need to be about half a foot deep. It'll be heavy to lift out due to the soil so use a hose pipe or pressure washer to remove the soil from the roots.

 

[Mekrel]

Way I've been doing it is to cut it right to the base, if the ground is dry then water it heavily well in advance. Then just dig it out, will need to be about half a foot deep. It'll be heavy to lift out due to the soil so use a hose pipe or pressure washer to remove the soil from the roots.

Is that just to maintain it, rather than trying to get rid of it?

This is what it looks like now:

how to upload pictures on internet

 

[Andrew_McP]

Bamboo's my backup plan for the post-apocalyptic economy. Fast growing, infinitely useful canes, licence to print post-apocalyptic bottle caps if you ask me. But until then, mine all live in huge pots. I have my eye on a not so nearby neighbour's though, which is the thirty foot high variety I covet but daren't plant! Now *those* are useful canes. Could rebuild the knackered conservatory with those! Very badly, admittedly, but cheaper materials than Wickes.

 

[BUDFORCE]

Why people plant bamboo is beyond me, looks meh at best.

Attract Panda bears?

 

[alchal]

Attract Panda bears?

Not unless you want poo bear coming around after you..

 

[ChrisD.]

Is that just to maintain it, rather than trying to get rid of it?

This is how I’m removing mine.

 

[fastwunz]

I’m a building surveyor.

Bamboo can do one.