Bamboo Eradication

Jupe Blue

I have a small stand of Green Bamboo that I want to attempt to get rid of. My plan is to cut the bamboo at ground level, then hire someone with a stump grinder to "till up" the crowns. The grinder is willing to do a 10' margin outside of the main stand. Then I will go after other sprouts outside that margin for the next few decades.

My question, when the crown are ground up do I have to worry about them resprouting? I will rake them but I'm sure I'll miss a bunch.

Any thoughts on the above method for removing bamboo?

Kap

Is it clumping or spreading variety?

New shoots will appear from the the roots wherever they travel to, so you're going to want to get rid of them as well.

matt700

good luck with that. my brother tried for years to eradicate his bamboo.
He had the room for it, so he finally rented a mini-ex. and dug it all up and put new top soil in. That was the only thing that would work. He was a very happy man watching it burn.

Leah Frances

- My FIL dug out as much dirt as he could, added lighter fluid, and scorched part of his yard so nothing would grow there for a year or three.

- My neighbor rented a power washer, blasted all the dirt off the roots, and used his chainsaw to cut the roots out in blocks.

- My Father, cut the bamboo down slightly below the dirt level, then paid his three daughters a bounty of .05$ a shoot. We spent a summer or two kicking the shoots that would pop up here and there and turning them in for a nickel.

__________________
If I could only remember to THINK about what I was doing before I did it.

Scuba_Dave

I actually want to grow some bamboo in a container for my outside bar
Send me some roots !!

Renovator2209

I had a problem with bamboo and I had to get a backhoe and did down down four feet to get all of the root. I pourd muriatic acid (dont get it on your skin, - wear chemical gloves) over the ground to make sure it kills everything in the areas. Bamboo is a vine from
" Hades" . If small shoots or small pieces land in your yard, it will grow and drive you crazy. Get rid of all of the dirt and use new topsoil.

sdsester

When doing landscape design I used to love bamboo but usually specified it be planted inside of giant PVC or concrete pipe to contain the spreading varieties from spreading further than I wanted.

Bad news. You are going to have to dig it out. All of it. One rhyzome left behind, if your plants were healthy, could start it all over again. And as mentioned, a backhoe or something is in your future. Don't forget to call your local utility locating company if there is any danger you may have power, plumbing, cable or whatever lines.

Good news, the stuff is generally not as deep rooted as a tree would be.

Not sure I like the idea of tossing muratic acid on things. Seems like that could do a nasty number on PH but check with your local nursery.

Could always just get a couple of Panda Bears to feed on it?

sdsester

I love bamboo. Take a look at the dwarf black bamboo for example (or other dwarf varietes). Great container plant you would love for your outside bar. It is temp sensitive and I didn't have much luck moving it inside in Illinois winters. To warm, and more importantly too dry when the temps plummet to wind chills of -20 or -30F. Have often thought there must be away to capture and store the static electricity created about a month from now!

I think along with honeysuckle, kudzo and other stuff it is illegal to plant the spreading varieties of bamboo in Illinois but I can certainly find fields of the stuff gone wild if you want some rhyzomes/roots. You will need some good, strong containers and plan on pulling it out every few years to root prune.

tpolk

I have stand black bamboo, stalks 1-3" diameter that grows 12-24' tall. beautiful stuff expensive to buy online,came with house, use for garden trellis every year. Mow over shoots all spring to keep back. Some green varieties can be farmed and sold for feed to zoo's and preserves, if I had more land would look into it

Renovator2209

I have the spreading and clumping variety of Bamboo and this stuff spreads like uncontrollable cancer, aids and diabetes. My type is driving me crazy. I have no choice but to use a backhoe to remove all the roots and rhizomes. I can't see why anyone would want this stuff in their yard.
It grows between foundation walls, around tree roots, cement cracks and just continues and continues and continues. Once I made a concoction that consisted of rat poison, bleach, comet, dishwashing detergent and amonia and put several stem into the solution. Guess what, my type of Bamboo did not die. In fact, it kept growing. Go figure!!! I just want it gone forever!!!

sdsester

You know i LOVE this post more than any on this site so far. Never call out anynone with a license to use hebicides. Just dump whatever in the garage or kitchen
on whatever. I am thinking with Muratic Acid already in the hole this could get interesting.

Dig it out. Stay up for three nights straight making sure you did not miss a rhyzome.

jkitchen

I think the bamboo you're describing is Japenese Knotweed. Do a google search on this stuff, it's like one of the top 100 most invasive weeds on the planet. I have this in my backyard also, I think (as most sites will advise) this is a LONG term project to get rid of it. I'm planning on covering it with a tarp and just whacking off anything that tries to grow out.