Has Bamboo outstayed its welcome?
Do you have Bamboo on your property or land – or can you see it growing in a neighbour’s property and you’re concerned about it invading yours? Bamboo can quickly turn from an impressive feature to a nightmare! Unfortunately that is the nature of invasive Bamboo. Because of its growth structure and pattern it knows no boundaries! Here’s how thick the Bamboo stems can get when it’s allowed to run free…
And here’s what a full-blown infestation looks like…
What you shouldn’t do
If your Bamboo is starting to go wild it means it’s not being contained. Ornamental Bamboo starts off as a relatively tall plant that if contained in a pot can create a great garden addition or even a screen. However when it’s planted in the ground it will quickly take over, and we do not recommend planting Bamboo in residential areas even if there are fixed boundaries – as Bamboo will not respect these!
Bamboo needs rules, here’s our top 3:
Rule No.1: Don’t plant Bamboo in the ground, it must be contained.
Wherever Bamboo is planted – if it can spread it will. This is mostly a problem for the running variety, however issues can occur with the clumping variety as well. You may think that installing a typical garden weed barrier would stop plants from spreading where they don’t want them to be. With invasive Bamboo, this won’t work. Only a professional root barrier product (such as the type used to control Japanese knotweed) will be successful, and it must be installed correctly by professionals for it to be effective.
Rule No.2: Don’t disturb Bamboo unless you’re completely getting rid of all parts of the plant, including all root fragments.
When Bamboo is disturbed through gardening or construction activities the problem of Bamboo spreading exacerbates. Bamboo grows from an underground root system (similar to knotweed), and when this gets disturbed its defense system kicks in and it spreads out further. This means that even a small fragment of root that breaks away from the main root system (or with clumping Bamboo its ‘root ball’) will regenerate new plants.
Rule No.3: Don’t ignore encroaching Bamboo as it can quickly cause damage to hard surfaces and structures – even property!
Bamboo can cause significant damage to structures such as walls, fences, hard surfaces such as patios and pavements. If Bamboo is ignored its roots can grow underneath barrier structures, they can also exploit weak areas of structures to grow through, and this is typically when you may see Bamboo entering your land or property. We therefore recommend that you act swiftly to get Bamboo under control. It’s rapid growth rate means even a few weeks delay can turn a minor project into something way more complex.
This is what Bamboo encroaching from a neighbouring property, emerging as new plants in-between pavement slabs looks like…
This is what Bamboo creeping beneath fencing panels looks like…
And this is what Bamboo looks like bursting through a typical ground barrier, damaging the decking above…
What you should do
Firstly consider if Bamboo is a plant that you really want in your garden. If it is then we recommend containing it in a pot that has no room for escaping roots (in other words a pot without drainage holes). Make sure the pot is not located near to ground soil just in case. Remember Bamboo can grow through cracks in patios and decking, so avoid these if you can.
Secondly, if it’s too late and you already have Bamboo that’s gone wild – call in the experts. We do not recommend trying to DIY unless you have the correct equipment (usually an excavator), and the correct skills and experience to know how to get rid of all parts of the plant.
Environment Controls have developed a unique Bamboo Excavation Programme that will permanently get rid of Bamboo. This method has been specifically devised to reduce the bulk of excavated soils and Bamboo material having to be removed from site, as well as the cost of importing additional soils to backfill the void. Both of which saves our clients time and money. We monitor for any recurring growth which can easily be treated with herbicides.
3 steps to getting rid of Bamboo
- Is it Bamboo? Find out by sending images of the suspect plant to our experts using the online identification tool.
- How far has it spread? Having a professional survey carried out by qualified surveyors will provide you with a detailed report including remediation recommendations and associated costs for you to considers moving forward with.
- Take action. Either have the plant controlled with a treatment programme (this includes using herbicides) or have it completely dug out. Depending on the size and location of the bamboo this can either be carried out by hand digging or using an excavator.
If you have a question for the team, or would like to book a survey please get in touch.