The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Growing => Gardens => Topic started by: Bert on July 12, 2012, 09:03:02 am

Title: Bamboo
Post by: Bert on July 12, 2012, 09:03:02 am

Any ideas how to kill Bamboo. It's trying to take over the world ::) . It has managed to kill a (box, I think) hedge. So standing close to 2 meters high and 20 meters long and about a meter wide, the boss in her infinite wisdom decided we were taking it out yesterday. So now the dead box hedge and bamboo is all cut off at ground level and the chicken wire fence we found has been removed. We know the bamboo will just grow again. So advice on killing would be great.

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: deepinthewoods on July 12, 2012, 09:06:35 am

i think its a dig it out job, it will keep coming back.

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: Bert on July 13, 2012, 07:05:06 am

Thanks deepinthewoods
I was really hoping no one would come back with that answer  :innocent:
but I had a horrible feeling that would be the only way to deal with it. 

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: hexhammeasure on July 13, 2012, 07:56:05 am

I used to keep taking a large chunk out every year and give it away, (have you seen the price of potted bamboo in the shops!!) two years ago it died  :(

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: Mel on July 14, 2012, 06:32:20 pm

I'd buy a few roots from you Bert :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: YorkshireLass on July 14, 2012, 06:42:43 pm

Shoots are edible... ;)


Reading up on growing it for food, they did say you could get a rhizome barrier to stop the spread - this implies the root system is relatively shallow, so although it's a digging job it's not like trying to tackle horsetail or something...


Do you know what species/type it is?

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: bloomer on July 14, 2012, 07:03:44 pm

right you can kill it chemically but it takes ages


whenever there is new green growth spray it with a glyphosate based weed killer (remember this kills everything so don't splash on stuff you care about) keep repeating every few weeks for months and months and eventually it will die..


remember it is only absorbed through fresh new growth!!!


digging it out as much as possible speeds the process up a lot but usually you need to get chemical with it to finish it off!!!

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: Bert on July 16, 2012, 05:28:09 pm

Quote from: leghorn on July 14, 2012, 06:32:20 pm

I'd buy a few roots from you Bert :thumbsup:

When I dig it out I'll save you some. Not going to be dug out for a few week, due to fat,black fingers  :innocent:

Quote from: YorkshireLass on July 14, 2012, 06:42:43 pm

Do you know what species/type it is?

No idea at all. All I can tell you is it's variegated and it doesn't  grow very thick (no good for Canes)

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: goosepimple on August 19, 2012, 10:25:00 am

We have some too - it is very vigorous.  Someone told me last week it is expensive to buy - you could advertise it cheap if they come and dig it out themselves?  I think you're limited in neighbours your way though...

Title: Re: Bamboo
Post by: hexhammeasure on August 19, 2012, 05:02:44 pm

if your canes are too thin to use individually tie 3 together to make 1 thick cane