Poison The Bamboo? Or Get A Panda?

[TheTwistedYarn]

I'm at war with bamboo. Both neighbours have it on our side of their gardens, and it sneaks under the fence and grows and grows, no matter how much I try to cut it, dig it, napalm it, etc. My question is this: if I buy one of those paint-on weedkillers and use it, will it also kill the bamboo in my neighbours' gardens and thus alienate these lovely people forever? I honestly don't know what else to do. It's even growing up through the lawn. I fully expect to find it growing up through the floorboards any day now.

[SoMuchToBits]

Are you sure it's bamboo and not Japanese Knotweed?

[SwedishEdith]

Just kill it. They'll be secretly grateful. Just act confused if they ask.

[kelper]

My husband waits for gale force winds and bends our neighbours bamboo over the fence, we've asked them to cut it back and they won't and their blimming Japanese acre tree dropping its leaves all over the place
Sorry I'm no help at all but I share your pain, and I'd love a panda, perhaps we could rent one?

[TheTwistedYarn]

Yes! rent-a-panda. Genius!

Yes I'm confident it's not knotweed (thank goodness).

Right, I shall take my murderous tendencies outside tomorrow, starting with the side of the garden on which the neighbours affected are likely to mind the least.

[SoMuchToBits]

Ok, I'd kill it anyway then!

[TalkinPeas]

you need to dig a trench and then install underground root barrier along the fence line

[shovetheholly]

Yep to the above root barrier idea. It's a lot of work (you need to dig deep) but it will solve the problem. Then you can start murdering all the stuff on your side of the barrier guilt-free.

[TalkinPeas]

Lots of info here
www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=210

[wonkylegs]

Weed killer hasn't worked on the one the previous owner of our house planted. It's so big we are contemplating hiring a JCB to dig it out.

[shovetheholly]

I read about injecting the stems with glyphosphate rather than spraying the leaves. I don't know if that might help? I am pretty sure it's how they get rid of knotweed.

[need15]

We got someone in to use crazy strong stuff on the bamboo in our garden. It was our of control, covered 5m x 5m and was over 20ft tall... We didn't plant it I hasten to add!!! Hate the stuff! Wrecked our lawn. It took two sprayings, a few month apart and they also rotorvated the area. We've now covered it with raised decking and hopefully the bamboo will stay away.

[need15]

Btw with bamboo, cutting it doesn't work as it simply boosts it to grow even more.... Don't cut it!!!

[talkinpeace]

need15
I have several bamboos in my garden : if you cut the runners under ground, each one stops and you can make one side of the plant become too congested for it to spread - unless the Bamboo in question is Sasa in which case its madness to plant in a garden

[Battleshiphips2]

Ive stopped my bamboo from spreading by putting a 5 inch barrier (slate) into the ground around it. It never grows beyond that barrier.