Neighbours planted bamboo at our fence… but now moving away.

[ReginaaPhalangee]

As title suggests, our neighbours planted bamboo about 18 months ago. We are in a semi detached with a shared fence. It’s right at the fence, right up at the property. They are a nice couple, very quiet and keep themselves to themselves. They have totally transformed the garden from the previous owners and it’s full of beautiful plants, thus attracting beautiful birds etc.

they have recently sold the house and moving soon.

im worried about the bamboo. I’ve heard from friends who have had issues with it, and seeing more and more news articles how it is causing damage (the one where the couple had to demolish their conservatory due to the roots growing through it).

I know it will take years for it to cause major damage but I’d rather nip this in the bud now before It gets to that stage.

I don’t like confrontation or these types of conversations but I know I need to. I want to ask them to pull it up before they move as, now this may sound petty, I’d rather have the issue with these neighbours lol rather than new ones who move in and live there for potentially years..

how do we handle this? I’ll upload some pics that aren’t identifying to show where it is to the house etc.

Doesn’t it sent out shoots along the lines even if you cut it off at the end?

How do you best remove bamboo? After reading this, I'd like to get rid.

Best way is to dig it out. After this, keep an eye on the area in case you missed any and then either weed kill new shoots or dig them out

Bamboo doesn’t destroy foundations 🙄 that’s japanese knotweed which you don’t have.

I do not trust bamboo... in any form... If you have a chance to have it removed... put your social concerns aside and take that chance!!

We have lots of lovely bamboo in our garden. Our front hedge is bamboo. Were have a rhizome barrier to stop it spreading to the lawn. In the middle of our lawn is a beautiful bunch of yellow clumping bamboo It is great for the environment and looks lovely. Not sure why so much panic!!

If you dig bamboo liner 6-8” into the ground it won’t spread. It’s not japanese knotwood!

I lived next to a house with running bamboo and would spend most of my summers cutting and spraying it as it grew under the fence and into my lawn. The bamboo in their yard was higher than a tree - I imagine it was very old. It even started growing in my garage. You could almost watch it grow, and if I had done nothing it would have become a forest in my lawn. I was only renting so not willing to spend money on the problem. As you say, AWFUL STUFF.

Yes, it does.

It might not cause a problem for you, I assume the neighbours with the bamboo who lived behind me didn't have a problem either, but it certainly caused a problem in my lawn. Cutting it off is a drama as it has to be done every few days, and takes ages - and spraying is also necessary. You really have no idea. It was growing inside my garage.

Posters are speaking of THEIR experience - are you accusing them of lying?

You invite me around to nuture and care for it. I managed to kill MINT last year and that stuff is nuclear-proof. I'm pretty sure that I could see bamboo off within a fortnight.

We weren't all that jazzed that it was replanted tbh but theres not actually anything we can do about it.

You could use a plant ID app on the leaves to see what type it is

I guess even if they tell you it’s clumping and they’ve put a barrier in is that going to put your mind at rest OP? I personally wouldn’t like bamboo that close to my house - and there’s lots of other tall screening plants that could have been planted instead. If you’re not happy with any type of bamboo just say you are concerned about its proximity to your house and if they could please remove it. You also don’t know how good of a gardener the new neighbour will be and whether they will know to keep the bamboo under control

I'd ask them to remove it. We had clumping bamboo in our garden planted by the previous owner which has been sitting there looking innocent for at least 7 years, but now has started to spread at least 1m in multiple directions, including through paving. We're getting it removed at great expense.

I wouldn't trust it in a planter, the roots can grow through the bottom.

I second using a plant id app. I use picture this it's been helpful identifying the weird plants that keep appearing in my garden.

Had bamboo in front garden when I moved but removed it as I kept sneezing.

I have both kinds (in pots). The running stuff I got for free and the clumping I bought. This looks like my clumping bamboo. The leaves are much smaller and lighter in colour.

I would speak to them asap. My mum has been in a legal dispute with a neighbour at the rear of her garden for almost a year as they refused to speak to her. It's running along the fence and lifted the patio and damaging the grass. Estimated cost of removal and root barriers is in excess of £6k. It's spreading across 3 gardens in total and a total nightmare causing her considerable distress. Hopefully we are now at the point where it will be removed and other gardens are doing the same to prevent it coming back. They also have it in pots but it can burst out of pots too from what we understand. It's been horrible for my mum so I'd recommend having a chat with them to get some clarification.

My neighbour did this when we just moved in. I think it was the clumping type he planted but the sharp shoots started growing up well across the fence in my garden lawn which I was worried my children would hurt themselves on as they were so sharp. Thankfully we are now good friends and I sent him an article and said in a jokey way I hope your bamboo doesn’t start taking over my garden and he dug it up not long after and I helped him to dig the roots up at my side. He genuinely wasn’t aware of how destructive it can be and not only that but someone had given it to him so he wasn’t even sure which type it was. Thankfully a year later we’ve not had anymore shoots but I’m so glad I had the conversation about it and now it’s gone. Hope you manage to have the conversation I know it can be a bit awkward but maybe get an article up like I did and you could act like you’ve only just found out.

We need to calm down. We moved into a house with bamboo. The kind with runners. We dug it out..took ages but it is gone. Dig it out and maybe dig out again and it will be gone.

Defo speak to them! My twat neighbour did that and then moved out. Her stupid fence was broken and instead of replacing it, used bamboos to create a barrier the cheap b, she was an absolute horrible person. It started to grow behind some of her fences that she still had intact. New neighbours are constantly axing at it, but it seems like they don’t have the budget to completely get rid of it yet. We have a wall and one bamboo did grow on our side!!!!! That I very quickly axed off. I still curse the old neighbour.

If I were you I would hope it's in pots! Bamboo is invasive and destructive if in the ground . It can destroy that fence.

You made a Mumsnet thread without knowing if it was even in a pot or not, but useless getting shirty about the fact you will be asking the neighbours now.

Let it be its just bamboo it looks nice.

"Notify the council" 🤣

Call the police!!!