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Gardening

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Original poster

Invasive bamboo - help!

13 replies

WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/05/2015 13:30

We have bamboo coming through from next door and it is very strong and big, very prolific and very sturdy and hard to dig out. What can we do to stop it coming? TIA Smile

The gardens are at a spilt level so it's coming from 4 feet below where ours is IYSWIM.

OP posts:
Original poster
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/05/2015 15:43

Anyone please?

I have spent the last 1/2 hour researching on the internet and it is all tales of total woe and doom Sad I'm getting worried about it now!

OP posts:
QOD · 30/05/2015 15:55

Snap.

Metal sheeting or something? Buried down the border? We've not done anything this year but it's invading again

Original poster
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/05/2015 16:00

I am in a flat panic now! It's worse than looking up medical conditions on the net in terms of DOOOOOM!

Next door said we should put a barrier down BUT their garden is lower than ours so we'd have to dig about 7 feet down, ie lower than the fence posts and things are sunk Confused and realistically we, you know, can't do that it's just not going to work.

He's a gardener so must have known what he was doing when he put it in but I've raised it tentatively a couple of times and the first time he said put a barrier in and the second time he didn't say anything.

I'm really not sure what to do but it's coming up everywhere great big fat runners.

I might go and have a go at digging it a bit now with the kids.

Fucksake.

If anyone reads this and has any ideas please post! QOD and I will be most helpful!

OP posts:
QOD · 30/05/2015 16:04

Frigging annoying isn't it? Last year we dug up a great chunk And put it in a pot ... I love bamboo IN A POT!
but yeah who the hell puts it in a border? Soooo selfish.
Can you kind of dig Down and.poison their roots?

springlamb · 30/05/2015 16:10

I've had some success with this: wait until the stem is tall enough to bend over, make a strong solution of weed killer, put into a jam jar, bend the stem into the jamjar and wedge it in, leave as long a s possible, checking often that it's still immersed and of course keeping dc/animals out of the way.
Alternatively I've also had some success after purchasing a long handled blowtorch and BURNING THAT B'STARD STUFF TO SMITHEREENS.
Our little problem is coming in from next door and breaking throug our Tarmac parking area,
Good Luck.

shovetheholly · 30/05/2015 16:17

There are two kinds of bamboo. One if clump-forming and quite well behaved. The other is invasive. Is there any chance you could solve this by offering to pay for the offending plant to be dug up and replaced with a better-behaved variety? It would show good will.

cressetmama · 30/05/2015 17:04

We suffered this, and eventually ended up pouring weed killer into the hollow stems, but we had to do it weekly for a month or two. The odd sprout comes through now and again but we mow and strim them back.

Original poster
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/05/2015 22:07

Thanks for the responses not sure what to do. There aren't loads of options are there!

OP posts:
CuttedUpPear · 30/05/2015 22:24

Cut it all back to a couple of inches high, leaving one section of hollow caulm for each stem that was there. This caulm should be hollow and it's where you are going to pour your weedkiller in so cut it as long as possible whilst making sure it has an opening at the top.

I use SPK weedkiller which is for brambles etc. Make it up to the correct strength if it's concentrate.
I use a pipette to squeeze in as much poison into the caulm as possible.
Do them all then go round again topping them all up.

Wait a few weeks. The next shoots that come up, wait until they are wide enough at the bottom to have a hollow caulm to pour the poison into....and repeat.

Think of it as like nitcombing your kids. It's never ending but one day you'll realise that you haven't had to do it in ages.

Original poster
WhirlpoolGalaxyM51 · 30/05/2015 22:32

Thanks for that detailed post! Won't that kill it next door as well though? I would love to kill it but when it goes their side they're going to know what we've done aren't they and I can't imagine that going down very well!

OP posts:
echt · 31/05/2015 06:27

I've spent today cutting back non-invasive bamboo from our fence (our bamboo), because it's leaning a bit.

I wouldn't worry: if your NDns plant stuff that becomes invasive, then let the chips roll where they may. Cut away. If my bamboo encroached on my neighbours' garden, I would tell them I'm taking action, but not ask.

CuttedUpPear · 31/05/2015 06:53

Sadly it won't be likely to kill next door's as well. The sustenance the plant next door gets from its own leaves will be enough to keep it going and creeping back to yours.

echt · 31/05/2015 07:58

Sorry, I should have said if their bamboo was encroaching.

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