Bamboo and what to do?!

[Newsinglemum58]

I'm clueless about gardening and I have a massively tall overgrown patch of bamboo in the garden flower bed which the former owners must have created. I'm thinking of getting rid of it. Can I just pull it out or cut it down? It's really tall but I have some shears which may do the job... any advice welcome!

Dig, dig and dig again.
It can be a swine to get rid of, but the more you discourage it, the easier it will eventually become.
It is a thug, though.

Ah thank you, so cut it down and get to the roots... I really am clueless but keen to learn!

@MiddleAgedLurker thank you - that's really good information and advice. This is cutting a lot of light out of the garden too I think it's completely grown out of control.

Take before and after pictures too, to impress yourself (and us!)

It's a grass. So if you get desperate you can try glyphosate - the grass family is very sensitive to it.

Before

What @MiddleAgedLurker says.

Make sure you pick and keep some bamboo canes first. If you don’t, you’ll curse yourself in a years time when you find yourself paying money for bamboo canes in a shop!

Try and find out if it’s the invasive or non invasive kind. If it’s the former (as we have on our allotment) it was a pick axe and weed killer job.

My DP dug up some bamboo in our rear garden this week. The root section was unbelievable. It was a particularly aggressive bamboo plant, more of a bush type about 5ft tall but the root was almost impenetrable

He cut the bamboo right down and then dug under the root section and eventually levered it out then dragged it off. It's so heavy you can't lift it. He's vowed never to plant any bamboo again

Last year he removed a different bamboo as the roots began to speed and push up some block paving. I'll post a photo of said roots, not sure how we dispose of it. Probably use a large axe and then garden waste bin

This is the bamboo bush cut down, the root ball section was very hard to get out as DP couldn't get round the back of it because of the fence. It took hours but is now out

Crikey! Thanks for the posts. I am feeling a bit daunted now at tackling it... I'm a single mum so don't have anyone to help unless I ask my stbexh....

I've already admitted defeat and called the gardener to give a quote! Wow that stuff is evil! Literally having to stand on it to break it as it's so tough my shears won't cut it down. A chainsaw would be helpful! I'm not the strongest of people so I don't think I stand a hope of being able to dig out the root ball...

Literally having to stand on it to break it as it's so tough my shears won't cut it down. Remember they make scaffolding out of bamboo

@MereDintofPandiculation do they?! Christ this doesn't surprise me. It's hideous stuff. I have a massive bruise on my leg today where a piece pinged back and smacked me on the calf 😰