Bamboo Invasion!

[Hugo Fillery]

I've recently taken on a new garden client and her garden and the previous owner planted this bamboo in the flowerbed that she wants to eradicate!

However, it has spread its runners underground and is now growing through the middle of this Privet hedge and you can see in the photos.

My only thought on dealing with the runners in the hedge is to paint a strong herbicide on the leaves of the bamboo.

Has anyone got any other ideas on how to get rid of it permantely?

[Lazlo Woodbine]

Looks like sasa veitchii - which isn't good

It also looks like its been there a few years - which is much worse!

I would try digging out as much as you can first - hard job i know, but sasa's in common with most bamboo doesn't normally go deeper than 1-2ft.

You can try treating the leaves - but you'll be in for long drawn out battle!

Sadly this kind of ignorant planting is what gives bamboo a bad name....


Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!

Laz

[flounder]

I was going to say get rid of the privet and keep the boo, but it looks more like a lonicera than a ligustrum
Besides me turning into Conifers(sorry mate ), that bramble killer which name escapes me...the one with glyphosate in it should do the trick.

[Kristen]

that bramble killer which name escapes me...the one with glyphosate in it should do the trick.

SBK? Not sure its got Glyphosate in it though?

Maybe it has these days, but I think the active ingredient used to be 2,4,[SomeForgottenNumber]-T - where the "T" was Trichloro-something-or-other. My memory not much cop either!

[The Codfather]

Looks like sasa veitchii - which isn't good

It also looks like its been there a few years - which is much worse!

I would try digging out as much as you can first - hard job i know, but sasa's in common with most bamboo doesn't normally go deeper than 1-2ft.

You can try treating the leaves - but you'll be in for long drawn out battle!

Sadly this kind of ignorant planting is what gives bamboo a bad name....

Agree.......I have just had to deal with the same battle this year in my garden but over a bigeer area.......I tried every herbicide I could think of with no effect. I have never seen roots so thick and strong too......I had to use a spit and just dig up clumps of soil, root etc and just binned the lot.....I have now left the area bare for winter and will look for any bits I have missed in spring before I bring in more soil to top it up and replant.

[Lazlo Woodbine]

I sympathise cod mate ..... I.ve been working on a customers big stand of pleioblastus Fortunei ..... been in years !
..... still at least i'm being paid by the hour for it!!


It demonstrates the massive benefits of just a little regular maintenance(1/2 times a year).


Laz

[Kristen]

that bramble killer which name escapes me...the one with glyphosate in it should do the trick.

SBK? Not sure its got Glyphosate in it though?

I had a Google:

http://www.vitax.co.uk/index.php/area/h ... -killer-2/

Contains Triclopyr triethylamine salt, doesn't appear to contain Glyphosate. It used to be brilliant on Brambles and the like, but I'm pretty sure the active ingredient was different (or this is a modern name for the same thing perhaps)

Web site is, I think, shocking. It says this on the web page:

"can be used safely in turfed areas"

but the PDF file of the Label says:

"may cause damage to lawns and other fine turf"

can't believe they can't get the two sets of information to be the same; puts me off chemical vendors when they have that sort of sloppy information on their products - what about the toxicology information, do they consider typos etc in that to be irrelevant

[flounder]

No sire, its not SBK I was thinking of. The one I used to use had a very distinctive smell, like a permanent marker pen
I don't use it any more cos I can't remember what its called! Theres no way I'm going up the GC and smelling every single bottle, like my wife does in boots/superdrug

[GoggleboxUK]

U'd avoid SBK at all costs unless you are planning on turning that area into a decking or desert. It's vicious stuff and kills trees too if used in heavy doses.

[Hugo Fillery]

Thanks for the advice everyone,

That herbicide sounds good, but shall I get hold of something stronger? Because I have a PA1 & PA6 License that allows me to retrieve any type of chemical I need whatever the toxicity or poison extremes of it is!

Also, how am I supposed to dig the roots out of the bamboo that is growing through the hedge as the Privet is so tightly compact?

[Hugo Fillery]

Also I can't take out the hedge as it is thier boundary to the road!

[flounder]

I thought the PA1, PA6 was CoC for pesticides not herbicides No matter, I'd still use something with glyphosate as the main ingredient.
Mixed in a bucket, it can be applied to the bamboo with your hand in a sock, rubbing up each stem as if you were loosely trying to pull it up. That should avoid too much damage to the lonicera nitida hedge

[Hugo Fillery]

I thought the PA1, PA6 was CoC for pesticides not herbicides No matter, I'd still use something with glyphosate as the main ingredient.
Mixed in a bucket, it can be applied to the bamboo with your hand in a sock, rubbing up each stem as if you were loosely trying to pull it up. That should avoid too much damage to the lonicera nitida hedge

What do you mean BY CoC?

And no, we were told it was to cover all three categories such as pestricides, herbicides and fungicides.

Okay, thanks that should help. Do you think it will be more affective in Spring, Summer or now?

[flounder]

Certificate of Competence(CoC)
I'd apply in spring at the sign of active growth. Even using the supa doopa stuff, you'll probably need a couple of years and a few applications to get rid of it!

[Hugo Fillery]

Okay, thanks Flounder!