Bamboo Removal and Containment

Bamboo Usage

Bamboo is used as a food source, clothing fabric, building material, irrigation piping, containers, transport of items and more. Most bamboo species reproduce asexually, by means of spreading rhizomes (roots) which are what are best known for making this plant so invasive their rhizomes spread rapidly outwards infecting/invading anything that might lie within its path of growth or plain sight the rhizomes have tremendous destructive piercing/puncturing capability, rhizomes are known to penetrate growing thru 4 inch solid concrete, asphalt, even grow thru 6 inch thick railroad ties yearly economic loss and destruction caused by this plant runs into the millions of dollars annually this plant chokes out all other forms of vegetation overtaking an area results in loss of economic productiveness or loss of ecological biodiversity, is reason why running bamboo, yellow grove bamboo, invasive bamboo physically must be removed from properties (not contained) and disposed of properly

Bamboo Parts

The plant has three parts, the bayonet, the cane or culm, and the rhizome (root) the often sharp bayonets as the name implies, can cause human bodily harm easily pierces human flesh is cause for concern the rhizomes spreading outwardly infecting just about everything physically located or growing nearby, this plant knows no boundaries infects adjacent neighboring properties which borne of necessity has pitted once friendly neighbors against their neighbors has required municipalities passing local ordinances entirely banning ownership of this invasive plant that now requires complete physical removal.

2 Types of Bamboo
Running vs Clumping

Running bamboo on other hand is what name implies – this plant’s rhizomes (roots) do not grow slowly over time, nor do these rhizomes stay put or remain contained within a specific or tight area, but rather and instead rapidly travel outwards 20 ft or more per growing season. Some measured bamboo rhizomes have been known to grow 300 feet long horizontally (1 root), makes this plant invasive, hence physically it must be removed.

Clumping bamboo basically stays put grows where it was last planted the roots to this plant spread very slowly outward repeatedly over time, vertically it send up canes/shoots that remained growing within a tightly confined area or space – hence the name “clumping bamboo”

Use of Toxic Herbicides to Kill Bamboo is Ill Advised

Same holds true for attempts at suffocation or starvation of this plant. While several so called ‘gardening authorities’ advocate use of toxic chemical herbicides to control this invasive plant, be forewarned it is an utter waste of your time. And only results in environmental contamination.

Use of toxic chemical herbicides to kill larger bodies of bamboo DOES NOT WORK.
Suffocation DOES NOT WORK.
Starvation DOES NOT WORK.
Cutting canes down in hopes of starving these plants from receiving sunlight into annihilation does not entirely work either
Cutting or kicking canes down actually stimulates this bamboo to spread itself more (not less) and instead grow horizontally.
Cutting canes down CAUSES this plant to SPREAD FASTER AND RESULTS IN STILL GREATER ABUNDANCE.