[jaycee]

I have flame gunned the top of the bamboo...about a square metre. Ok Ok it probably wasn`t the brightest of ideas but I want to put a polytunnel in that spot.
After ages of banging, digging and chopping at the roots I haven`t even made a dent in them!
Any contructive ideas as to how to get them out?
Jean

[DD.]

I can only suggest the same (non-organic) solution as I did for elder roots....



Came across this on an American fourm - not very encouraging...

Bamboo

(Think this should be in the General Gardening forujm BTW).

[jaycee]

Did you get rid of the elder roots?

[DD.]

Did you get rid of the elder roots?

They weren't mine & the poster did not take up this option!!

[izzy]

Sorry folks but the only way I have ever found to get rid of these roots is (Hands over your ears all organic growers out there ) :cry:

ROOT OUT

The problem is if you don't get every last bit of root out. It will only appear again probably right in the middle of your polytunnel.

Izzy

[Aunt Sally]

I've told you before Dave

DO NOT EXPLODE THERMONUCLEAR  DEVICES ON THIS FORUM  please  :!:

The bugs are big enough on my lottie without you creating fall out to make them mutate  

[DD.]

I've told you before Dave

DO NOT EXPLODE THERMONUCLEAR  DEVICES ON THIS FORUM  please  :!:

The bugs are big enough on my lottie without you creating fall out to make them mutate  

Sorry the elder one I admit was a joke. but having read up on bamboo before replying to this thread, I was being serious.

[Aunt Sally]

Are you suggesting they make whistles out of the bamboo stems if they can't find a nuclear bomb  

What a good idea :idea:

[jaycee]

Had to get my other half with his chain saw to cut through the clump.
Now after two days of digging am over half way through digging out those fibrous rooots in the 10` x 15` area  where the polytunnel is to go.
Would you experts out there please please tell me that those fibrous roots I have  not managed to get out (missed) won`t be detrimental to growing plants next year in the tunnel
The variety of bamboo was a clump forming Arundiparia Muriele (syn Sinarundinaria).....glad I kept the ticket all these years!
Oh by the way in all that digging I didn`t come across one worm!
Sun is shining. Going to change the midgy net in the Midgemaster and then get the boots on and hopfully do a good day`s digging.
Will finish it sometime.......

[brucesgirl]

My dad was stationed in Burma during WW2 and one of his punishments (he seems to have spent the war on punishment!) was to cut a bamboo field down. He swears that it grew back immediately, and he had to cut back through it to get to the start again. He still has the scars on his legs from the cuts he got from the leaves.

[jaycee]

Brucesgirl what a lovely story...sad but nice. It must have been hell for him...all that hard labour and in that heat.
Finished digging the top 6"layer today and kept thinking of those old time emigrants who cleared the forests to plant crops.Now have a very healthy respect of the labour involved.Kept wishing I had a couple of oxen.