[supagranz]

I was wondering if anybody knows how to get rid of  bamboo. It has been in my Mothers garden for about 10 year now and it is getting out of control. I must point out that she lives in a mobile home so she cannot burn it. Any suggestions please.

[SG6]

Any chance of digging it up/out, even bit by bit?
At the cost of outcry, it is a grass so roundup/glyphosphate should kill it off.

Do you know what variety it is, I ask as 2 of mine flowered and promptly died. The canes are just about thick enough to use, so I have managed to grow my own canes.

Find it a pain to shred, it goes through the shredder easily but is too hard. Think it is worse then small branches.

[RichardA]

agree with previous reply but would add -- watch your hands as any shreds or pieces are needle sharp so clean up all around very well especially if you have pets or children about
R

[Trillium]

Bamboo such as yours is a major headache to remove as you'll find runners beyond where you expect them. Lots of digging and repeated glyphosphate sprayings should eventually help remove most of it, but probably not all of it.

[sunshineband]

Some years ago I helped (as part of a working party -- read Chain Gang  ) dig out vast swathes of bamboo from around the pond in Prospect Park. It was such hard work a plaque was erected by the council as a tribute 

Those runners really run  Weedkiller might well be the answer as Trillium suggests 

[supagranz]

Many thanks to you all for your help. 
I did not realise how big a job it was going to be. But it looks like weedkiller along with willing forks & spades and helpers is on the cards.
Once again thank you all.

[Laverne88]

I could do with a load of bamboo as there's quite a bit of water under our middle plot..... where's Addlestone? 

[Trillium]

Laverne, I truly hope you're just joking. It's suicidal to actually put it into your plots. The only type that's relatively safe is the clumping types, and the tags must say clumping, otherwise, don't!

[sunshineband]

In fact, just to be on the safe side, I have put even the clump forming sorts in huge pots 

[Laverne88]

......... BUT..... BUT I KEEP PANDAS 

[Trillium]

Then you'll need two varieties of bamboo to keep your pandas healthy as well as special proteins for them 

[supagranz]

Addlestone is in Surrey......about 15 miles from Heathrow Airport

[Laverne88]

ok.... point taken and thanks for enlightening me! I have clumping bamboo in my garden and was unaware that there was a different type.

[Stripey_cat]

Some are pretty well-behaved - the clumps spread very slowly (which is part of why they're so expensive to buy).  Most try to take over the whole hillside, and could teach horsetails a thing or two about extensive root runs.

[Broadhaven]

I have just had my garden re-designed and have put lots of new plants in
 
But.... I have just planted 2 established bamboos in large sturdy pots. The nursery did tell me that I wouldn't need to replant them into bigger pots ever as the pots they are in will contain it.

Is this right. You all have me worried now