[mobilekat]

Having just spent nearly 2 months dealing with the previously owners of our house (and garden), idea for a nice border I beg of the world to never plant bamboo near anti weed membrane.

As far as we can tell the previous owners didn't 'do' gardens, so had some beds put in, and bordered with brick, a few scrubs and bamboo plants planted, and then anti- weed membrane put down, with wood bark on top. And then other than mowing the lawn did nothing for 10-14 years.
In this time the bamboo grew through the anti weed membrane, developing matted areas measuring up to 20foot by 8 foot.
After trying shovel, fork, hatchet and big saw we had to get a man with a mini-digger in to raise this in massive matted lumps.
But we then had to rip/pull the resulting 'bamboo toupees' apart, as local recycling centre won't take the two things together, so had to separate the plastic and the bamboo. It's taken days, been soul and back destroying...
Also we discovered that after all this time under the 'matted mess' the soil is barren, no worms, and no veg matter.
So it's going to take time to improve it- green manure planted, and well rotten compost due for the autumn.

My beg to the world thus is. Please don't mix the two, bamboo is lovely in the right place, but will happily grow through the membrane, and membranes are great when used sensibly!
I am sure people have come across other gardening crimes, but this is right up there with the worst in my book, and Bamboo is now a swear words near Exeter. And the guy who helped us, has said he 'never wants to see anymore of the ruddy stuff' (swear words removed).....

[Aunt Sally]

That sounds like a horrific job, mobilekat 

Well done for sorting it out and not just moving house again

[devonbarmygardener]

The word 'Bamboo' just makes me laugh these days (we overheard a funny conversation in the Garden House garden at Buckland Monachorum in Devon a few years ago - you had to be there  - but it's a long-running joke between me and Ben ).

What you went though wasn't funny though!!  Well done for getting the job done
I would have just moved house again!!

[mobilekat]

It was a close thing....

Flame throwers were also considered, and napalm.  Did feel so sorry for our friend with the digger, we had tried to move it, failed utterly. He said 'Ah it can't be that hard', tried with shovel, fork, machete and then looked very demoralised. Did have a scary moment where the mini-digger nearly tipped over!

But so pleased it's gone, and the nice sandy soil we have found is crying out for organic matter and love. And the garden now feels so much bigger!

[sunshineband]

Your story reminded me of the work required to dig out years' worth of bamboo growth from around the large pond in our local park.

The bonfires burned for days, as we just kept feeding them 

I didn't envy you that clearance job, mobilekat. Not at all

[Asherweef]

I took spade, crowbar and axe to the patch of bamboo that used to live in our garden when we moved in. 3 weeks later I'd managed to get rid of it!

[louiseyoungs]

Well as a bit of an amateur on the allotment, and in particular with flowers and plants, I have entered "bamboo roots" on the search engine and I now understand. I also now know that if I ever do get a garden I will most certainly NOT be getting bamboo in!

[mobilekat]

We are still chasing Bamboo....
Have decided to sacrifice part of the lawn to be a bigger border, as the only way we will get the bamboo out from that bit is to dig deeper....

I think this is great excuse to plant a couple of trees trained against the wall, so don't mind too much

The record so far though is bamboo popping up 7 foot away from where the main patch was- and on the otherwise of the garden wall- has quite deep foundations!

Think we may still be chasing this stuff next year! Ah well the rain this week has softened the soil and made it easier to dig!

[Yorkie]

If you are really sold on the idea of bamboo, there are some varieties that are non-invasive.  But do your research carefully first!!

[GYO Girl]

Does glyphosate work on bamboo?

[mobilekat]

Not really- they recommend cut it, and then immediately spray it, but made no difference to it!
Most people say you may as well spray with water!- I think it thought I had given it a feed!
The massive root network doesn't help!

It's mostly gone now the odd bit has resprouted- and is easy to shift now.

The neighbours are pleased, as they didn't enjoy the 'invaders' that were coming to see them!

[mobilekat]

Bit of an update on 'battle bamboo'

It's mostly gone!

Few odd bits popped their heads up in the autumn, and about 1/2 a trugs worth has crept up over the early spring. But I think the battle is mostly won

Main but we see are from places we couldn't get the root out.
So think we will just keep grabbing any bit we see!

Garden looks much better without it, and looking forwards to getting a few shrubs in this year!

[LotuSeed]

I just came in from trying to tackle the bamboo forest in my yard. Most are well over twenty feet high and some as wide as 2 inches in diameter. I could just kick the neighbor who planted the stuff all those years ago! I have dug a few of the smaller rhizomes that were threatening my garden area, but most of them are hard, stuck in heavy clay and no less than an inch thick. That stuff is a nightmare. I think the only way we could get rid of it would be to bring in a back hoe.  To say I'm grumbling at the moment wouldn't be a gross understatement.
Glad you were able to tackle yours. I bet that is such a relief!

[Kristen]

I have lots of Bamboo in my garden ... all of the Clumping type which doesn't run about all over the place.  Shame that running Bamboo is sold without a health warning though ... root-barrier is available to put around running Bamboo when planted for anyone who particularly likes a variety with a bad habit.

[Goosegirl]

If there arre any remaining bits coming up, perhaps instead of spraying the leaves you could cut the tops off and "inject" glyphosate down the stem.