Knowledgebase

Bamboo Removal #748522

Asked May 07, 2021, 8:11 AM EDT

Hello. I have bamboo growing in my backyard. It was there when I bought this house 2 years ago and it’s invading my yard. I can’t afford to have it removed professionally. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get this removed?

Baltimore City County Maryland

Expert Response

We feel your pain. Bamboo is an awfully invasive plant that will keep grabbing up land unless it is stopped. 

If you want to try to do the work on your own, cut all the stalks to the ground soon and allow the new growth to emerge and develop leaves during the summer. In October, spray the mature foliage with a non-selective herbicide containing glyphosate. (There are some glyphosate products labeled for bamboo.) Repeat the application in 14 days. Follow all label directions and be careful to protect non-target plants from any overspray.This may need to be repeated for several seasons. Bamboo is semi-evergreen and has a waxy coating on the stems and leaves, so a surfactant product (helps the herbicide stick to the leaves) is advisable. If any bamboo is left alive, it will return. The plant material should be disposed of in your municipal trash/landfill (not yard waste).

Here is our page on bamboo that offers some means of control via barriers and herbicides: 

https://extension.umd.edu/resource/bamboo

Should you change your mind about getting estimates and hiring someone, here are some guidelines to consider.

"Contact landscaping companies that advertise that they do bamboo removal and ask them to describe their process. Only consider those companies that clearly describe using equipment to lift out and remove all the rhizomes (underground stems) from the soil (after top growth is removed). These companies are using equipment that can dig up and sift through soil to lift out rhizomes. This 3-step method (remove top growth, dig up and remove as many rhizome pieces as possible, and remove or spray re-growth) is the quickest path to being able to greatly limit re-growth and prepare the area for new planting."



Christine

Hi Christine,

Great! Thank you for this information. I appreciate it so much!

Thank you, 
Tamie 


Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

On Friday, May 7, 2021, 1:17 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:

The Question Asker Replied May 07, 2021, 1:24 PM EDT

Loading ...