Hi, Victoria,

As you have found, bamboo is a vigorous spreader. You can read the HGIC article Containing and Removing Bamboo by clicking on the link.

You will find that new cane growth primarily occurs during one period in spring, in a roughly 6-12 week window between March and May. During this time, you can "boot prune" the new shoots by knocking them over with a foot or shovel or cutting them off. This approach does not prevent rhizome spread but will at least remove above-ground sprouts invading your yard and may help slow it down. This would be an annual task.

You can also dig a trench along the side the colony that enters your yard. By leaving the trench exposed, you can see where rhizomes are emerging and can cut them back as they appear. This works well if there are no rhizomes already established in your soil. When digging the trench, an ax or mattock will be needed to cut through rhizomes.

A more permanent but laborious solution is to put in a rhizome barrier. The purpose of a rhizome barrier is to direct rhizome growth up and out of the soil where it can be seen and cut. Ideally, the entire colony is encircled with one or more forms of a barrier. This process is described in the article.

Herbicides should be the method of last resort and require non-selective, systemic products that are absorbed by plant tissues and transported down into the roots. (Glyphosate is one example of a systemic active ingredient.) Be careful with applications, as non-selective herbicides will damage desirable plants if spray drifts or drips onto them. This process is also described in the article.

We hope that one of these methods will be helpful.

Barbara