Knowledgebase

Bamboo eradication #930735

Asked May 05, 2026, 5:10 PM EDT

Hi All, Years ago a neighbor planted bamboo in my yard without my knowledge/ agreement and now I have rhizomes getting closer and closer to my house. I would like to hire someone for eradication. Please tell me what questions I should ask a landscaping company to remove this invasive plant properly so it doesn't come back and so that I don't get price gauged and/or ripped off.

Baltimore County Maryland

Expert Response

We can't speak to standard pricing since we don't keep track of what landscapers charge for their services. Bamboo removal for taking out established patches of the plant is tough work that will require digging through lots of soil to remove rhizomes. It disrupts and/or compacts lots of soil due to the machinery involved (if any of it is hand-dug, that will be even more arduous and will likely raise the cost significantly). The only options are manual removal via digging out all rhizomes (with possible revisits in a year or so to dig out any missed pieces that resprout) or treating the plant with systemic herbicide like glyphosate. A combination approach -- removing as much as possible, then treating what regrows -- is also feasible. You can find more detail on our Containing and Removing Bamboo web page.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 06, 2026, 9:50 AM EDT

Good morning Miri,

 


Thanks so much for the quick response. What questions should I ask companies so that I know that they are competent ?

Ideas I have:

What do you understand about bamboo?

What equipment will you use to remove bamboo?

What is difficult about removing bamboo so that it does not return?

What herbicide will you use?

Will your cost include return next spring?

 


Any other questions you can think of?

Do you have a ballpark estimate of cost  for the patch I showed you?

 


I am trying to garner as much knowledge as possible  before I take this project on.

 


Thanks and take care,

 


Sheila

 

The Question Asker Replied May 06, 2026, 10:20 AM EDT
Those are good questions to ask, but unfortunately no, we can't guess as to what it might cost to remove a large patch of bamboo. If you use social media, you can ask in a local or state-based gardening group if anyone has had this done recently. We do get regular questions about bamboo control, but have not heard what people are paying for removal.

Miri
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 06, 2026, 10:29 AM EDT

Thanks Miri, appreciate you assistance

 Sheila 

The Question Asker Replied May 06, 2026, 10:40 AM EDT
You're welcome.
Answered by the Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC), University of Maryland Extension. For timely gardening information and tips, subscribe to our Maryland Grows blog and quarterly newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Replied May 06, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT

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