Bamboo removal

[Macpherson]

12 hours ago, Dan Maynard said:

That's what I said, second idea.

 

Other thing is to cut it and glyphosate sprouts, repeatedly, until you win. I've never done this, usually use the third idea myself.

 

The third idea /  option wasn't any good for me.. as I'm the gardener and also the prick that planted the feckin stuff in the first place😁

To be fair it protected my caravan at that time very well from vicious winter easterly blasts, but after very slowly growing / spreading for around 8 years it just took off putting out suckers as far as10+ feet away, at which point I knew it had to go.

 

So, for anyone trying  to achieve the same result as quoted by Dan  I'll just say that is exactly how I got rid of it and it did take a few years.

The root ball of even a small clump of bamboo can be extremely dense so a small digger is probably the way to go and just to rip out the core of the plant and then spray any suckers when they appear as described.

 

So I suppose to the OP I'd say dig as much of the root system as possible using a machine, rip out as many suckers as possible and then spray anything that comes up, but it would need a regular follow up to expect success as the stuff is ********* hard to kill. good luck

 

 

[doobin]

Where is the job and what’s the access like? 

[Bloom]

2 hours ago, doobin said:

Where is the job and what’s the access like? 

Job is in NI. Access is good, large digger could get in. The customer has recently moved in and the previous owners were obviously keen gardeners as the place is immaculate. Sounds like a headache to tackle successfully. Thanks for the replies.

[doobin]

11 minutes ago, Bloom said:

Job is in NI. Access is good, large digger could get in. The customer has recently moved in and the previous owners were obviously keen gardeners as the place is immaculate. Sounds like a headache to tackle successfully. Thanks for the replies.

You want a digger with a rotating grab, or at least one that opens in a vertical plane. Grab the bamboo tight, apply slight lift and use chainsaw to cut the bundle. Stick it on a fire.

 

Then get in with the ripper tooth, get the root matt into pieces and use the grab to remove.

[Stere]

If you cut whole area down  the just constantly mowed low the whole area like a lawn would that not work?

 

Its a method that works well on other things that sucker. Not  sure about bamboo though as its  giant  grass monocots V the others being dicots?

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Stere

[daveatdave]

4 hours ago, Stere said:

If you cut whole area down  the just constantly mowed low the whole area like a lawn would that not work?

 

Its a method that works well on other things that sucker. Not  sure about bamboo though as its  giant  grass monocots V the others being dicots?

 

 

in a word no i don't think i would be happy running my mower over it plus it will keep growing 

[daveatdave]

bit like doobin says but you could cut it down by hand clear it away then use a digger to scrape the root mat out that is unless you like digging then use a mattock, fork and spade as the roots are not that deep 

[spudulike]

How about a direct hit by a B52 loaded with agent orange....worked in Vietnam!

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, spudulike said:

How about a direct hit by a B52 loaded with agent orange....worked in Vietnam!

Don't think it was delivered by bombers, grunts used to get covered in the stuff. It was nasty stuff, a poorly refined formulation of 245t, which kills broadleaves, not grasses.

[nepia]

Swap out the Orange for HE then.

 

B52; top idea Steve.  It's the way forward    😂