Bamboo

[winchman]

My son is looking at a house that has a large patch 20ft diameter of Bamboo in the middle of a lawn, its about 12-15ft height from memory.

So how do we remove it?

And a small patch of Nettles

[difflock]

Hmmm?

Sounds like it is isolated, so start with a Silky saw or HD secauters, cut off at ground level, burn arisings or otherwise dispose of, and spray any regrowth with glyphosphate.

Or post ground level  cutting, gorr out the roots wi a digger, wait, and spray any volunteer regrowth wi glyphosphate.

Rinse and repeat as necc.

From an uninformed bloke that, a few years ago, helped a daughter eradicate bamboo that had spread beneath a boundary wall and invaded the neighbours garden.

It has never come back, nor have we heard owt from the neighbours since.

[AHPP]

Roots are shallow and mat together. I've pulled a small strip of it out by hand. Cut into strips/squares and peel those up if you lack power. Digger obviously preferable.

Edited June 18 by AHPP

[Steven P]

Nettles add nitrates to deficient soils (if I remember right) and are handy if he can leave them in place - call it a herb patch since you can also eat them (a bit like spinach). 

 

For the bamboo I'd chop it all back, dig out as many roots as you can and then make sure you mow the patch regularly - check for any regrowth and remove as soon as you can. Mowing the area regularly from early spring can cut back any regrowth - each time you do it looses some energy reserves for new growth and eventually dies away - though it might take longer than with weed killer / poison the lawn will be better for any kids to play on without that. For the nettles, the same, just keep mowing the area

[openspaceman]

37 minutes ago, Steven P said:

Nettles add nitrates to deficient soils (if I remember right) and are handy if he can leave them in place - call it a herb patch since you can also eat them (a bit like spinach). 

Nettes indicate decent fertility as well as nitrogen. It's legumes that can grow in nitrogen deficient soils  as the bacteria in their root nodules turn atmospheric nitrogen into a form the plant can use

[Steven P]

Had to google that, yes living nettles like good soil - but are great to add nitrogen to the soil if used as a compost.

 

Am getting confused with my age, just know that if I let them grow in the wood then mow them back once or twice a year they are good to improve the soil but was forgetting why

[Tree monkey 1682]

4 hours ago, winchman said:

My son is looking at a house that has a large patch 20ft diameter of Bamboo in the middle of a lawn, its about 12-15ft height from memory.

So how do we remove it?

And a small patch of Nettles

Be lucky if he can get a mortgage on it ...due to the bamboo,u might be lucky it's a clumping varient .

FYI if you do get a contractor in be aware contractors insurance doesn't cover removal ...I know my insurance doesn't cover me removing it any more .

But it is a bugger to remove ..you'd be better walking away

[spudulike]

The OP doesn't say how far from the house it is! Cut the top off, dig out the roots as far as possible and glyphosate the new growth. That will do it if it is repeated until completely gone. 

[Mesterh]

36 minutes ago, Tree monkey 1682 said:

Be lucky if he can get a mortgage on it .

Really, I didnt think that it was that bad.

IMO you cut it down, dig out the roots and just spray any regrowth, My parents had loads of it in their garden, sorted it after a couple of years.

 

 

[Tree monkey 1682]

12 minutes ago, Mesterh said:

Really, I didnt think that it was that bad.

IMO you cut it down, dig out the roots and just spray any regrowth, My parents had loads of it in their garden, sorted it after a couple of years.

 

 

There getting funny on it now as it's now classed  on par with Japanese knot weed ,himalayan balsam  ,giant hogweed .but I know on my policy ,I can't do or remove anything to do with the plant...  l but bamboo is reclassified ... it travels far,can come up through concrete .. because  of its rhizomes ...  and it's an absolute bastard to deal with .

[Stere]

Why not just cut down then mow over it as part of the lawn with no digging spraying if its in the middle of a lawn?

 

 

Or does that not work on bamboo? My thinking it  would eventually die after a few yrs etc but ive never tried it.

 

As bamboo is a grass maybe mowing is not effective as all grass species have basal growth from  Intercalary Meristem?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From my experience of mowing  a nettles patch  repeatedly  it does   kill them 100%  with no hassle all - thought the dormant seedbank may last in soil for  a few yrs...longer.