Bamboo Is Hot...but Requires Knowledge to Control in Tiny Spots

My mother introduced bamboo into our backyard about 50 years ago...it was exotic and I had endless fun creating fishing poles and lattices and other crafts.  However, it took over the backyard flower garden!

With today's interest in sustainable materials and plants, bamboo has risen in popularity, both as a building material and as landscaping material.  This "grass" is definitely a plant on "steroids!"

Controlling Bamboo tips are available on the website of  ...

American Bamboo Society

Controlling Bamboo:  While we really are in favor of planting bamboos, rather than eliminating them, we do need to tell people how to get rid of a bamboo when somebody has planted the wrong variety, or the right variety in the wrong place. One of the most common letters we receive starts out “My neighbor planted a bamboo, and now it is coming up all over my yard. I have sprayed it with (product name deleted) and it doesn’t work. What can I do?"

The first thing to remember is that there are many different species of bamboo. In general, however, one can divide bamboos into “Runners” and “Clumpers”. The Clumpers don’t invade. To remove a clumper, just dig it out (and transplant it.) Runners can be well-behaved in cold climates, but some kinds when in a warm climate, and given plenty of water, can become a serious problem. Don’t plant a runner in a small yard in a warm climate, unless you put a barrier* around it.

THIS Landscaping Society provides a wide variety of information about growing and controlling bamboo, as well as source lists and frequently asked questions and events.

American Bamboo Society
www.americanbamboo.org