Kill Bamboo !

Legacy_user

I love bamboo, in fact we have several clumps of it in both gardens, however it can be invasive and that's where the problems lies. Because we are old'ish, we no longer are able to dig to the extent of removing the roots which run just under the surface.

Does anyone know of a weed-killer that might/would kill the roots.We don't intend killing ALL of it, just the surrounding area's.

I know what you're thinking "but it will kill everything else". but one area has nothing else because it is coverered by black liner and gravel, but the roots are finding gaps. We would rake the gravel aside, pull up sheeting and then apply the weedkiller.

Another area, is where the bamboo has pushed a patio slab up, so the killer would be applied liberally at the edge of the patio.

I think we have it "sussed" where it would be applied, all we need to know now is, which of those available would do the trick?.

PS, we don't want to get "a man in" to do it.

Biggles

Just apply glyphosate to the bamboo foliage - not the surrounding areas - and it will eventually work its way down to the roots and kill them off.

Davesnave

Since most weedkillers are systemic and translocated from one part of the plant to another, it seems you are looking for the impossible.

I'll be interested to see what others say, but if you still want to grow bamboo, it might be better to bump this lot off and grow a less invasive kind, because there are varieties that behave much better than others. Alternatively, there's containment.

I_have_spoken

Yep any chemical treatment is quite likely to impact the entire plant.

TonyMMM

I would expect it to take more than one application to completley kill it - expect it to take two or three goes.

and then the clump/roots will need to be dug out.

camelot1001

It took about 3 applications before I got anywhere. I did chop some of it and apply the treatment to the chopped roots. I've moved now so wonder if it has come back.

Alfrescodave

Agree with other posts, it took me 2 years and several applications of weed killer to finally defeat the beast. Don't underestimate your "enemy".

System

I am noting all of what has been posted. Currently with grand children here, some things are "on-hold". The thing is, I love bamboo and find it relaxing wafting about. It's the spread of it that I have to accept and do something about.

madjackslam

I think you'll have to physically isolate the clumps you want to keep. So dig a trench round it, sever the roots and then introduce some kind of barrier. Only when you have done this will you be able to spray with weedkiller whatever is outside this protected zone. The weedkiller should then only kill the "bad" bamboo. This seems like an awful lot of work, and I wonder if the suggestion above of killing your existing bamboo, then replacing it with new, in containers, will turn out to be simpler.

System

It's funny you should say that. About umpteen years ago, I bought a job lot of tall kitchen waste bins with no lids. Whilst they are used for all manner of things, about a dozen of them when drilled, were half filled with soil and bamboo roots planted. So I have a dozen already growing. It might make sense to kill off all the ground planted now. Must think about it.

WorldOfPower

Are you completely SURE, that it's Bamboo? It could be Japanese Knotweed, that's extremely hard to get rid of. It's often mistaken for Bamboo.