Invasive bamboo - help!

blackbaccararose

Does anyone have experience with removing invasive running bamboo please? We moved into a maisonette a few months ago, our garden is tucked just behind the garden belonging to our downstairs neighbour. Lots of other little adjoining gardens.

Over the past few weeks, lots of weeds have sprouted through the cracks in our patio. After a warning from a family member who said it looked like bamboo, we've sent photos off to a couple of professional companies and yep - running bamboo.

Am I right in thinking we would expect to spend £3,000 - £5,000ish (!!) to remove this? I've never heard of bamboo being a problem and have no idea where it came from - we can't see right into some of our neighbours' gardens so I am wondering if it may have come from there, or the previous owner may have done a bad job of removing previously planted bamboo?

Any advice you have would be very gratefully received - it's such a huge amount of money (especially if it's gone into neighbours' gardens and could legally be judged as "our fault") that I'm really panicking. Would we have any recourse against the seller? I can't believe it's apparently considered worse than Japanese Knotweed but doesn't have to be declared on a T6 form.

Nobbie1967

Let it grow and spray it with a Glyphosate based weedkiller like Roundup. Go for the highest strength stuff available. At the end of the day it is just grass, but you will need to be persistent. If it’s in adjacent gardens there is little point in having it professionally removed as it will just return from the other gardens.

I assume the quotes are to dig up and remove all the roots as £3-£5k is silly money.

No recourse against the seller unless it was the subject of a dispute with neighbours, or you specifically asked about bamboo as only knotweed is asked about.

twopenny

What is all that cost for?

Indeed do as Nobbie says and spray. Follow the instructions, usually bruise the plant, spray or water on and wait a few days.

You may have to repeat the procedure but that's under a tenner and not thousands.

I'm wondering if the money is for taking up the patio, removing and replacing the patio. Totally not necessary. It's just a plant.

FreeBear

Add a drop or two of washing uo liquid to any weedkiller that you intend to spray - Bamboo leaves are very good at shedding water, so you need something to break the surface tension of any droplets. That said, I've not had any success killing bamboo with any weedkiller. Finally got rid of some clumps last month by digging it out - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6441703/getting-rid-of-bamboo

alanobrien

Just to add, i would agree with Nobbie.     I have eradicated several bamboo plants in the garden using Rosate 360 which is a Glyphosate based weed killer.    It may take few applications but it will get rid of it if you persist.    

fatbelly

Now is a good time to do it - they are growing rapidly

Dustyevsky

I eradicated the low-growing ones (no more than about 40cm) in a friend's garden using a professional product, but I'd imagine  the 'make it up yourself,' non-ready mix glyphosate will be effective too. Might take a couple of goes, and don't expect an instant reaction as systemics take time.

Also, try to find out where it's coming from, though a successful application may reveal that if a neighbour's plant is affected by treatment! Hard luck; it shouldn't transfer to others' gardens.

Incidentally, you can make up glyphosate with wallpaper paste and paint it on, if you don't fancy spraying.

Flugelhorn

Dustyevsky said:

I eradicated the low-growing ones (no more than about 40cm) in a friend's garden using a professional product, but I'd imagine  the 'make it up yourself,' non-ready mix glyphosate will be effective too. Might take a couple of goes, and don't expect an instant reaction as systemics take time.

Also, try to find out where it's coming from, though a successful application may reveal that if a neighbour's plant is affected by treatment! Hard luck; it shouldn't transfer to others' gardens.

Incidentally, you can make up glyphosate with wallpaper paste and paint it on, if you don't fancy spraying.

I like the idea of the wallpaper paste! 

Alfrescodave

I applied neat systemic weedkiller to the leaves using a small paintbrush. Took many applications but worked eventually

Dustyevsky

Flugelhorn said:

Dustyevsky said:

I eradicated the low-growing ones (no more than about 40cm) in a friend's garden using a professional product, but I'd imagine  the 'make it up yourself,' non-ready mix glyphosate will be effective too. Might take a couple of goes, and don't expect an instant reaction as systemics take time.

Also, try to find out where it's coming from, though a successful application may reveal that if a neighbour's plant is affected by treatment! Hard luck; it shouldn't transfer to others' gardens.

Incidentally, you can make up glyphosate with wallpaper paste and paint it on, if you don't fancy spraying.

I like the idea of the wallpaper paste! 

It's a belt & braces adaptation of the additives used with some professional sprays, which help stick the product to the leaves. Some pro products also have adjuvants built-in. Painting removes most of the risk of spray drift.

blackbaccararose

Dustyevsky said:

I eradicated the low-growing ones (no more than about 40cm) in a friend's garden using a professional product, but I'd imagine  the 'make it up yourself,' non-ready mix glyphosate will be effective too. Might take a couple of goes, and don't expect an instant reaction as systemics take time.

Also, try to find out where it's coming from, though a successful application may reveal that if a neighbour's plant is affected by treatment! Hard luck; it shouldn't transfer to others' gardens.

Incidentally, you can make up glyphosate with wallpaper paste and paint it on, if you don't fancy spraying.

Sorry to be slow replying - just to say thank you to everyone for their responses here. I gave it a first couple of bashes with glyphosate which did seem to help stop the spread, at least in my garden. Have resigned myself to keeping at it, will see what pops up next spring.. what a kefuffle. Seems like it's more common than I'd realised in my initial panic, sympathies to anyone else affected!