OT: Anyone know how to kill bamboo?

[SnowFoxx]

I just went to look at my new house and put a deposit down. We'll be moving in July 1st. I love the house, but...the backyard is *full* of young shoots of bamboo. I know a little about this plant, and I'm sure by the time I mive in this July, the plants will be six feet tall and thick, all over my yard. From what I've heard, the only way to get rid of it for sure is to dig up every lasy shoot, dig deep and pull out the entire root. There are two problems with me doing this. First, it's a rental property. I don't know if the rental company would want me digging up my backyard. Second, there is a shoot every few inches, so I would have to dig up my *entire* back yard to get them all out. I want a yard I can use, and grass takes years to fully return if you dig it all out. I don't want to be living in a mud hole for years.

Anyone have experience with this? I'm searching online, but I could use all the advice I can get. Thanks all!

- Victoria :w

[Lisa]

we used round up for controling the vegitation when i lived out west, works pretty good.

[casacrow]

It is extremely hard to get rid of. I had an area at my old work that they wanted me to take care of. If you cut it down it just grows right back. I had to dig the whole area right out. It took about a week. Keep some of it though. It is great for our climbing snakes!. P.M. me for more details.

[Zoe]

Get a panda bear! ;)

Zoe

[DragnDrop]

About the only way to do it without digging is "Roundup", as Lisa said. It's not a poison, it just keeps the plant from making it's own food, thereby starving it to death. I'd suggest cutting down any growth, then spraying the regrowth with the Roundup. It'll work.

[SnowFoxx]

The only problem is, there are shoots all through my yard, so roundup or digging would kill all my grass. I really don't want a mudhole for a yard. *sigh* I'll try digging first, I guess.

- Victoria :w

[DragnDrop]

Roundup is applied to the plant, not the soil. There's no soil activity, no residual soil toxicity. It's only 'active' when on a plant. You just get the sprayer and apply it to the leaves, and as long as you're careful not to spray the grass (or wipe/wash it off), the lawn won't be affected. It dries fast. It's a lot easier than digging. If you do end up killing the grass, it's still easy to reseed, but at least you didn't break your back digging.

[Lisa]

Trust me, round up is way easier then digging. just a little squirt here and there and bang you have a dried out stick.

[BWSmith]

Best way I have found to kill plants is to try to keep them ALIVE! Any time I do that, they always die ;)

[Linds]

You can put sod strips down instead of having to plant your grass from scratch... instant lawn all you have to do is wait for it to root itself ;)

Originally posted by BWSmith
Best way I have found to kill plants is to try to keep them ALIVE! Any time I do that, they always die ;)

LOL same here! Only thing I can't kill is my purple furry plant... thing grows like crazy! I even kill airplants and they don't even need soil... I don't even have any excuse having four years of horticulture under my belt... :rolleyes:

[BWSmith]

we have an Iron Plant int he yard that i have tried to kill. I used 5x concentration Roudup, Sulfuric Acid, Muratic Acid, Gasoline and just good old pulling it out of the ground. it survived it all. So if any plant ever seserved to live, that one does. i am just going to replant it.

[Lisa]

The thing with round up is if you make the concentration too strong it doesn't get the root and the plant grows back.