How Bamboo Can Destroy Your Garden
At first glance, bamboo seems like a lovely plant to include in your garden. The tall, reedy plant has been used for floors and furniture and even for building homes in some areas for generations. So, why is it such a bad idea to add it to your property?
It Doesn’t Stay in Your Garden
The biggest issue that you will find with bamboo is that it is very difficult to contain. You’ll have it growing rapidly beyond where you intended to plant it unless you take care to keep it in line. Bamboo doesn’t mind where your fence is and it will happily propagate onto the neighbour’s land. This is a very good way to make enemies of your neighbours.
You May Need Weed Killers to Eliminate Bamboo
Even if you’ve been trying to keep an organic garden, you may be reduced to using chemicals on the bamboo in order to get rid of it. It can take many years to remove the bamboo stalks. They grow rhizomes which will continue to sprout and grow and spread as long as there is a small piece remaining in the ground. It’s almost impossible to get the entire root mass and the rhizomes out.
Bamboo Can Destroy Your Other Plants
One of the big issues with bamboo is that it grows so rapidly it can crowd out native plants. This makes it an invasive plant, as it will take over the garden and, if left untended, will eventually destroy the remaining plants in your garden and eliminate the biodiversity. This can be very bad since it will prevent you from planting anything else. If it grows beyond the boundaries of your garden, you can end up contaminating the land around your home, as well as reducing the option of other plants growing.
How to Prevent Bamboo from Spreading
Ideally, you’ll only grow bamboo in planter pots, but if you do grow it in the garden, you should plan to have a fibreglass barrier that reaches at least a metre below the surface and several inches above the ground. This must completely enclose the bamboo area and even then, it’s possible for this invasive plant to escape sometimes.
If you want to get rid of bamboo, plan for a long, difficult fight. It can take years to win this and you’ll need to keep pushing through even when you’re tired of dealing with the plant. Perhaps the best option is to hire a company like Gaia Environmental to come and fight the bamboo for you. With their expertise, the project can be done much faster and more efficiently.
Contact us
We are here to help so to arrange a free survey and a no-obligation quote, call Gaia Environmental today on 01634 924315 or email us at
info@gaiauk.com
