How do you get rid of bamboo?

Mma22968944
by Mma22968944
bamboo came up in a small section of my side yard several years ago. i cut it down as soon as I see it. Now it is coming up in my front yard. I know it can travel long distances under grown. Nothing I do kills it.

  5 answers
  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Mar 15, 2018

    Try cutting it off somewhat close to the ground, paint a strong weed killer on the fresh cut. This will make the killer get to the roots quicker and more get to the roots. Bamboo is very tenacious, so it may take a few times, just cut another slice off and paint the cut end again. This also keeps the weed killer only in the bamboo shoots and not the lawn or other plants you don't want to kill. I have done this to wild grape vines that try to take over everything in my area. I had one mother plant that wanted to take over a huge lilac shrub, the base of it was about four inches across, it took me months to stop getting new shoots, but it has been almost three years now and not a single shoot has come out.

    • Mma22968944 Mma22968944 on Mar 16, 2018

      Hi Nancy, thanks for the answer but I do this already. I cut each shoot close to the ground and pour Round-Up into the center hole of the shoot and around it. It seems to thrive on it. my yard is a little over a third acre and it has invaded almost half of it and still spreading. There is two much to dig it out. I am at a loss as what to do.

  • Suzzann Suzzann on Mar 16, 2018

    Only way is to dig up the roots!

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Mar 17, 2018

    Hi Mmartin, you have to be persistent and keep doing it so that the Roundup can get to the roots and finally kill them. It is very tough, It took me almost a full year to kill the huge grape vine that was one of the mother plants invading our lilac. I am having just as much trouble with some smaller grape vines in the back because the neighbor does nothing in her yard to stop the grapes or any other weeds. I just keep after them. The wild grapes we have, have a mother plant, and all the off shoots form there own thick root system off the really long thick roots from the mother plant. You literally have to pull them up and they break off easy, It is hard to kill the mother plant because of the huge long root systems. If the bamboo spreads that way, try to find the roots underground that lead into your yard and nick them with a blade and put the roundup on the cuts you make. If you can do that to the roots along the way, who knows, it may help kill it off. Check at your local home improvement store and see if they have something stronger than round up, or if they have any suggestions.