Anyone Mulched Bamboo

[fishfactor]

Has anyone tried mulching bamboo/reed/cane. Pricing a job tomorrow. Shouldn't be a problem, but I've never tried. You would think it would be easy, but it may also splinter into big pieces and not leave a good finished look.

Any experience out there?

 

[beenthere]

I have not, but would sure find out before I priced a job doing it.

What do you mean by "mulching" ? What machine do you have to do that?

 

[fishfactor]

T320 with a fecon head. It's all small stuff (0-2"). I may just put a clause in that I can walk away after 30 minutes if I don't get any feedback from here.

 

[brin]

I don't own a mulcher but I had about 12 acres of my farm mulched and watched the process...I am also familar with Bamboo...After seeing what a mulcher did with scrub pine, privet and assorted small trees I would be worried as you are about bamboo splintering..I don't think it will chip or shread like regular wood...So if I were you I would price the job by the hour with a set up charge and an escape clause like you mentioned. I would let the land owner know the escape clause was to protect him as well since he may not like the outcome...but you have to have a set up charge to cover just that..Good luck with it ..

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

I have mulched some but was not 2", it was 6" and 25' tall. Now I was using our head but was no different than any other tree. So you can expect the same finished product as you get now. I will give you one though, cut it as high as you can and lower the head on the trunk, it is splintery so this will help.

 

[AX MAN]

I have mulched bamboo. You should not have any prroblem.

 

[cann mulching]

Yep I've been in some like Robbie said & it turned out pretty good. Not as hard as you think once you start cutting it.

 

[Transit]

Run a test simple before you drag your equipment to the site.

 

[fishfactor]

Thanks guys.... I'll proceed as normal. It's only about half an acre, so shouldn't be bad at all.

 

[Redbug]

If you can take a few pics...post them for us! I would like to see!

I have dug bamboo and it has big tubers and rhizomes. Does the landowner want the tubers mulched, too? About a foot below ground would probably get most. Seems like a lost cause otherwise, since the bamboo with re-sprout within the week. Just something to ask the landowner and adjust your quote otherwise.

Thinking about it some more...I guess the landowner could also spray repeat treatments of roundup. Only multiple treatments will get rid of it. Bamboo is worse than the inlaws from **** coming to stay permanently.