Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?!

   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #11  
We bought a house in NY years ago where somebody had planted that stuff. My wife spent countless hours and $$$ digging and spraying with every conceivable concoction her garden store had to offer...she finally met somebody that had the solution...MOVE. We did. They are of the "runner" variety that sends out shallow shoots and will re-grow itself. Short of clawing the entire patch I think you are stuck with it. And word to the wise, if you do claw the entire patch, do not leave the cuttings lay around. They will root.
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #12  
Unfortunately the stands of Japanese Knotweed are so large and widespread in my area, there is no practical method that will effectively eradicate that obnoxious invasive weed. :mad:

Unfortunately, it sounds like it is very widespread and just as bad in other states.

By the way, GirlWhoWantsTractor, very informative information on your link to Japanese Knotweed. Makes good reading on the subject for everyone.

Japanese Knotweed Plants: An Eradication Strategy
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #13  
Here's a good article on how to kill false bamboo:

Japanese Knotweed Plants: An Eradication Strategy

We have had marginally good success fighting knotweed with the methods described in this article. We manually cut the stocks continuously through the season and let them lay. We found that any transportation spreads it. Then continuously spray the area and pile with whatever we have, Brine, diesel, etc. To minimize glyphosate usage, we only spray roundup on the cut stalks at the harvest moon (or something like that. My dad gets his dates from the Farmers Almanac...). Optional, burn the area for good measure. Cover with EPDM and mulch. Its expensive and time consuming.

You could also do this:
Japanese Knotweed Pickles Recipe
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #14  
I had it (bamboo) come up in my yard at another house. I think the neighbor planted it.
Before I knew it. It had taken over.
Depending on the type. What you see growing out of the ground may be nothing to what's under the ground.

The stuff that was growing at my place had a massive root system that branched out over and over again.
I rented a mini ex and dug up my entire yard to get rid of it.

So unless you have access to some agent orange, you may as well start excavating the area.
Oh, If you leave one root under ground, It will sprout back up and take off from that one root.
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #15  
I had it (bamboo) come up in my yard at another house. I think the neighbor planted it.
Before I knew it. It had taken over.
Depending on the type. What you see growing out of the ground may be nothing to what's under the ground.

The stuff that was growing at my place had a massive root system that branched out over and over again.
I rented a mini ex and dug up my entire yard to get rid of it.

So unless you have access to some agent orange, you may as well start excavating the area.
Oh, If you leave one root under ground, It will sprout back up and take off from that one root.
I've heard of people pouring a concrete slab on the patch, only to have it peek out from the edges and start growing a few years later.
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #16  
Ok, so its knotweed. Never heard it called by any bamboo terms around here.

I pull it out of my lilac bush several times a year. Seems to keep it under control, but can't get rid of it.
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #17  
I've heard of people pouring a concrete slab on the patch, only to have it peek out from the edges and start growing a few years later.

I had a wall built with large retaining wall block. The stuff was coming up between those block. I had to remove part of that wall to get to the root

The last picture of the root system is the stuff I had.

Really bad stuff !

Bamboo Botanicals - Bamboo Anatomy and Growth Habits
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?! #18  
As a former landscape designer/contractor I've had some experience with invasive plants. For example, we have a devilish plant called quack grass that is now causing big problems for agriculture. Of course just like the knotweed/false bamboo, some genius brought it to this country because he fancied it would make good forage for cattle. Same with starlings, BTW; some European transplant decided he "missed" their "song."

Anyhow, quack grass looks pretty much like normal turf grasses, but like knotweed, it sprouts from a network of underground rhizomes (like a root, but unlike a normal root, which must remain attached to the main plant in order to live; these things have a life of their own, shoot out in all directions, and sprout new plants). The rhizomes will dive under sidewalks, even across an entire roadway, and then pop up with fresh new leaves. You can eradicate everything, every plant showing, and dig up all the rhizomes you can find, but if you leave even one teensy fragment of the rhizome, a new plant springs up and the spreading starts again.

I agree with the article posted, that a multi-strategy approach is best, and you should prepare for a fight lasting several years.


Adding a couple of things.

I'd be tempted to make that location my burn pile.

Sometimes the best thing is to change the growing conditions. Change the moisture, sun exposure, fertility, drainage, or pH. For example, one thing that actually kills the quack grass is.....baking soda. Apparently it's intolerant to the salt or the pH change. Another example, dollarweed (a southern weed) likes it wet; reduce your watering. Since knotweed can't tolerate shade, once you get at least a partial handle on it, maybe plant some trees.

Finally, a lot of these invasive species hitchhike to your property in potted plants/trees purchased from nurseries. I've started pulling apart the rootball to remove any weeds (and any rhizomes).

Don't let up. Neglect it for a few months and you have wasted all your prior efforts. I imported another nasty rhizome-spreading weed (red sorrel) in some strawberries, which I kept pulling but spread and spread. Finally I smothered the whole area (half my garden) with some compost, thought I was good, but then when I uncovered it, it popped up again bigger than ever and has now taken over most of my laboriously composted garden. I will have to spread a couple feet of compost over the whole thing, plus extending at least two feet from the edges and leave it for at least one year, maybe two.....and dig another garden. Also, since sorrel likes acid soil, I will lime the heck out of it first.

Good luck, and BE CAREFUL WITH STORE-BOUGHT PLANTS.
 
   / Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?!
  • Thread Starter
#19  
Ok, so its knotweed. Never heard it called by any bamboo terms around here.

I pull it out of my lilac bush several times a year. Seems to keep it under control, but can't get rid of it.

Alright, so it's not weed! But it is knotweed, what I like to call Faux Bambooooo!
Whatever one calls it, it's damm near impossible to kill. Anyone got so spare agent orange lying around? I've got to get rid of it!
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2010 Ford Edge SE SUV (A51694)
2010 Ford Edge SE...
Takeuchi Skid Steer (A49461)
Takeuchi Skid...
Caterpillar 308E2 CR Mini Excavator (A52377)
Caterpillar 308E2...
TIRE TOOLS, BUNGIE CORDS, BALL HITCH (A53843)
TIRE TOOLS, BUNGIE...
2023 FORD F750 CAB & CHASSIS (A53426)
2023 FORD F750 CAB...
Red Iron Oxide in Trace Mineral Supplements for Cattle
Red Iron Oxide in...
 
Top