Habitat
Creeping Bamboo is an Asian
ornamental species which can become a source of neighbour disputes when it
spreads to adjacent properties.
Creeping Bamboo is used sometimes to
define boundaries when in fact it is a plant that knows no boundaries in its
growth habit. It is often chosen for its rapid vertical growth above ground by
people blissfully unaware of its rampant horizontal growth below ground. It is
undeterred by fences, brick walls, bitumen or concrete paving. It doesn’t stop
for iron and fibro sheeting either
Description
Creeping Bamboo sends out tough
horizontal rhizomes or “runners” that in warm weather rapidly send out vertical
shoots and begin to clump. Once established the stems and rhizomes of the
Creeping Bamboo occupy the total surface area of the ground. The bamboo produces
a thick leaf mulch that allows nothing else to grow and often hides the creeping
rhizomes spreading out just under the surface of the ground.
Control & Removal Methods
The most effective
way to remove Creeping Bamboo is to cut the shoots down low and then use a
crowbar or mattock to dig out or lever up the rhizomes and roots. Alternatively
cut the stems low and paint any new shoots when they are about 1 metre high with
glyphosate herbicide - this may require a number of treatments over a period of
time. The shoots and rhizomes can then be bundled up and put out for the green
waste collection.
Do yourself a favour, maintain good relations with
your neighbours and avoid a headache by using an alternative hedge plant or
privacy screen. If you really must grow bamboo then get advice from a nursery
about the less invasive species, keep it at least 3 metres away from any
boundary and use an effective root barrier.
