Bamboo, a fast-growing member of the grass family, is often prized for its rapid screening capabilities and unique visual appeal. This plant’s vigor, however, is a double-edged sword, making its removal a complex and demanding undertaking. The difficulty of eradication hinges on whether you are dealing with “clumping” or “running” varieties, which differ significantly in their underground growth pattern. Running bamboos utilize aggressive, horizontal underground stems called rhizomes to spread widely and rapidly, demanding a far more intensive management strategy for complete removal.
Essential Tools and Safety Preparation
Successful bamboo removal begins with gathering the right equipment to manage both the dense above-ground culms and the tough subterranean network. For severing the woody culms, you will need heavy-duty loppers for smaller stalks and a robust handsaw or reciprocating saw with a pruning blade for thicker canes. Hedge trimmers can be useful for quickly reducing a large volume of foliage and smaller growth.
Addressing the underground rhizome mass requires specialized digging tools. A sharp shovel is necessary for general excavation, but a pickaxe or a mattock will be essential for breaking apart dense soil and severing thick rhizomes. Safety is important throughout the process, necessitating thick work gloves and eye protection against flying debris. Long sleeves and pants are also recommended to shield skin from the abrasive bamboo stalks.
Method for Severing Bamboo Culms
The initial step in bamboo eradication involves removing all above-ground biomass, which is the plant’s energy-producing foliage. Using your heavy-duty cutting tools, systematically sever every cane, or culm, as close to the soil line as possible. The goal is to clear the area, making the underground root system accessible for the next phase of treatment.
For a small patch, loppers or a handsaw will suffice, but a large grove may require a reciprocating saw. Leave a small stump, about two to three inches high, on each culm. These low stumps serve as convenient ports for later chemical application or act as markers for the root crown’s location. Clearing the entire area of canes prevents the plant from photosynthesizing, forcing the remaining root system to draw on its stored energy reserves.
Eliminating the Rhizome Network
The true challenge in stopping bamboo lies in destroying the underground rhizome network, which stores the plant’s energy and drives regrowth. This non-negotiable step for permanent removal can be accomplished through physical extraction or targeted chemical treatment. Complete physical removal involves intense labor to dig out the entire rhizome mass, which typically grows in the top 12 to 20 inches of soil.
Use a pickaxe, mattock, and shovel to chop out and lift the dense mats of rhizomes. Take care to sift the soil and remove every small fragment, as even a small piece left behind can sprout a new plant. This method is highly effective and avoids chemical use, but is only feasible for smaller groves due to the sheer physical effort required.
For large or deeply established groves, applying a systemic herbicide directly to the freshly cut stumps is often more practical. Systemic chemicals, such as those containing glyphosate, are absorbed and transported down into the root system for a complete kill. The herbicide must be applied immediately—within five minutes of cutting—to the exposed vascular tissue before the plant seals the wound. This concentrates the chemical, maximizing the chance that the rhizomes will absorb a lethal dose. Multiple follow-up treatments are often necessary as the plant attempts to push new shoots from surviving root sections.
Preventing Future Spread and Regrowth
Even after initial removal, long-term vigilance is necessary to ensure the bamboo does not re-establish itself. The most reliable defense against re-infestation, particularly from running bamboo, is installing a physical rhizome barrier. This vertical underground wall, usually made from thick, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic, must be installed 24 to 30 inches deep. Leave about two inches protruding above the soil line; this forces rhizomes attempting to grow over the top to become visible for easy monitoring and manual clipping. Immediate removal of any new growth starves the remaining root fragments and exhausts the plant’s stored energy reserves.