Killing Bamboo
Although bamboo plants can be quite attractive, they are quickly able to take over an entire landscape and even spread into the yard of a neighbor. Not only does it spread everywhere, it also sucks up the nutrients in the soil as well as water which can negatively impact the other shrubs in the area. Because of this, homeowners are constantly looking for ways to kill the bamboo in their yard. The following are a series of tips on how to accomplish just this:
Finding natural means of eliminating bamboo can effectively rid your yard of this pest as well as prevent damage to the surrounding plant and animal life.
Digging
Digging under and around the plants is one method of killing bamboo and eliminating it from the yard. Digging is most effective when the bamboo is not too prolific. The following steps can be used in order to remove the bamboo by this means:
1. Water the soil thoroughly so that the soil is completely moist. This will make the process of digging and removing the roots much easier.
2. Take a shovel and dig up and manually remove all of the roots. Remove as much as you possibly can of the root system.
3. The bamboo will likely continue to grow back for a while. Continue removing the roots until the root system is too weak to support any more bamboo growth.
Mowing
1. Cut the shoots with a saw until they are quite close to the ground.
2. Utilize a lawn mower to thoroughly mow the area. Make sure that you use the lowest setting so that it is mowed as close as possible to the ground.
3. Water the area thoroughly so that the plant will grow anew.
4. Continue to do this with each of the growths until the bamboo ceases to grow.
Vinegar
Vinegar is commonly used in the control and removal of weeds. This natural herbicide is also effective in the killing of bamboo.
1. Moisten the soil and remove as much of the roots as possible.
2. Make a solution of white vinegar and water, approximately 1 part vinegar to 5 parts water.
3. Pour the vinegar solution into a sprayer.
4. Spray the solution onto the area that was dug up and had roots removed. Make sure that the soil is completely moistened with the solution.
5. Place old newspapers on the patch of earth that was soaked in vinegar. Put some weights such as bricks or rocks on the papers so that they do not move from the appropriate place. This will prevent any bamboo plants from regrowing.
The vinegar will serve to attack those roots that you could not remove. However, if the plant does grow back, you can repeat the method until the roots are all dead. If you do not wish to use vinegar, you can use boiling water in order to kill the bamboo plant roots.
Regardless of the method that you use, killing bamboo can take quite awhile. Therefore, you should make sure that you approach the procedure with patience and perseverance.
