Bamboo Removal Secret Harbour

Bamboo Removal That Deals With the Rhizomes

Bamboo planted as a privacy screen has a way of arriving in the neighbour's lawn. Cutting the canes is the easy part. We arrange a local contractor to remove the rhizomes too, so the job stays done.

Job	Bamboo Removal
Where	Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy, Warnbro, Golden Bay, Singleton, Baldivis, Karnup
Quote	Free, on site, in writing
Call	(08) 9515 3848

Job

Bamboo Removal

Where

Secret Harbour, Port Kennedy, Warnbro, Golden Bay, Singleton, Baldivis, Karnup

Quote

Free, on site, in writing

Call

(08) 9515 3848

Why bamboo becomes a problem

Bamboo is a fast, dense screen, which is why it was planted along so many fence lines in the newer estates. Around Secret Harbour, Warnbro and Baldivis, sandy soil and summer reticulation give it everything it needs. A few years after planting, a neat row of canes can turn into a thicket that has spread under the fence, lifted paving and sent shoots into the lawn.

The problem lies underground. Bamboo spreads by rhizomes: horizontal stems that run just below the surface, storing energy and putting up new canes along their length. Cut the canes and the rhizomes simply send up more.

Running and clumping types

Running bamboo sends rhizomes out a long way from the original plant. It is the type that crosses boundaries, comes up through paving and appears in garden beds metres away. It is the harder of the two to remove completely.

Clumping bamboo grows in a tight mass that expands outward slowly. It is easier to contain and remove, though a mature clump is a very heavy, tangled root mass that takes real effort to get out.

If you are unsure which you have, look at how the canes are spread. Canes appearing in a line or scattered well away from the main group usually means a running type.

How bamboo is removed

Canes cut. All canes are cut down close to the ground and removed or chipped. Bamboo canes are tough and can be sharp when cut.
Rhizomes exposed. The area is dug to expose the rhizome network. In sand this is usually done with hand tools or a small excavator, depending on the size of the patch.
Rhizomes lifted. The rhizome mat is lifted out in sections. Pieces running under fences, paving or into the neighbour's yard are followed or cut at the boundary.
Ground cleaned and levelled. Loose pieces are raked out and the area is levelled for whatever comes next.

Grinding is sometimes used on large clumps to break up the root mass, but grinding alone tends to leave fragments that reshoot.

Root barriers

If you want to keep some bamboo, or your neighbour's bamboo is the source, a root barrier can help. This is a strip of tough material installed vertically in the ground to stop rhizomes crossing. It needs to be deep enough and properly joined to work. Ask whether it is worth including in the quote.

Following up

Even a careful removal can leave small rhizome pieces in the ground. Over the next growing season, pull or cut any new shoots as soon as they appear. They are weak at that stage, and removing them consistently stops the remaining pieces from establishing.

Bamboo canes seen from below against a clear sky

Bamboo and the neighbours

Bamboo disputes are common because the plant does not respect fences. If the bamboo is on your neighbour's side, talking to them before any work starts is the best approach. If your bamboo is spreading next door, removing it on both sides at once is usually more effective and avoids disputes.

Getting a price

Bamboo removal is priced on the size of the area, the type of bamboo, how deep and wide the rhizomes run, access for machinery and disposal of the material. See the cost guide for how prices are put together. For a written quote, call (08) 9515 3848 or send the form with a photo of the patch and the access.

What the bamboo removal quote should cover

The area of bamboo being removed and whether it crosses a boundary

Whether rhizomes are dug out, ground, or both

Depth and spread of the excavation

Disposal of canes and rhizome material

Whether a root barrier is recommended for any bamboo you keep

Reinstatement of the ground afterwards

Before you book: the usual questions

Can I just cut bamboo down to the ground?

Cutting the canes will not kill bamboo. The rhizomes underground store energy and send up new shoots. To get rid of it you need to remove the rhizome mat or keep cutting regrowth until the plant is exhausted, which can take a long time.

What is the difference between running and clumping bamboo?

Running bamboo spreads by long rhizomes that travel sideways and can pop up metres away, under fences and paving. Clumping bamboo grows in a tighter mass that expands slowly outward. Clumping types are easier to remove, but large clumps are still heavy work.

My neighbour's bamboo is coming under the fence. What can I do?

Talk to your neighbour first, since the source is on their side. Removing the shoots and rhizomes on your side helps, and a root barrier along the boundary can slow it down, but the long-term fix involves the plant on their property.

Will bamboo come back after removal?

Small pieces of rhizome left in the soil can reshoot. Watch the area for the first growing season and remove any new shoots straight away, while they are easy to pull.

Is sandy soil easier for bamboo removal?

Generally yes. Rhizomes are easier to lift out of loose sand than heavy clay. The flip side is that bamboo spreads quickly through sand, so the patch can be larger than it looks from above.