Problem Info

Many species of bamboo are aggressive weeds. Creeping types of bamboo in particular can become very invasive. Unlike the slower-spreading clumping bamboos, creeping bamboos form underground rhizomes that spread quickly. The rhizomes grow through the soil and send up shoots every couple of feet. The large types of creeping bamboo are especially vigorous and difficult to control. Removal of the shoot is ineffective because the rhizomes resprout.

Solution Advice

Locate the rhizome where it leaves the original planting, usually 2 to 4 inches below the soil surface in a direct line between the invasive shoot and the parent planting. Cut the rhizome and pull it up, with all the shoots attached to it. Prevent reinvasion by surrounding the bamboo planting with an underground barrier of high-density polyethylene or a trench filled with concrete.

Product Recommendations

• Ortho® MAX® Poison Ivy & Tough Brush Killer Ready-to-Use