Bamboo control / RHS (2024)

Here are our answers to your most common questions about dealing with bamboo:  

How invasive is bamboo?

A running type of bamboo in favourable growing conditions (usually a sheltered, mild location with fertile, moisture retentive soil) can be invasive. Numerous rhizomes spread outwards from the parent plant and are able to grow roots and shoots from any nodes along their length. Shoot growth can be rapid, potentially growing to the full height of the bamboo in one growing season. Bamboos can also regenerate from any section of rhizome with a node, so might be spread unintentionally by gardeners chopping up rhizomes when digging or rotavating.

Self-seeding is rarely a problem in the UK as bamboos take many years to flower and often die after flowering. If your bamboo does flower and set seed, it is worth checking your garden for seedlings and acting quickly to remove them before they become established.

Do I need to get rid of bamboo?

Can bamboo cause damage?

There have been cases where bamboos have caused damage to hard surfaces, such as paving and tarmac, and spread into and damaged buildings. Bamboo rhizomes are incredibly strong, and while they can’t puncture or lift solid ground or sound foundations, they can potentially grow into gaps or cracks in walls, floors and drains as they search for new ground to colonise. If you are concerned about damage to a building or structure, it may be worth having it professionally surveyed.

How do I stop bamboo spreading?

There are a few ways to prevent bamboo spreading out of its allotted space and becoming a problem:

Before planting:

• Select a suitable bamboo – consider the space you wish to fill and if the growing conditions are likely to encourage vigorous growth. It is often best to select a clump-forming type.
• Grow bamboo in a container – many bamboos grow well in containers, although the smaller types are most suitable. Containers should be at least 45cm (18in) deep and will require regular watering. Repot every few years, either into a larger container, or by dividing and replanting smaller clumps into the same container.
• Insert a physical barrier when planting – position your bamboo and dig a trench at least 60cm (2ft) deep around it, leaving a sufficient distance to allow your bamboo some space to grow outwards. Insert a physical barrier into the trench. Purpose made bamboo root barriers are easiest to handle and insert. Edges should overlap by at least 30cm (1ft) and be bonded with appropriate mastic. The barrier should extend above the soil level by at least 7.5cm (3in) to prevent rhizomes growing over it. Paving slabs and corrugated iron are sometimes used, but care is needed to avoid gaps that rhizomes could grow through.

Controlling the spread of an established plant:

• Dig a trench – this method is suitable for clump-forming bamboos and slow-growing running bamboos. Dig a trench about 30cm (12in) deep and the width of spade’s blade around your bamboo; aim for the trench to be approximately 30-50cm (12-20in) from the edge of your plant. Sever any rhizomes you find and remove sections that extend beyond your circular trench. Take care to remove any sections of chopped rhizome. Loosely backfill the trench. Doing this at least once a year will keep many bamboos under control.
• Insert a physical barrier – as described in the section above, although additional work is required to sever rhizomes and remove any already spreading beyond where you are going to install the barrier.

What is the easiest way to kill bamboo?  

If you have bamboo growing where it is not wanted, there are two options for removing it:  

• Dig out the whole plant – this can be a difficult task on mature, established clumps where the root system could be as deep as 1m (3⅓ft), but it will enable complete eradication of the bamboo. Monitor the area for any regrowth, being aware that rhizomes may have spread away from the main plant, and although weakened by the removal of the main plant, they will still have the ability to produce new roots and shoots.
• Hire a contractor – if digging out the main clump of bamboo and its rhizomes is too big a job, hire in a reputable company that specialises in bamboo removal.

Should I use weedkiller?