Bamboo

Garden Problems

Bamboo can be an attractive garden plant but it rapidly forms dense clumps that shade out and exclude other plants. It will easily invade scrub, urban areas, forest margins and gardens.

Identify the problem
There are several species of bamboo in New Zealand, the Arrow bamboo being the most weedy. They are medium sized, clump forming, perennials of the grass family. It can be difficult to control bamboo once it has become established.
How to solve the problem
To Get Rid of Bamboo follow these steps:
1. Bamboo is a difficult weed to get rid of and there are no magic bullets.
2. Cut the bamboo down as far as you can, and if possible dig out the root mass trying not to leave any rhizomes which would sprout again. Take the roots to the transfer station for disposal. You can mulch the leaves.
3. If you can’t dig the roots out, wait for new growth to 50-60cm tall and paint new growth liberally with Weed Weapon Invade Gel or spray with Weed Weapon Extra Strength plusDye & Stick or Weed Weapon Rapid Action (small areas). It is likely that you will have to repeat this treatment 5 or 6 times as it will continue to re-sprout.
4. Check for new sprouting of any rhizomes and treat each of these as they appear.
Did you know?
- Bamboos are special group of grasses which a perennial, evergreen and in New Zealand all have woody stems.
- A similar looking plant weed that might be found in gardens is the Giant Reed (Arundo donax), also known as elephant grass or bamboo grass. It tends to be found near water. Similar control methods as for bamboo will control giant reed.
- Bamboo Latin names: Oldham's bamboo - Bambusa oldhamii, Walking stick bamboo - Phyllostachys aurea, Black bamboo - Phyllostachys nigra, Arrow bamboo - Pseudosasa japonica.