How to Stop Bamboo from Growing

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Bamboo can be a beautiful plant when incorporated correctly into a landscape and planted correctly. However, if it is not planted correctly with either a barrier in the ground or grown in pots it can take on a life of its own and spread like a noxious weed. If you have unwanted bamboo growing in your yard you know exactly what I am talking about!

The question then becomes how to stop bamboo from growing when it has already taken over your yard and gotten a foothold.

It may surprise you to find out that in spite of the fact that bamboo looks like a tree with its woody stems, it is actually a grass - a really BIG grass! A healthy, hardy grove of bamboo will spread like wildfire, and can actually double the spread of its roots every single year if it is not contained. This invasive spreading of the roots is what causes those annoying little shoots that pop up uncontrolled in your yard and flower bed.

There are several theories for how to stop bamboo from growing, none of which are pleasant. The first is that you can just cut down the grove to the ground and mow over any shoots. Unfortunately, despite the fact that many people use this method, it is not a permanent solution and the hardy bamboo will just come back.

Another option many people talk about is using a herbicide to kill the bamboo. While it sounds good in theory, again, it doesn't always fully kill the root system of the bamboo and you may be facing the same problem with spreading and shoots everywhere in your yard before you know it.

So are you ready for the bad news? Unfortunately, the only tried and true method to stop bamboo from growing is to dig up and remove every single piece of the root system of the bamboo. If it sounds like tedious, hard work, it's because it is. However, if you are serious about stopping the bamboo from growing, it is the only method that provides a permanent solution. The good thing about it is that once you have dug up the bamboo's root system the soil will be fresh and ready for you to plant something new in its place.

If you are considering planting bamboo in your yard and want to know how to stop it from spreading where you don't want it, you can look for a clumping bamboo to plant. These types of bamboo is much less invasive and doesn't have the spreading root systems of the hardier bamboos. You can also plant the spreading types of bamboo, but if you do you should install a permanent barrier in the ground to keep them from spreading beyond the area you plant them. To do this, dig a trench where you a planting the bamboo and place either a solid fiberglass or steel barrier in the ground that goes down at least 18 inches - preferably 24 inches. It's a good idea to leave a few inches of the barrier poking up above the surface of the ground as well to keep the bamboo from spreading through any moist mulch or other surface covers.

The last option for planing bamboo that will help stop it from spreading is to plant it in pots. If you choose this method, be sure the holes in the bottom of the pot are small enough to keep the bamboo from sneaking through and spreading anyway. Bamboo does well in pots and can look beautiful with a bunch of pots lined up to make a screen.