Why bamboo becomes a problem
Bamboo is often planted along fences in Midland, Guildford and Ellenbrook as a fast privacy screen. For a few years it does the job. Then it starts to:
- push rhizomes under the fence into the neighbour's yard
- lift paving, edging and garden walls
- pop up in lawns several metres from where it was planted
- crowd out everything else in the garden bed
- block gutters with leaf litter and become a fire load in dry weather
Along creeks such as Jane Brook and other damp spots, bamboo can spread quickly in the moist soil. The longer it is left, the bigger the job.
Running versus clumping
Running bamboo spreads through long horizontal rhizomes. A plant on one side of the yard can send up shoots on the other side, or under a fence and into next door. This is the type that gives bamboo its reputation.
Clumping bamboo grows in a dense mass that expands outward slowly. It is easier to remove because the rhizomes are concentrated in one area, but a large old clump is still heavy, tough work.
The quote should identify which kind you have, because it changes the method and the likely amount of follow-up.
How bamboo is removed
- Canes are cut down close to the ground and bundled for disposal.
- The rhizome mass is dug out, by hand in small or tight areas, or with an excavator on larger patches with access. The dig needs to go wide enough to catch the runners.
- The area is checked for leftover pieces of rhizome, which can resprout.
- Material is removed from the property. Bamboo should not go into home compost or be dumped, because pieces can regrow.
Root barriers can be installed along a boundary to stop bamboo from a neighbouring property coming back across, and some contractors can supply them.
Ground conditions here
In heavier soils near the Swan and Helena rivers, rhizomes are packed tight and hard to separate from clay, and digging is slow in winter. In the sandier north, around Ellenbrook, rhizomes come out more easily but spread further, so the dig needs to be wider. On gravel near the scarp, rhizomes wind around stones, so a machine is often the most practical method.
Planning the job
Bamboo removal is usually priced on the area and the depth of the rhizome mat, not just on how many canes there are. A narrow strip along a fence is one thing; a whole corner of a yard taken over for twenty years is another. A photo from a distance, plus one close-up of the base, gives the contractor a good first idea.
After removal
Watch for new shoots over the following months and cut them as soon as they appear; they will weaken and stop. Replant with something that will not spread, or lay turf once you are confident the bamboo is gone. If the bamboo grew among trees or under a canopy that also needs work, ask for tree lopping or stump grinding on the same quote. For rough prices, see the cost guide.