Bamboo is very difficult to control. Bamboo is an invasive plant that should not be planted in western North Carolina. Although it has a woody stem, bamboo is in the grass family. The plant is highly competitive and will take over native woodlands displacing native plants and causing ecological harm to our mountain forests.
Controlling Bamboo with Herbicides Glyphosate herbicide usually works well on grasses. Glyphosate will eventually kill bamboo but is important to get good spray coverage. Good control requires herbicide coverage on leaves and these can high above the ground. The problem with trying to control bamboo with chemicals is that bamboo plants are usually too tall.
Spraying tall bamboo is difficult with home gardening spray equipment. The leaves of mature bamboo plants can be thirty feet high. Home gardeners should never spray above their head for safety reasons. Bamboo should be cut dow to the ground before spraying.
To control tall bamboo, it is recommended to cut all of the bamboo in the stand down to the ground. The cut stems can be mulched with a wood chipper and used on the area.
Eventually new bamboo shoots will emerge from the ground. When the leaves finally unfurl from the new shoots spray the leaves with glyphosate at the recommended label rate. Spraying will need to be repeated for several seasons and the site monitored for bamboo sprouts for years.
Another way to chemically control bamboo is to treat new shoots. Before the leaves unfurl, new bamboo shoots look like a spear. New bamboo shoots can be treated with glyphosate before the leaves emerge. These pointy stalks can be soaked in one part herbicide plus one part water. Learn more about chemical weed control in the NC Agricultural Chemical Manual.
Invasive Plant Control Experts There are organizations offering invasive plant consulting and management services. Contact our office for a list of landscape service providers in our area. Generally, as an individual or an HOA it might be better to pass the liability of herbicide spraying to a business who specializes in invasive plant management.
Manual Control If using herbicides is not possible, all that a landowner can do is manage bamboo physically. A mature woody bamboo infestation can be cut down with hand saws and the recurring shoots which are soft at first can be mowed a few times every year. Cutting and mowing bamboo doesn't solve the problem but it can help clear areas that are overgrown. There are a few companies that offer mechanical removal of invasive plants emphasizing a chemical-free approach. Again, contact our office for a list of landscape service providers.
***Note on Pesticide Labeling
The US EPA regulates pesticides and passes the responsibility for safe pesticide use down to the end user. The labeling on the pesticide package is information that EPA forces the manufacturer to include in the packaging and that the end user is required by law to read. Read the entire label of any pesticide that you intend to use. Follow the labeled instructions closely for safe and proper use. Wear any and all personal protective equipment such as gloves and goggles that the label requires.
