Everything You Need To Learn About Bamboo in Llanelli

Bamboo has already been progressively flourishing in the level of popularity for some UK house owners within the last ten years, nevertheless, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing plant that is very difficult to contain as well as control. In case anyone has or even believes they have Bamboo in Llanelli then you should seek advice from a professional such as South Wales Knotweed who will advise you regarding your best strategy to ensure that it does not grow out of control.

Bamboo is known and liked for its decorative appeal and usually, its rapid growth which gives privacy in overlooked gardens in urban areas, towns and suburban areas. In the last few years, lots of homeowners have planted it without comprehending its rapid growth and capability to spread out and take over other vegetation. People should be extremely wary of planting it or taking on a property in which it occurs as it is now known that a number of types of bamboo are certainly extremely invasive and exceptionally challenging to regulate. If you are considering buying a home or property where bamboo is present then contact us today at 01269 591651 and we can arrange a free and no-obligation site survey for you so that you know what you would need to do to get it under control.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being called on increasingly more to eradicate and manage bamboo in which it has been cultivated at a property without understanding exactly how it is going to most likely take control of, as well as where it has extended from a neighbouring garden. In conclusion, they have pointed out, that invasive bamboo is turning into a huge problem for British property owners who may well not have realised its growth speed and its invasiveness if not efficiently regulated. In many cases, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend as much as 30ft underground in addition to their substantial above-ground growth.

Several home mortgage lenders in the UK and The RICS (The Royal Insitute Of Chartered Surveyors) are actually extremely averse to lending on a property where Japanese Knotweed is present or has been present, and more and more, are now understanding that bamboo is also a significant problem, however, it is still unrecognised by many homeowners as an invasive weed that can grow out of control if not planted correctly and managed. Bamboo seeds can still easily be obtained on the internet or from garden centres throughout the UK and this is actually contributing to the issue that homeowners are unaware of the repercussions of sowing and not managing it correctly. This frequently results in it growing out of control and consuming the other plants and vegetation in a garden and even spreading to other property owners’ gardens and land.

Green Leaf Remediation have seen a huge rise in the number of enquiries being received from anxious house owners who have sown bamboo and unintentionally enabled the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed experts will evaluate the expansion and inform you of our best management and extraction methods offering you the assurance that it won’t take control of your garden. Contact us at 01269 591651 today and our experts can easily arrange a free, and no-obligation site survey.

Invasive Non-native Specialists Association (INNSA) maintains a membership list of contractors and consultants which can be found here.

Bamboo in Llanelli FAQs

Is Bamboo an illegal plant in the UK?

Bamboo isn’t presently classed as an invasive plant in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are absolutely no regulations when planting it, having said that, the weed control industry is suggesting that bamboo can be as unpredictable as Japanese Knotweed with identical capacity to disperse, swiftly grow and infest large areas of soil.

There have been a growing number of recent claims from property owners that have taken legal proceedings against neighbours and properties around them where their bamboo has been permitted to expand onto their properties and end up being a major issue for them. There are various varieties of bamboo plants and some are much more invasive and destructive than others.

What types are there?

Both the clumping and running types, all have sizable underground root and rhizome systems, making them incredibly hard to manage and extract without using an invasive plant professional like South Wales Japanese Knotweed.

Running Bamboo is the variety that extends quickly over and below ground. It disperses long, lateral rhizomes (root system), that can easily often reach up to 30ft from the main plant. This leads to the plant quickly spreading with new shoots and growth emerging in new areas or onto other land or property causing disruption all around.

Because of the range running bamboo can spread out, it has been said that it can have the potential to be more harmful than Japanese knotweed and it has very similar abilities in order to exploit and push through broken or fractured masonry, drains pipes, walls and patio areas causing more destruction as it flourishes.

Clumping Bamboo is known as being less intrusive than running bamboo, having said that, if it is left uncontrolled and unmanaged it can easily spread and swiftly grow out of control.

If planting bamboo you ought to always consult an expert regarding the variety you use, as well as growing it in containers or with strong root barrier systems in position so as to contain it to the area you want it for, which in turn will help prevent the possibility of it spreading.

What is the difference between clump-forming and running types?

Clump-Forming Bamboo – This particular type of bamboo has a root mass similar to standard ornamental grasses, dispersing from the centre and never sprouting canes more than 5-10cm from the existing plant.

Running Bamboo – A running bamboo spreads by its horizontal underground stems from which overground canes then grow. This underground stem stretches and shoots up another cane 60-80cm beyond the initial sowing site allowing it to fairly quickly spread. This is why a bamboo’s roots need to be contained by a root barrier system or in a suitable flowerpot to avoid them from spreading aggressively and colonizing sections of the soil you don’t want them in.

Varieties Of Clump-Forming Bamboo

• Fargesia murielae ‘Simba’
• Fargesia murielae ‘Volacno’
• Fargesia murieliae ‘Winter Joy’
• Fargesia murieliae ‘Rufa’
• Fargesia nitide

Varieties Of Running Bamboo

• Phyllostachys aurea
• Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis
• Phyllostachys Nigra
• Pleioblastus pygmaeus Distichus
• Pleioblastus variegatus
• Pleioblastus viridistriatus
• Sasa tsuboiana
• Sasa veitchi

How fast does Bamboo in Llanelli grow?

This all depends upon the variety of bamboo along with the environmental factors of the area, soil, air, water and overall ground conditions. Bamboo is known to be a very unpredictable plant which in turn means you must take exceptional care and recommendations from an expert if planting it or buying a residential or commercial property where it exists.

In general:

Clump-forming bamboo tends to develop to lower than 5 metres tall due to its modest culms however they can grow equally as wide over time if not successfully managed. The new canes of clump-forming bamboo can grow up to 30-45cm taller yearly until it reaches its maximum height.

Running Bamboo tends to grow to its mature height extremely quickly and spread aggressively. Some can grow up to 8 metres whilst others only make it to 1 metre, turning it into a huge unknown when planting it, or even if you currently have it on your property. Their roots really need to be contained to stop them from spreading as their new canes can grow 90cm to 1.5 metres taller every year up until they get to their highest growing height.

What is the culm?

The bamboo culm is used to describe the bamboo shoot itself. The culms are mainly hollow, having said that, a number of species have solid culms. There is a solid joint at the beginning and end of each culm segment, called a node and the internodes are the segments in between the nodes.

Is Bamboo in Llanelli invasive?

Bamboo is exceptionally invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads by using its root system and will definitely be invasive unless controlled by a professional like South Wales Knotweed. Bamboo is remarkably sturdy meaning it will grow in most soils and in harsh climate conditions.

Bamboo has now obtained its bad reputation for irresponsible planting since if planting along with the correct control methods it is in effect manageable.

Bamboo spreads from its fast-growing roots that drive horizontally through the soil with its lateral buds which then drive up to develop the canes. Running bamboo will cover ground faster than a clump-forming bamboo type and frequently takes homeowners by surprise at how quickly it expands.

What types of ground does it succeed in?

Bamboo is exceptionally durable and not at all fussy when it comes to soil type. This may be an advantage if grown for the correct reasons and correctly regulated.

Is it wood, a grass plant or a tree?

Very few people know that bamboo is grass, nonetheless, a lot of the fast-growing invasive bamboo varieties have a remarkably tree-like appearance and thus are frequently referred to as bamboo trees. Their stems may be anything from a few centimetres in height and as much as 8 metres in just a few years, with their stem diameters ranging anything from 1 mm to 30 cm.

Can you grow Bamboo in pots?

If you wish to grow Bamboo in Llanelli at your home, it could be grown in flowerpots or containers depending on which kind they are. Growing them in a pot or container will most likely prevent them from spreading and cultivating your property.

Can it devalue a property?

Bamboo in Llanelli is becoming much more known in the property, mortgage and the UK invasive weed industry as a plant that can decrease the value of a property because of its particularly intrusive and unpredictable characteristics. Increasingly more mortgage companies are now asking if bamboo exists at a residential or commercial property and some may not lend on it therefore always do your research prior to offering on a residential or commercial property and applying for a mortgage.

Is it poisonous?

When eaten, bamboo incorporates a toxin that generates cyanide in the human stomach. The shoots can be edible, having said that, they need their exteriors cut away and afterwards boiled before eating them. We would certainly advise that people and animals do not eat bamboo.

Is it sturdier than timber?

Bamboo is known to be 2-3 times harder than most hardwoods from the Janka Hardness Test that is worked with for categorising wood by its hardness. The universal Janka hardness test (from the Austrian-born emigrant Gabriel Janka, 1864-1932) measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear.

Is it green in the wintertime?

Most types of bamboo are evergreen so they continue being green and also vibrant all throughout the cold weather when the majority of other plants have died back and this has made them exceptionally appealing to house owners that do not realise their invasive growth. They can shed a few leaves in the course of the year but it isn’t a significant amount.

Property Care Association Comments

Dr Peter Fitzsimons of the Property Care Association, a trade body representing invasive weed control contractors and consultants, said bamboos are “woody” grass that has commercial importance in their native home.

However, he said that in the UK the plant has qualities similar to those of an “alien invasive species”.

A few of those qualities consist of being fast-spreading, dominating natural vegetation and being resistant to natural predators such as insects or fungi.

He added: “We have been calling for some time for the many species of bamboo to be added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act to enable effective regulation.”.
What is the Property Care Association?

The Property Care Association (PCA) is the UK’s leading trade association that represents service providers who can be depended on address issues affecting properties and property generally.

What the PCA say pertaining to their service providers

• Professional trustworthy site surveys and investigations that deliver peace of mind through detailed investigation and correct diagnosis for homeowners and businesses
• Services are provided by trained, knowledgeable, vetted and qualified surveyors and inspectors
• Contractor members are able to complete highly specialised repairs and treatments, effectively, efficiently and safely, using skilled experienced site operatives
• PCA members are required to meet and maintain robust membership criteria. This covers aspects of services including professional qualifications, technical competence, service delivery & financial stability

About Our Management & Control Services in Llanelli

Bamboo makes a positive contribution to the environment in addition to it being visually pleasing and is an excellent plant to use if you are looking for privacy in a location. Nevertheless, our experts suggest extraordinary caution and our team would certainly not advise growing Bamboo in Llanelli in an ordinary domestic garden caused of its invasive root growth. It will spread below ground as well as grow very quickly above ground, taking over the other plants and vegetation in a garden.

Sowing Bamboo is comparable to growing Japanese Knotweed in your back garden, however, it isn’t yet unlawful to do so. House owners know Japanese Knotweed as being an invasive weed, however, Bamboo seeds and plants are still widely offered for sale across the UK but have the same invasive characteristics as Knotweed and will rapidly take over an area if not managed properly.

South Wales Knotweed have seen how unpleasant Bamboo in Llanelli is and our company have helped a lot of clients who were initially not aware of its damaging and unpredictable attributes when they first planted it, or when they initially brought their home to remove and manage their bamboo infestation. Bamboo in Llanelli is frequently planted along boundaries in or around a structure to provide personal privacy to a residential property. Over the last couple of years, we have indeed seen exactly how this has led to numerous unpleasant as well as preventable disagreements with neighbours when the bamboo has extended out of control onto their land.

Our belief is that while bamboo is not yet listed as an invasive weed as Japanese Knotweed is, greater understanding and concern for this plant is called for. There are more than 100 species of bamboo, with in excess of 30 or so varying varieties commonly discovered in the UK.

The fundamental guide to the different bamboo rhizomes (roots) is:

Runners – these will ‘run’, meaning, spread laterally and quickly

Clumpers – these will continue to grow if not correctly controlled and managed, however, they won’t colonise as much soil as the running species do

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants available and will quickly colonise new soil, and in doing this, will rapidly consume open spaces and can cause considerable damage to many solid structures.

The rhizomes aren’t as brittle as their Japanese Knotweed equivalent, making them a demanding task to get rid of if you are not an expert. Once a bamboo rhizome has developed itself within the ground or between a solid construction, removing it is the same as trying to take out a rope from a solid block of cement.

South Wales Knotweed offer different removal and control solutions when it comes to bamboo. Every infestation will have its own difficulties and our experts will work out the best eradication and control methods depending on your property and site. In most circumstances, our team work with an excavator to take out most of the bamboo’s rhizomes. Our experts can also install an appropriate ‘root barrier that prevents the rhizome from continuing to spread out within your own and neighbouring residential properties. If you would like some of the bamboo to stay then our experts will offer you a control and management solution so it can remain without spreading into areas you don’t want it to.

If you have an infestation of bamboo or are concerned you have Bamboo in Llanelli contact us today at 01269 591651 to arrange your free and no-obligation site survey. Our bamboo professionals will assess and provide you with different solutions based on your property and needs.