Everything You Need To Learn About Bamboo in Milford Haven

Bamboo has been continuously growing in appeal for a lot of UK homeowners in the last 10 years, however, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing plant that is actually incredibly difficult to contain and control. In the event that anyone has or even thinks they have Bamboo in Milford Haven then they should seek advice from a specialist like South Wales Knotweed who can advise on your best strategy in order to ensure it will not grow out of control.

Bamboo is known and loved for its attractive appearance and frequently its fast growth that ensures a level of privacy in overlooked gardens in urban areas, towns, villages and suburban areas. In the last decade, homeowners have planted it without realising its quick growth, and ability to spread out and take over other vegetation. One must be very wary of growing it or taking on a home in which it exists since it is now understood that some types of bamboo are really extremely invasive and incredibly tough to control.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being contacted increasingly more to remove and regulate bamboo where it has grown out of control and taken over in residential properties because the homeowners have planted it without understanding exactly how it will take over, as well as when it has spread out from an adjoining property.

In summary, the experts have explained, that invasive bamboo is now emerging as a huge issue for British homeowners who may well not have realised its growth speed and its invasiveness if it isn’t thoroughly regulated. In some cases, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend as much as 30ft underground, in addition to its considerable above-ground growth.

A few 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 a growing number are now understanding that bamboo is also a major problem. However, is still unrecognised by numerous homeowners as an invasive weed that may grow out of control if not planted correctly and managed.

Bamboo seeds can still easily be obtained online or from many UK garden centres and this is actually contributing to the problem that homeowners are still unaware of concerning the repercussions of cultivating and not managing it. This commonly results in it growing out of control and taking over the other flowers and vegetation in a garden and even spreading to other homeowners’ gardens and land.

Green Leaf Remediation have noticed a huge rise in the number of enquiries being received from worried house owners who have planted bamboo and by mistake made it possible for the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed specialists will ascertain the expansion and recommend our best management and eradication solutions offering you the assurance that it won’t take control of your garden. Contact us at 01269 591651 right away and our experts can arrange a free, and no-obligation site survey.

Bamboo in Milford Haven FAQ

Is Bamboo an illegal plant in the UK?

Bamboo isn’t presently classified as an invasive plant in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are no constraints when growing it, having said that, the weed control industry is encouraging that bamboo can be as unpredictable as Japanese Knotweed with the same capability to spread, swiftly grow and infest large areas of land.

Certainly, there have been more and more recent claims from homeowners that have actually taken legal proceedings against neighbours and properties located around them where their bamboo has been allowed to spread onto their properties and end up being a major issue for them. There are actually different varieties of the bamboo plant and some are more invasive and destructive than others.

What types of Bamboo are there?

Both the clumping and running types, possess huge underground root and rhizome systems, making them remarkably troublesome to manage and extract without choosing an invasive plant specialist like South Wales Japanese Knotweed.

Running Bamboo is the kind that extends rapidly over and below ground. It spreads long, lateral rhizomes (root system), that can easily frequently reach up to 30ft from the main plant. This results in the plant fairly quickly spreading with fresh shoots and growth emerging in new locations or onto other land or property causing disruption all around.

This range of running bamboo is able to spread out quickly and vastly, it has been said that it can have the potential to become more damaging than Japanese knotweed, and it has comparable abilities to exploit and push through broken or cracked masonry, drains, pipes, wall structures and outdoor patios causing more destruction as it flourishes.

Clumping Bamboo is understood as being a lot less invasive than running bamboo, nevertheless, if it is left unchecked and unmanaged it can easily spread and swiftly grow out of control.

If sowing bamboo you must always check with an expert about the variety you choose, together with planting it in containers or with strong root barrier systems in position in order to contain it to the spot you want it for, which in turn will avoid the likelihood of it spreading out.

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

Running Bamboo – A running bamboo spreads by its horizontal below-ground stems from which overground canes then develop. This underground stem extends and shoots up another cane 60-80cm beyond the first planting site allowing it to fairly quickly spread. This is why a bamboo’s roots must be held by a root barrier system or in an appropriate flowerpot to avoid it from spreading aggressively and colonizing parts of the soil you don’t really want them in.

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

How quickly does Bamboo in Milford Haven grow?

This all depends upon the variety of bamboo as well as the ecological elements of the area, soil, air, water and typical ground conditions. Bamboo is known to be an extremely unpredictable plant which means you should take extreme care and advice from an expert if growing it or investing in a residential or commercial property where it is present.

In general:

Running Bamboo has a tendency to grow to its full grown height exceptionally quickly and spread aggressively. Many can grow up to 8 metres while others only achieve 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 brand-new canes can grow 90cm to 1.5 metres taller each year until they reach their maximum growing height.

Clump Forming bamboo has a tendency to progress to lower than 5 metres high due to its modest culms but they are able to grow equally as broad over time if not effectively managed. The new canes of clump-forming bamboo can easily mature to 30-45cm taller yearly until it achieves its maximum height.

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 every culm segment, called a node and the internodes are the segments between the nodes.

Is Bamboo in Milford Haven invasive?

Bamboo is remarkably invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads via its root system and will be invasive if not managed by a specialist like South Wales Knotweed. Bamboo is incredibly hardy meaning it will grow in most soils and in harsh climate conditions.

Bamboo has now earned its bad reputation for irresponsible planting since if planting along with the appropriate control methods in place, it can be manageable.

Bamboo spreads from its fast-growing roots that push horizontally through the soil with its lateral buds which in turn then steer up to create the canes. Running bamboo will cover ground faster than a clump-forming bamboo type and typically takes property owners by surprise at precisely how rapidly it spreads out.

What varieties of soil does Bamboo do well in?

Bamboo is exceptionally robust and not at all fussy when it comes to soil type. This can be a benefit if grown for the right reasons and properly regulated.

Is Bamboo a wood, a grass plant or a tree?

Not many individuals understand that bamboo is grass, however, most of the fast-growing invasive bamboo types have a remarkably tree-like appearance and thus are frequently described as bamboo trees. Their stems may be just about anything from a few centimetres in height and as much as 8 metres in just a couple of years, with their stem diameters varying anything from 1 mm to 30 cm.

Can you grow Bamboo in pots?

If you would like to grow Bamboo in Milford Haven at your home, it can be grown in pots or containers depending upon which variety they are. Growing them in a sturdy pot or container will likely avoid them from spreading and cultivating your property.

Can Bamboo devalue a property?

Bamboo in Milford Haven is becoming a lot more known in the property, mortgage and the UK invasive weed industry as a plant that can devalue a property because of its extremely intrusive and unpredictable nature. An increasing number of mortgage companies are now asking if bamboo is present at a property and some may possibly not lend on it and so always do your research prior to offering on a residential or commercial property and making an application for a mortgage.

Is Bamboo toxic to people?

When eaten, bamboo incorporates a toxin that produces cyanide in the human stomach. The shoots can be edible, having said that, they need to have their exteriors cut away and after that be boiled before eating them. Our experts would highly recommend that people and pets do not eat it.

Is Bamboo sturdier than wood?

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

Is Bamboo green in winter?

Most types of bamboo are evergreen thus they remain green and also vibrant all throughout the winter months when the majority of other plants have died back and this has made them exceptionally appealing to property owners that don’t realise their invasive growth. They can drop a few leaves during the year but it isn’t a significant amount.

Property Care Association Bamboo 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 significance in their native home.

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

Some of those features include being fast-spreading, prevailing over natural vegetation and being resistant to natural predators, for instance, bugs 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 that can be depended on address problems affecting buildings and property in general.

What the PCA say concerning 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 Bamboo Management & Control Services

Bamboo makes a favourable contribution to the environment as well as it being visually pleasing and is a great plant to make use of if you are looking for privacy in a location. Nonetheless, our experts advise extreme caution and we would certainly certainly not encourage planting Bamboo in Milford Haven in a standard domestic garden as a result of its invasive root growth. It will spread underground as well as grow very quickly above ground, taking over the other plants and vegetation in a garden.

Sowing Bamboo is very similar to growing Japanese Knotweed in your back garden, nevertheless, it isn’t yet unlawful to do so. Japanese Knotweed is well known by property owners as being an invasive weed but Bamboo seeds and plants are still widely offered throughout the UK however possess the very same invasive characteristics as Knotweed and will rapidly take over an area if not handled correctly.

South Wales Knotweed have seen how intrusive Bamboo is and our experts have helped many customers who were initially unaware of its harmful and unpredictable nature whenever they initially planted it, or when they first brought their home to get rid of and regulate their bamboo infestation.

Bamboo in Milford Haven is frequently planted along borders in or about a structure to provide personal privacy to a property. Over the last couple of years, our team have seen how this has resulted in numerous uncomfortable as well as avoidable conflicts with neighbours when the bamboo has expanded out of control onto their land.

Our view is that while bamboo is not yet listed as an invasive weed as Japanese Knotweed is, a better understanding and concern for this plant is needed. There are more than one hundred varieties of bamboo, with upwards of 30 or so varying varieties typically 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 on the planet and will quickly colonise new ground, and in doing this, will quickly consume open spaces and can cause significant damage to many solid structures.

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

South Wales Knotweed offer several removal and control solutions when it involves bamboo. Every infestation will have its own challenges and our professionals are going to calculate the most effective eradication and management methods depending on your property and site.

In many scenarios, our people use an excavator to remove the majority of the bamboo’s rhizome. We can also install an appropriate ‘root barrier’ which avoids the rhizome from continuing to spread within your own and neighbouring properties. If you would like some of the bamboo to remain then our experts will offer you a control and management solution so it can remain without spreading out into locations you don’t want it to.

If you have an invasion of bamboo or are concerned you have Bamboo in Milford Haven contact us today using 01269 591651 to arrange your complimentary and no-obligation site survey. Our bamboo professionals will assess and offer you different solutions dependent on your residential or commercial property and requirements.