Everything You Should Know About Bamboo Neath

Bamboo has already been thriving in popularity for some UK house owners in the last 10 years, however, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing plant that is incredibly challenging to contain and regulate. In the event that anyone has or if you believe you have Bamboo in Neath at your property you should seek advice from a specialist like South Wales Knotweed before it grows out of control and takes over your garden. We can provide you with advice regarding the best action you should take to ensure it doesn’t grow out of control.

It is known and loved for its ornamental appearance and often its quick growth as it provides privacy in overlooked gardens in urban areas, towns and suburban areas.  Lots of house owners have planted it in recent years without understanding its quick growth and ability to spread and overtake other plants and vegetation. you should be extremely cautious of planting it or taking on a home where it lives as it is now known that a number of varieties of bamboo are extremely invasive and incredibly difficult to control.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being called on more and more to remove and manage the species which has been planted at residential properties without knowing that it will likely take control of a garden, or even where it has spread from an adjoining property.

In summary, the experts have pointed out, that intrusive bamboo is becoming a huge problem for British homeowners that might not have realised its growth speed and its invasiveness if not efficiently controlled. Sometimes, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend as much as 30ft below ground in addition to their significant above-ground growth.

A number of home mortgage lenders in the UK and The RICS (The Royal Insitute Of Chartered Surveyors) are extremely averse to lending on a property where Japanese Knotweed is present or has been present, and an increasing number are now becoming aware that it is also a major problem, however, is still unrecognised by countless property owners as an invasive weed that can grow out of control if not planted correctly and properly managed.

Bamboo seeds can easily be bought on the internet or from garden centres throughout the UK and this is contributing to the problem that house owners are still uninformed of the implications of planting and not regulating it. This often leads to it growing out of control and taking over the other plants and vegetation in a garden and perhaps even spreading to other homeowners’ gardens and land.

Green Leaf Remediation have noticed a significant rise in the number of enquiries being received from house owners who have planted bamboo and by mistake allowed the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed specialists will ascertain the growth and advise you on our best control and removal techniques giving you the assurance that it won’t take over your garden. Get in touch with us on 01269 591651 right away and our team will arrange a cost-free, and no-obligation site survey.

Bamboo in Neath FAQs

Is Bamboo an illegal plant in the UK?

Bamboo isn’t currently classed as an invasive plant in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are no limitations when planting it, however, the weed control industry is suggesting that it can be as unpredictable as Japanese Knotweed with the exact same capacity to spread quickly and grow and infest sizable areas of soil.

There have been an increasing number of recent claims from homeowners who have taken legal action against neighbours and properties about them where their bamboo has been allowed to spread out onto their properties and become a serious problem for them. There are actually different varieties of the bamboo plant and some are more invasive and destructive than others.

What types exist?

Both the clumping and running types have sizable underground root and rhizome systems, making them remarkably troublesome to manage and remove without choosing an invasive plant service provider like South Wales Japanese Knotweed.

Running Bamboo is the type that disperses quickly over and also below ground. It disperses very long, lateral rhizomes (root system), which are able to frequently reach up to 30ft from the primary plant. This leads to the plant very quickly spreading with new shoots and growth developing in new areas or onto other land or property causing disruption everywhere.

Due to the range running bamboo is able to spread out, it has been said that it can have the potential to be more destructive than Japanese knotweed and it has very similar abilities in order to exploit and force through broken or fractured brickwork, drains, wall structures and outdoor patios inducing more damage as it flourishes.

Clumping Bamboo is known to be less intrusive than the running type, nevertheless, if it is left unchecked and unmanaged it can easily spread and very quickly grow out of control.

If growing it you really should always check with a specialist about the variety you choose, together with planting it in containers or with sturdy root barrier systems in place in order to contain it to the area you want it for, which will avoid the likelihood of it spreading out.

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

Clump-Forming Bamboo – This particular type has a root mass much the same as normal ornamental grasses, spreading out from the centre and never developing 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 develop. This underground stem extends and shoots up another cane 60-80cm beyond the first sowing site enabling it to fairly quickly spread out. This is why its roots really should be held by a root barrier system or in a suitable container to avoid it from spreading aggressively and colonising sections of the soil you don’t want them within.

Types 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 it grow?

This all depends on the type along with the ecological factors of the local area, soil, air, water and typical ground conditions. Bamboo is understood to be an extremely unpredictable plant which in turn means you should take extreme care and guidance from an expert if planting it or buying a property where it is present.

Generally:

Running Bamboo tends to grow to its full grown height extremely quickly and spread out aggressively. Many can grow to 8 metres while others only make it to 1 metre, making it a huge unknown when planting it, or even if you already have it on your property. Their roots really need to be contained to prevent them from spreading as their brand new canes can grow 90cm to 1.5 metres taller each year until they get to their maximum growing height.

Clump-forming bamboo tends to develop to lower than 5 metres high due to its modest culms but they can grow equally as wide in time if not successfully controlled. The new canes of clump-forming plants can grow up to 30-45cm taller each year up until it achieves their maximum height.

The bamboo culm is used to describe the shoot itself. The culms are mainly hollow, having said that, some varieties 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 invasive?

It is remarkably invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it expands via its root system and will certainly be invasive if not managed by an expert like South Wales Knotweed. Bamboo is exceptionally robust meaning it will grow in most soils and in extreme weather conditions.

It is quickly gaining a negative reputation for irresponsible planting, however, if planting it with the appropriate control methods in place, it can be manageable and a lovely plant to have in your garden.

It spreads from its fast-growing roots that drive 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 the clump-forming type and usually takes homeowners unawares at precisely how swiftly it spreads.

What types of soil does it succeed in?

It is extremely durable and not at all fussy when it comes to soil type. This may be a benefit if grown for the correct reasons and correctly managed.

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

Very few people know that bamboo is grass, however, many of the fast-growing invasive types have a remarkably tree-like appearance and therefore are commonly talked about as bamboo trees. Their stems can be anything from a few centimetres in height and up to 8 metres in only a couple of years, with their stem diameters varying anything from 1 mm to 30 cm.

Can you grow it in pots?

If you want to grow Bamboo in your garden, it should be grown in pots or containers depending on which variety they are. Growing them in a pot or container will prevent them from spreading and cultivating your property.

Can Bamboo devalue a property?

Bamboo is becoming a lot more known in the property and mortgage industries as a plant that can decrease the value of a property because of its exceptionally intrusive and unpredictable nature.

A growing number of mortgage companies are now asking if it exists at a property and some may not lend on it so always do your research prior to offering on a residential or commercial property and making an application for a mortgage if you suspect there is bamboo present.

Is it toxic to people?

When eaten, bamboo incorporates a toxin that produces cyanide in the human gut. The shoots can be edible, however, before they require their exteriors cut away and then boiled before consuming them. Our experts would recommend that people and pets do not eat it.

Is it stronger than wood?

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

Is it green in winter?

Most types of bamboo are evergreen so they stay green and vibrant throughout the cold weather when the majority of other plants have died back and this has made them extremely appealing to homeowners that don’t realise their invasive growth. They can shed a few leaves in the course of the year but it isn’t a significant amount.

The 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 significance in their native home. However, he said that in the UK the plant has attributes similar to those of an “alien invasive species”. Some of those characteristics include being fast-spreading, dominating native vegetation and being insusceptible to natural predators such as pests 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 professionals who can be depended on fixing problems impacting buildings and property in general.

What the PCA say about their specialists

Our specialists offer professional and trustworthy site surveys and investigations that deliver peace of mind through detailed investigation and correct diagnosis for homeowners and businesses.

Their services are provided by trained, experienced, vetted and qualified surveyors and inspectors.

Contractor members are able to complete highly specialised reports, repairs and treatments, effectively, efficiently and safely, using skilled experienced site operatives.

Our 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

Bamboo makes a favourable contribution to the natural environment along with it being aesthetically pleasing and is a fantastic plant to use if you are looking for privacy in a garden. However, we suggest you take extreme caution and we would not advise growing it in Neath in a regular residential garden unless you have controls in place because of its invasive root growth. It will spread out underground and grow swiftly above ground, taking control of the other plants and vegetation in a garden.

Sowing it is very similar to growing Japanese Knotweed in your back garden, nonetheless, it isn’t yet unlawful to do so. Japanese Knotweed is well known by homeowners as being an invasive weed but Bamboo seeds and plants are still extensively marketed across the UK however possess the exact same invasive characteristics as Knotweed and are going to rapidly take over an area if not handled properly.

South Wales Knotweed have seen how unpleasant Bamboo in Neath is and we have helped many homeowners who were initially not aware of its harmful and unpredictable attributes when they initially planted it, or when they first brought their house.

Bamboo in Neath is typically grown along borders in, or about a structure to provide privacy to a residential property. In the last couple of years, our experts have often seen how this has led to many awkward as well as preventable conflicts with neighbours when it has spread out of control onto other properties.

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

The fundamental guide to the different Bamboo rhizome (roots) is:

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

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

It is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world 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 remove if you are not an expert. Once its rhizome has established itself within the ground or amongst a solid construction, removing it is the same as attempting to take out a rope from a solid lump of concrete.

South Wales Knotweed offer different removal and control solutions when it involves bamboo. Every single infestation will have its own problems and our professionals will quickly assess the most effective eradication and control methods depending on your property and site.

In the majority of situations, our experts work with an excavator to remove most of the bamboo’s rhizome. We can additionally install an effective root barrier system that helps prevent the rhizome from continuing to spread within your own and neighbouring residential 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 soil you don’t want it to.

If you have an invasion or are concerned you have Bamboo in Neath contact us today at 01269 591651 to arrange your free and no-obligation site survey. Our experts will assess and supply you with different solutions based on your residential or commercial property and requirements.