All You Need To Know About Bamboo In Newport

Bamboo has unfortunately been continuing its appeal for some UK homeowners in the last 10 years, however, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing grass that is really extremely troublesome to contain and control. In case anyone has or even believes they have Bamboo in Newport then you should get advice from a specialist like ourselves, South Wales Knotweed and we will advise you on the best course of action to ensure that it will not grow out of control and take over your garden.

Bamboo is known and loved for its ornamental appearance and its fast growth which provides personal privacy in overlooked gardens in urban areas, towns and suburban areas. Unfortunately, a lot of house owners plant it without understanding its speedy growth and capability to spread out and take control of other vegetation. People should be incredibly cautious of growing it or taking on a home where it exists as it is now known that a few varieties of bamboo are highly invasive and incredibly challenging to control.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being contacted more and more to extract and control bamboo where it has been grown at a property without understanding precisely how it may likely take over, as well as where it has actually spread from a neighbouring property. These experts have said, that certain invasive bamboo types are really emerging as a major issue for British homeowners who may well not have realised its growth speed and its invasiveness if not effectively controlled. In many cases, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend as much as 30ft below ground as well as its significant above-ground growth.

If you think you could have or have bamboo at your property in Newport or the surrounding areas then contact us today on 01269 591651 or 07531 142316 and we will answer all the questions and concerns you have.

A few property mortgage lenders in the UK and The RICS (The Royal Insitute Of Chartered Surveyors) are incredibly averse and careful when lending on a property where Japanese Knotweed is present or has been present, and a growing number are now understanding that bamboo is likewise a huge problem yet is still unrecognised by property owners as an invasive weed that can grow out of control if not planted correctly and managed.

Bamboo seeds can still easily be brought on the internet and garden centres throughout the UK and this is actually contributing to the issue that property owners are still uninformed of the consequences of cultivating and not controlling them. This often 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.

South Wales Knotweed have noticed a huge rise in the number of enquiries being received from concerned house owners who have sown bamboo and inadvertently made it possible for the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed specialists will assess the expansion and suggest to you the best control and removal solutions giving you peace of mind that it won’t take control of your garden. Contact us on 01269 591651 or 07531 142316 today and our experts can easily arrange a free, and no-obligation site survey.

Bamboo FAQs

Is Bamboo an illegal plant in the UK?

Bamboo isn’t currently classified as an invasive plant in the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and there are absolutely no stipulations when planting it at this time, however, the weed control industry is encouraging that bamboo can be as unpredictable as Japanese Knotweed with the same potential to spread, quickly grow and infest sizable areas of soil.

Certainly, there have been a growing number of recent claims from homeowners who have taken legal proceedings against neighbours and residential or commercial properties around them in which their bamboo has been permitted to expand onto their residential properties and end up being a major concern for them. There are various varieties of the bamboo plant and some are a lot more invasive and destructive than others.

What types of Bamboo are there?

Both the clumping and running types, all possess sizable underground root and rhizome systems, making them remarkably troublesome to control and remove without working with an invasive plant consultant like South Wales Knotweed.

Running Bamboo is the variety that expands rapidly over and below ground. It distributes long, lateral rhizomes (root system), that are able to sometimes reach up to 30ft from the primary plant. This brings about the plant quickly spreading with fresh shoots and growth emerging in new areas or onto other land or property causing disruption everywhere.

As a result of the range running bamboo is able to spread, it has been said that it can have the potential to become more harmful than Japanese knotweed and it has similar abilities in order to exploit and force through broken or cracked brickwork, drains, wall structures and patio areas inducing more damage as it grows.

Clumping Bamboo is known as being less intrusive than running bamboo, nonetheless, if it is left unchecked and unmanaged it can spread out and quickly grow out of control.

If planting bamboo you should always check with a specialist about the type you choose, as well as planting it in containers or with durable root barrier systems in position to contain it to the spot you want it for, which will protect against the probability of it spreading.

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

Clump-Forming Bamboo

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

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 initial planting site allowing it to very quickly spread. This is why bamboo’s roots really should be contained by a root barrier system or in an appropriate container to prevent them from spreading aggressively and colonizing large areas of the soil around it.

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 Bamboo in Newport grow?

This all depends on the variety of bamboo along with the ecological factors of the location, soil, air, water and typical ground conditions. Bamboo is understood to be a very unpredictable plant which in turn suggests you should take exceptional care and advice from an expert if growing it or buying a residential or commercial property where it exists.

Generally, running Bamboo has a tendency to grow to its mature height incredibly quickly and spread out aggressively. Many can grow to 8 metres whilst others just reach 1 metre, making it a huge unknown when planting it, or even if you already have it on your property. Their roots need to be contained to prevent them from spreading as their new canes can grow 90cm to 1.5 metres taller annually up until they get to their maximum growing height.

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

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

Is Bamboo in Newport invasive?

Bamboo is remarkably invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it expands by using its root system and will certainly be invasive unless regulated by a specialist like South Wales Knotweed. Bamboo is exceptionally robust meaning it will grow in most soils and in extreme weather conditions, making it very difficult to remove and control.

Bamboo has now acquired a negative reputation for reckless planting as if planting along with the correct control methods in place, it can be manageable.

Bamboo spreads from its fast-growing roots that drive horizontally through the soil with its lateral buds which in turn then drive up to develop the canes. Running bamboo will cover ground quicker than a clump-forming bamboo type and typically takes homeowners unawares at how rapidly it spreads out.

What types of soil does Bamboo succeed in?

Bamboo is incredibly hardy and not at all fussy when it pertains to soil type. This may be an advantage if planted for the right reasons and properly controlled.

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

Very few individuals know that bamboo is grass, nonetheless, many of the fast-growing invasive bamboo varieties have a very tree-like appearance and therefore are often referred to as bamboo trees. Their stems can be anything from a few centimetres in height and up to 8 metres within only a few 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 Newport at your home, it should be grown in pots or containers depending on which kind they are which will avoid them from spreading and cultivating your property.

Can Bamboo decrease the value of a property?

Bamboo in Newport is becoming a lot 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. More and more mortgage companies are now asking if bamboo is present at a residential or commercial property and some may well not lend on it and so always do your research prior to providing on a property and applying for a mortgage.

Is Bamboo deadly to people?

When eaten, bamboo incorporates a toxin that produces cyanide in the human gut. The shoots can be edible, nevertheless, they need to have their exteriors cut away then afterwards be boiled before eating them. Our team would certainly advise that people and animals do not eat bamboo.

Is Bamboo stronger 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 lumber 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 Bamboo green in winter?

Most varieties of bamboo are evergreen so they stay green and also vibrant throughout the cold weather when the majority of other plants have died back and this has helped to make them exceptionally appealing to house owners who do not understand their invasive growth. They might drop a few leaves during the course of the year but it will not be a substantial amount.

Property Care Association & Bamboo

1. 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.
2. However, he said that in the UK the plant has qualities similar to those of an “alien invasive species”.
3. Some of those characteristics feature being fast-spreading, dominating natural vegetation and being resistant to natural predators such as insects or fungis.
4. 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 that can be trusted to fix issues affecting properties and property in general.

What does the PCA say regarding their practitioners?

• 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, experienced, 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

South Wales Knotweed Bamboo Management & Control Services

Bamboo makes a positive contribution to the environment along with it being aesthetically pleasing and is a wonderful plant to use if you are looking for privacy in a location. Nonetheless, we suggest exceptional care and our experts would definitely certainly not advise planting Bamboo in Newport in a typical domestic garden because of its invasive root growth. It will spread below ground and grow swiftly above ground, taking control of the other plants and vegetation in a garden.

Sowing Bamboo is very similar to planting Japanese Knotweed in your back garden, however, 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 extensively offered for sale across the UK but possess the same invasive characteristics as Knotweed and are going to quickly take over an area if not managed the right way.

South Wales Knotweed have seen how unpleasant Bamboo in Newport is and we have actually helped many homeowners who were initially unaware of its harmful and unpredictable nature whenever they initially planted it, or when they initially brought their house to get rid of and manage their bamboo infestation.
Bamboo in Newport is often cultivated along boundaries in or about a structure to provide privacy to a residential property. Throughout the last couple of years, our team have seen how this has resulted in numerous awkward as well as avoidable conflicts with neighbours whenever the bamboo has expanded out of control onto their property.

Our belief is that while bamboo is not yet registered as an invasive weed as Japanese Knotweed is, better understanding and concern for this plant is required. There more than 100 species of bamboo, with upwards of 30 or so varying varieties usually discovered in the UK.

Guide to the different Bamboo types

• 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 in the world and will quickly colonise new ground, and in doing so, will rapidly consume open spaces and can cause serious damage to many solid structures.

The rhizomes aren’t as brittle as their Japanese Knotweed equivalent, making them a challenge to remove if you are not a professional. Once a bamboo rhizome has developed itself within the ground or amongst a solid structure, removing it is the same as trying to remove a rope from a solid block of cement.

South Wales Knotweed offer different removal and control solutions when it pertains to bamboo. Each infestation will have its very own obstacles and our specialists will work out the most effective eradication and control methods depending on your property and site.

In the majority of scenarios, our staff make use of an excavator to take out most of the bamboo’s rhizome. Our experts can additionally put in an effective ‘root barrier’ that avoids the rhizome from continuing to spread within your own and neighbouring 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 out into regions you don’t want it to.

If you have an invasion of bamboo or are worried you have Bamboo in Newport contact us today on 01269 591651 or 07531 142316 to arrange your free and no-obligation site survey. Our bamboo experts will assess and supply you with different solutions based on your property and needs.