Everything You Need To Learn About Bamboo in Burnham on Sea

Bamboo has been gradually growing in popularity for some UK house owners within the last ten years, nonetheless, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing grass that is actually incredibly difficult to contain as well as manage. If anyone has or believes they have Bamboo in Burnham on Sea they should seek guidance from a professional like Green Leaf Remediation  who will advise you on your best plan in order to ensure it does not grow out of control. Call us today using 0117 321 7799 and one of our experts can answer any questions you have about Bamboo.

Bamboo is known and liked for its ornamental appearance and usually, its fast growth provides privacy in overlooked gardens in urban areas such as Burnham on Sea. Many property owners have or are now planting it without understanding its rapid growth and capacity to spread and take over other vegetation. Individuals ought to be extremely cautious of growing it or taking on a property in which it is present as it is now understood that a few varieties of bamboo are certainly highly invasive and exceptionally tough to regulate.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being contacted increasingly more to extract and control bamboo in which it has been grown at a property without understanding how it is going to very likely take over, or even where it has actually extended from an adjoining property. The experts have said, that intrusive bamboo is truly emerging as a major issue for British homeowners who might not have realised its growth speed and its invasiveness if not thoroughly managed. In some cases, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend up to 30ft underground as well as extensive above-ground growth.

Many mortgage lenders in the UK and The RICS (The Royal Insitute Of Chartered Surveyors) are incredibly averse to lending on a property where Japanese Knotweed exists or has been present, and increasingly more, are now becoming aware that bamboo is likewise a significant problem however is still unrecognised by countless property owners as an invasive weed that can grow out of control if not planted correctly and managed.

Bamboo seeds can still easily be purchased on the internet or from garden centres all throughout the UK and this is actually contributing to the problem that property owners are still unaware of in regard to the consequences of planting and not managing 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 house owners’ gardens and land.

Green Leaf Remediation & Removal have noticed a huge surge in the number of enquiries being received from apprehensive property owners who have sown bamboo and unintentionally enabled the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed experts will evaluate the growth and recommend our best management and removal techniques giving you the assurance that it won’t take over your garden. Get in touch with us at 0117 321 7799 today and our team can easily arrange a free, and no-obligation site survey.

Questions & Answers – Bamboo in Burnham on Sea

Is it a prohibited plant in the UK?

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

There have been a growing number of recent claims from homeowners who have actually taken legal action against neighbours and properties around them where their bamboo has been allowed to disperse onto their residential properties and end up being a serious concern for them. There are actually various varieties of bamboo plant and some are a lot more intrusive and harmful than others.

What varieties of Bamboo are there?

Both the clumping and running types, have substantial underground root and rhizome systems, making them incredibly very difficult to control and eliminate without making use of an invasive plant service provider like Green Leaf Remediation & Removal.

Running Bamboo is the type that expands quickly over and also underground. It disperses lengthy, lateral rhizomes (root system), which are able to frequently reach up to 30ft from the primary plant. This leads to the plant fairly quickly spreading with new shoots and growth emerging in new places or onto other land or property causing disruption everywhere. It has been said that it can have the potential to become more damaging than Japanese knotweed and it has similar capabilities to exploit and force through broken or fractured masonry, drains, walls and patios inducing more damage as it grows. We have seen how it can quickly take over and colonise a garden.

Clumping Bamboo is known as being less invasive than running bamboo, nevertheless, if it is left unchecked and unmanaged it can spread out and fairly quickly grow out of control. If planting any type of bamboo you should always consult a professional about the type you choose, and grow it in containers or with a strong root barrier system in place in order to contain it to the spot you want it for, which in turn will help prevent the chance of it spreading.

What is the big difference between the types?

Clump-Forming Bamboo – This particular variety of bamboo has a root mass very similar to ordinary ornamental grasses, spreading 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 away from the first sowing site making it easy for it to fairly quickly spread out. This is why a bamboo’s roots should be contained by a root barrier system or in an appropriate pot to prevent it from spreading aggressively and colonising sections of the soil you don’t really want them in.

How fast does Bamboo in Burnham on Sea grow?

This all depends upon the variety of bamboo as well as the environmental elements of the local area, soil, air, water and general ground conditions. Bamboo is known to be a very unpredictable plant which suggests you need to take extreme care and recommendations from an expert if planting it or buying a residential or commercial property where it is present.

Typically:
Running Bamboo has a tendency to grow to its mature height exceptionally quickly and spread out aggressively. Some can grow up to 8 metres whilst 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 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 has a tendency to progress to lower than 5 metres tall due to its modest culms however they can grow equally as broad over time if not successfully controlled. The new canes of clump-forming bamboo can easily mature to 30-45cm taller each year until it achieves its maximum height.

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

Is it invasive?

Bamboo is remarkably invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads out via its root system and will be invasive unless regulated by an expert like Green Leaf Remediation. Bamboo is exceptionally sturdy meaning it really will grow in most soils and in harsh weather conditions. Bamboo has now earned its bad reputation for careless planting as if planting 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 steer up to develop the canes. Running bamboo will cover ground faster than a clump-forming bamboo type and usually takes homeowners unawares at how swiftly it spreads.

What varieties of soil does it do well in?

Bamboo is remarkably durable and not at all fussy when it comes to soil type. This can be an advantage if planted for the correct reasons and effectively controlled.

Is it wood, a grass plant or a tree?

Not many people understand that bamboo is grass, however, a lot of the fast-growing invasive bamboo varieties have a very tree-like appearance, therefore, are frequently talked about as bamboo trees. Their stems might be just about anything from a few centimetres in height and as much as 8 metres in just a few 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 Burnham on Sea at your home, it could be grown in pots or containers depending on which variety they are. Growing them in a pot or container will likely prevent them from spreading and cultivating your property.

Can it decrease the value of a property?

Bamboo in Burnham on Sea is becoming a lot more well known in the property, mortgage and the UK invasive weed industry as a plant that can devalue a property as a result of its exceptionally invasive and unpredictable nature. Increasingly more mortgage companies are now asking if bamboo is present at a residential or commercial property and some may possibly not lend on it thus always do your research prior to giving on a property and applying for a mortgage.

Is it poisonous to people and animals?

When eaten, bamboo contains a toxin that generates cyanide in the human gut. The shoots can be edible, nonetheless, before they require their exteriors cut away and then boiled before eating them. Our experts would advise that human beings and animals not eat bamboo.

Is it sturdier than wood?

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

Is it green in the wintertime?

Most varieties of bamboo are evergreen thus they stay green and also vibrant all throughout the winter season when the majority of other plants have died back and this has helped to make them remarkably appealing to homeowners that don’t realise their invasive growth. They may shed some leaves during 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 value 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 characteristics feature being fast-spreading, prevailing over natural vegetation and being resistant 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 service providers who can be trusted to resolve problems affecting properties and residential or commercial property in general.

What the PCA say pertaining to their specialists

Professional trustworthy site surveys and investigations that deliver peace of mind through detailed investigation and correct diagnosis for house owners 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.

About Our Bamboo Management & Control Services

Bamboo makes a positive contribution to the environment in addition to it being visually pleasing and is a wonderful plant to make use of if you are requiring privacy in a location. Having said that, our team recommend extreme care and our staff would definitely certainly not encourage planting Bamboo in Burnham on Sea in a conventional domestic garden because of its invasive root growth. It will spread below ground as well as grow very quickly 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, nevertheless, it isn’t yet unlawful to do so. Home owners will know Japanese Knotweed as being an invasive weed but Bamboo seeds and plants are still widely offered for sale across the UK however possess the very same invasive characteristics as Knotweed and will very quickly take over an area if not managed appropriately.

Green Leaf Remediation have seen how invasive Bamboo in Burnham on Sea is and we have helped a lot of clients who were initially not aware of its harmful and unpredictable attributes whenever they first planted it, or whenever they initially brought their house to get rid of and control their bamboo infestation.
Bamboo in Burnham on Sea is frequently planted along borders in or around a structure to provide personal privacy to a property. Throughout the last few years, we have seen how this has resulted in many uncomfortable and preventable disagreements with neighbours when the bamboo has spread out of control onto their land.

Our belief is that while bamboo is not yet certified as an invasive weed as Japanese Knotweed is, better understanding and concern for this plant is called for. There are over one hundred varieties of bamboo, with in excess of 30 or so varying species 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 managed and managed, however, they won’t colonise as much soil as the running species do.

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants and will quickly colonise new ground, and in doing this, will quickly consume open spaces and can cause major damage to many solid structures. The rhizomes aren’t as brittle as their Japanese Knotweed equivalent, making them a challenge to get rid of if you are not an expert. Once a bamboo rhizome has established itself within the ground or between a solid construction, taking it out is the same as attempting to take out a rope from a solid block of cement.

Green Leaf Remediation provides several removal and control solutions when it comes to bamboo. Each infestation will have its own challenges and our experts are going to calculate the most effective eradication and control methods depending on your property and site.

In the majority of situations, our team use an excavator to remove the majority of the bamboo’s rhizome. Our team can also install a suitable ‘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 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 invasion of bamboo or are worried you have Bamboo in Burnham on Sea contact us today at 0117 321 7799 to arrange your free and no-obligation site survey. Our bamboo experts will evaluate and supply you with different solutions dependent on your residential or commercial property and needs.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has worked with the Property Care Association (PCA) to establish the PCA Invasive Weed Control Group (IWCG) trade body for Japanese knotweed specialists, which provides a register of vetted consultants and contractors which can be found here.