Everything You Should Know About Bamboo in Chippenham

Bamboo has been continuously growing in appeal for some UK property owners in the previous ten years, having said that, unknown to many it is an active and fast-growing plant that is really incredibly troublesome to contain and regulate. In the event that anyone has or believes they have Bamboo in Chippenham at that point, we suggest you seek advice from an expert like Green Leaf Remediation who will suggest a plan in order to ensure that it does not grow out of control.

Bamboo is known and adored for its attractive look and frequently its quick growth which ensures privacy in overlooked gardens in cities, towns and suburban areas, and many homeowners plant it without understanding its speedy growth and capability to spread out and take over other vegetation. You really should be incredibly cautious of planting it or taking on a property in which it is present before seeking expert advice as it is now understood that a number of types of bamboo are extremely invasive and remarkably challenging to manage.

The UK Invasive Weed Control Industry is being contacted more and more to remove and control bamboo where it has been cultivated at a residential or commercial property without realising just how it will quite likely take control of, as well as where it has extended from an adjoining garden. Experts have pointed out, that invasive bamboo is becoming a major predicament for British property owners that might not have understood its growth speed and its invasiveness if not efficiently managed. Sometimes, the ‘running’ bamboo varieties can extend as much as 30ft underground in addition to their extensive above-ground growth.

Several mortgage lenders in the UK and The RICS (The Royal Insitute Of Chartered Surveyors) are remarkably averse to lending on a property where Japanese Knotweed exists or has been present, and more and more, are now realising that bamboo is also a huge problem. Yet is still unrecognised by plenty of homeowners as an invasive weed that can easily grow out of control if not planted correctly and managed.

Bamboo seeds can still easily be purchased online or from garden centres throughout the UK and this is adding to the issue that homeowners are still unaware of the implications of sowing and not regulating it. This regularly leads to it growing out of control and taking over the other flowers and vegetation in a garden and perhaps even spreading to other homeowners’ gardens and land.

Green Leaf Remediation have seen a substantial surge in the number of enquiries being received from worried homeowners who have planted bamboo and unintentionally allowed the plant to grow out of control. Our UK weed professionals will evaluate the growth and suggest our best control and eradication solutions providing you peace of mind that it will not take control of your garden. Contact us at 0117 321 7799, right away and we can arrange a free, and no-obligation site survey.

Bamboo in Chippenham Questions & Answers

Is Bamboo a prohibited 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 constraints when growing it, having said that, the weed control industry is advising that bamboo can be as unpredictable as Japanese Knotweed with the exact same ability to spread, quickly grow and infest large 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 about them where their bamboo has been permitted to disperse onto their homes and turn into a severe problem for them. There are different varieties of bamboo plants and some are a lot more invasive and harmful than others.

What types of Bamboo are there?

Both the clumping and running types have huge underground root and rhizome systems, making them remarkably very difficult to control and eliminate without employing an invasive plant consultant like Green Leaf Remediation.

Running Bamboo is the kind that disperses rapidly over as well as below ground. It spreads long, lateral rhizomes (root system), that can easily often reach up to 30ft from the main plant. This brings about the plant very quickly spreading with fresh shoots and growth developing in new areas or onto other land or property causing disruption all around.

Due to the distance running bamboo is able to spread, it has been said that it can have the potential to become more damaging than Japanese knotweed and it has quite similar capabilities to exploit and push through damaged or cracked masonry, drains pipes, wall structures and patio areas causing more damage as it flourishes.

Clumping Bamboo is understood as being less intrusive than running bamboo, even so, if it is left uncontrolled and unmanaged it can easily spread and quickly grow out of control.

If sowing bamboo you should always check with a specialist regarding the type you choose, together with planting it in containers or with sturdy root barrier systems in position in order to contain it to the location you want it for, which in turn will protect against the likelihood of it spreading.

Contact Green Leaf Remediation & Garden Sevices on 0117 321 7799 to book your free and no-obligation site survey.

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

Clump-Forming Bamboo – This particular type of bamboo features a root mass very similar to normal 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 develop. This underground stem stretches and shoots up another cane 60-80cm beyond the initial planting site enabling it to rapidly spread. This is why a bamboo’s roots should be contained by a root barrier system or in a suitable container to prevent it from spreading aggressively and colonising parts 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

Types of Running Bamboo

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

How quickly does Bamboo in Chippenham grow?

This all depends upon the variety of bamboo as well as the environmental factors of the local area, soil, air, water and overall ground conditions. Bamboo is known to be an exceptionally unpredictable plant which means you must take exceptional care and guidance from a specialist if growing it or purchasing a residential or commercial property where it exists.

Typically:
Running Bamboo has a tendency to grow to its full-grown height exceptionally quickly and spread out aggressively. Many can grow up to 8 metres while others just make it to 1 metre, turning it into 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 annually up until they get to their maximum growing height.

Clump-forming bamboo tends to progress to lower than 5 metres high due to its modest culms however they may grow equally as wide over time if not effectively regulated. The new canes of clump-forming bamboo can easily grow up to 30-45cm taller every year up until it achieves its maximum height. You should still be extremely cautious before planting clump-forming bamboo and it should always be planted in strong pots or using a root barrier system.

What is the Bamboo culm?

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 Bamboo in Chippenham invasive?

Bamboo is incredibly invasive and like Japanese Knotweed, it spreads using its root system and will certainly be invasive unless controlled by a specialist like Bamboo in Chippenham. Bamboo is remarkably robust meaning it really will grow in most soils and in extreme climate conditions.

Bamboo has now gained its negative reputation for reckless planting if planting along with the correct control methods in place, but 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 drive up to create the canes. Running bamboo will cover ground quicker than a clump-forming bamboo type and often surprises homeowners at how rapidly it expands just like Japanese knotweed.

What types of soil does Bamboo do well in?

Bamboo is incredibly robust and not at all fussy when it comes to soil type. This may be an advantage if planted for the correct reasons and appropriately controlled.

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

Very few individuals understand that bamboo is grass, nonetheless, most of the fast-growing invasive bamboo types have a very tree-like appearance and thus are often referred to as bamboo trees. Their stems may be just about anything from a few centimetres in height and as much as 8 metres within only 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 Chippenham at your home, it can be grown in pots or containers depending on which kind they are. Growing them in a pot or container will most likely prevent them from spreading out and cultivating your property.

Can Bamboo decrease the value of a property?

Bamboo in Chippenham 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 residential or commercial property due to its particularly invasive and unpredictable characteristics.

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

Is Bamboo harmful to humans?

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

Is Bamboo stronger than timber?

Bamboo is known to be 2-3 times harder than most hardwoods and this is known from the Janka Hardness Test which is worked with for categorising timber 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 Bamboo green in the winter months?

Most types of bamboo are evergreen thus they continue being green and vibrant all throughout the winter months when most other plants have died back and this has helped to make them extremely appealing to homeowners that don’t understand their invasive growth. They may shed a few leaves during the year but it will not be a significant amount.

The Property Care Association Bamboo Comments

Dr Peter Fitzsimons of the Property Care Association, a trade body representing invasive weed control contractors and consultants, said bamboo are “woody” grass that has commercial value in their native home. However, he said that in the UK the plant has characteristics similar to those of an “alien invasive species”. A few of those qualities consist of being fast-spreading, prevailing over native vegetation and being resistant to natural predators, for example, 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.”.

Who are 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 impacting properties and property in general.

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, 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 being visually pleasing and is a fantastic plant to apply if you are looking for privacy in an area. Nevertheless, our team advise extreme caution and our team would certainly not advise growing Bamboo in Chippenham in a conventional domestic garden because of its invasive root growth. It will spread out underground 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, nevertheless, it isn’t yet unlawful to do so. Japanese Knotweed is well known by house owners as being an invasive weed. However, Bamboo seeds and plants are still widely sold throughout the UK but have 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 unpleasant Bamboo in Chippenham is and our experts have actually helped a lot of clients who were initially not aware of its destructive and unpredictable nature whenever they first planted it, or when they first brought their home to remove and manage their bamboo infestation.

It is typically planted along borders in or around a structure to provide personal privacy to a residential property. Over the last couple of years, our experts have indeed observed how this has led to numerous unpleasant and avoidable conflicts with neighbours whenever the bamboo has expanded out of control onto their property.

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 needed. There are over 100 species of bamboo, with in excess of 30 or so varying varieties generally found in the UK.

Our fundamental Bamboo summary

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 on the planet and will quickly colonise new land, and in doing so, 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 remove if you are not an expert. Once a bamboo rhizome has developed itself within the soil or between a solid structure, removing it is the same as trying to take out a rope from a solid block of concrete.

Green Leaf Remediation provide several removal and control solutions when it comes to bamboo. Each infestation will have its own difficulties and our specialists are going to work out the most effective removal and management methods depending on your property and site.

In most situations, we use an excavator to take out the majority of the bamboo’s rhizome (roots). Our team can also install an appropriate ‘root barrier’ which avoids the rhizome from continuing to spread out within your own and neighbouring residential properties. If you would like some of the bamboo plants to stay then our experts will offer you a control and management solution so they can remain without spreading into locations you don’t want them to.

About Us

We are an invasive weed management business with over 10 years of experience in the weed management control industry. We are a fully qualified Japanese Knotweed Certificated Surveyor (JKCS) through the Property Care Association & NPTC qualified Chainsaw Operator.

We primarily specialise in the treatment and control of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica), and other invasive plant species, including bamboo and ‘general nuisance weeds’ from residential and commercial premises and property development sites.

We cover the whole of the South West (including Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Chippenham, and the Forest of Dean) and up into Worcestershire.

If you have an infestation of Bamboo in Chippenham contact us today at 0117 321 7799 to arrange your complimentary and no-obligation site survey. Our bamboo professionals will evaluate and provide you with different solutions depending on your residential or commercial property and needs.