How Fast Does Bamboo Spread?

Bamboo Classification

• Bamboos known as "runners" spread quickly, at the rate of several feet per year, while "clumpers" are plants that grow only a few inches annually. Runners are often quite invasive as they are spread by thick, underground stems called rhizomes. These stems may spread more than 100 feet from the mother plant and exhibit extreme resistance to control or herbicide. Still, bamboo runners can be useful for erosion control and ground stabilization.

Bamboo Spread

• Running bamboo possess the potential to cover as much as 50 square feet of earth after as little as five years of introduction to a landscape, so homeowners and landscapers must embark on a diligent campaign to control the spread of this invasive grass: this effort may require years before the bamboo is brought under control. Any section of bamboo that is left untouched has the ability to quickly re-establish itself.

Management

• Removal of the bamboo rhizome and of as much of the root system as possible is a vital strategy in bringing bamboo under control. Rhizomes grow only about 1 foot deep in the soil and may be managed by hand; however, larger infestations of bamboo often requires the use of power tools. Containing the bamboo through a barrier of metal, concrete or plastic -- inserted about 18 inches deep into the earth -- is an effective means of blocking bamboo spread.

Herbicide

• A consistent mowing program helps to control the spread of bamboo over an extended period of time; the grass does not tolerate frequent mowing well, but two to three years of this type of mowing will be necessary to manage the bamboo successfully. A variety of herbicides may be utilized to slow the spread of bamboo, however, this technique will also require two to three years of work before containment is realized.