I did a portable job yesterday, there was bamboo on the jobsite. The client said that the previous owner had planted it, and he was fighting a constant battle to keep it from spreading.
Behind his shed was a pile of forgotten decaying firewood, walnut firewood. There was no bamboo growing within several feet of it. This got me to thinking, and I suggested that he spread the walnut sawdust from our milling in the bamboo to see if it might kill it.
Some further research last night tells me that the chemical in walnut that kills other plants is called juglone, and that it breaks down quickly when exposed to air or water, so sawdust may not be the best thing to use. Maybe stakes cut from the slabs and driven into the ground?
I spoke with a horticulturalist friend and she suggested that it may work. She suggested cutting it to ground level, putting walnut chunks in the ground and then covering the area with black poly sheeting to deprive it of sunlight.
I'm curious if anyone has ever tried anything like this, or if you've seen bamboo growing near black walnut?
Just remember, it was my idea...... I want a 5% royalty! ;D
I'd suggest planting some walnut trees, as I think the effect on plants comes from the leaves/nuts/and crown effects on the ground below.
Not to suggest that I think the other attempts might not work. ;)
Pretty sure that cutting it to ground level and covering with black poly would do the trick itself. ;)
Of course then you have a yard of black poly. ;D
I think you should try various walnut uses on its own - reasearch! :P
I have bamboo at our rental property, planted by the previous owner of the house. Toughest stuff I've ever seen to control or kill. You can cut it off at ground level, but the root that is left will still sprout a new stalk. If you pull it up, ALL must be taken out, including any roots. It does not need light to grow, as I have some growing between the inner and outer walls of the garage! It's unbelievably hearty. I think the only way to be rid of it is a backhoe. I would never, ever plant it in a residential setting.
Juglone is produced by the roots. I have a bunch of walnut trees that I planted. Around those trees there are no dandelions or plantain. It goes out as far as the roots. Grass grows well, and bamboo is a grass.
Putting sawdust down or stakes probably won't do the trick.
Slice the stalks in half and pour Ortho in the shoot. Probably kill the bamboo and anything else nearby. Ortho is the only stuff I've seen that can kill a tree down to the stump. Other than that, start digging.
Ortho makes many products. Which one are you suggesting to pour on the sliced bamboo. :)
I use Ortho Weed-B-Gon, but not sure that is the one you suggest.
I agree with RON WENRICH. In this area, black walnut is known as a good pasture because grass grows well underneath it, and as Ron says bamboo is a grass. Juglone is a chemical secreted by living walnut roots.
Thanks guys. I know bamboo is a grass, and generally grasses are not effected by juglone. My friend suggested the cut-spike-and cover approach since it would attack the plant on multiple fronts.
From what I've been able to find in researching this, it appears that bamboo is resistant to most herbicides because it grows so fast. It simply grows faster than the herbicides and act.
I'd still like to give it a try. I'll save up some walnut slabs and see if someone will let me test it out. There are lots of bamboo groves nearby. People didn't know any better and planted it for privacy, and now they regret it. If this works I'm sure there would be a market for it. Cheaper and less destructive than having a backhoe dig up 16" of soil.
Isn't juglone a growth retardant and not actually a herbicide
I think it depends on the species. I know that tomatoes and potatoes don't do well around walnut trees. I don't think it kills them, just retards the growth.
In the woods, I've seen that there many times there is no understory present, even around small trees. This is more the type of woody understory. Some of that has to do with sunlight, but I'm thinking that maybe it acts as an herbicide to woody species.
Delaware Jack, I wonder where the 16 inches of dirt goes? ::) When my leech field was put in I had one piece of bamboo come up. I gave that guy a talking too. :D I pulled it up real easy and none came back. I was lucky. I hate that stuff. Once you have it,you're had it.
I wonder too. Could some clear plastic be put down in the summer,bury the edges with soil to keep the heat in and cook that stuff to death?
I tried the plastic thing and it didn't work. Ive also tried weed killers none ever eradicated it either. A guy I know who sprayed herbicides for the state told me if you spray it while its flowering it will kill it off but I dont know why that would work either. Someone at out local state college told me no plant in the world can with stand constant tillage. You could try a multi facited approach and just keep at it I suppose.
That stuff is tough,if you can't cook it.
Quote from: beenthere on February 26, 2013, 09:48:56 PM
Ortho makes many products. Which one are you suggesting to pour on the sliced bamboo. :)
I use Ortho Weed-B-Gon, but not sure that is the one you suggest.
The stump killer stuff they make.
Good luck Jack!!!
The way I removed the bamboo from my parents' yard is probably more invasive than what you intend. I moved the forks about 14" apart on the Kubota tractor's FEL and used them as a shovel to go right under the roots. This also works well for popping out small weed trees. It took about 1/2 an hour to remove a clump that had been growing for 35 years. I shook most of the soil off of the roots prior to removing the plants. It was not bad to level out and grass grew over the area in no time. Caveman
caveman,what did you do with the roots,burn them? There was a guy at work that has some on his side of the road. The wife cut it back at the end of the year and threw the cut offs with the blossoms across the road. It comes up on that side now. :o
Best method I've seen :D
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10460/P1020456.JPG)
When our old house burnt down the ex was adamant the bamboo had to go >:(
20 ton digger to flatten it, and burying it under 20ft of fill from the new house site... It didn't come back. ;D
Ian
Ian-Exactly! That's the only way I could control mine. That stuff is the smiley_devil.
Is this Japanese Knotweed, A bamboo "lookalike' your refering to?
Here is my method of attack,
1. Let it grow to full size, second week of June is about right, Then cut it down to the ground, flat.
2. Let it grow back up, Then, in September, before the killing frost, spray it with " round up"
I spray after the full moon,
The next spring you will see a big difference is how much is there.
What has been done is you have taken 2 years worth growing effort away from it, and gave it a shot of poison for the winter.
I have cleaned up patches of it successfully with this.
Answer: Black walnut (Juglans nigra) has a reputation for being allelopathic--that is, for inhibiting the growth of other plants. Small amounts of juglone are released by the tree roots, but a far greater amount of this growth inhibiting chemical is found under the canopy of the tree. Some plants that are tolerant to juglone include: arborvitae, bamboo (and other ornamental grasses) cedar, catalpa, clematis, daphne, elm, euonymous, forsythia, hawthorn, hemlock, sycamore, astilbe, begonia, bellflower, orange hawkweed, hosta, pansy, phlox, marigold, primrose, snowdrop, sweet woodruff, trillium and zinnia. Since the walnut trees are there to stay, try to plant one of the less-susceptible plants in the vicinity of the trees roots or canopy. Avoid plants that are sensitive to juglone, including apple, blackberry, pear and blueberry, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, pepper, potato and tomato. Landscape plants sensitive to juglone include azalea, birch, honeysuckle, hydrangea, larch, lilac, magnolia, maple, pine, potentilla, rhododendron, spruce and viburnums. :D [copy &Answer: Black walnut (Juglans nigra) has a reputation for being allelopathic--that is, for inhibiting the growth of other plants. Small amounts of juglone are released by the tree roots, but a far greater amount of this growth inhibiting chemical is found under the canopy of the tree. Some plants that are tolerant to juglone include: arborvitae, bamboo (and other ornamental grasses) cedar, catalpa, clematis, daphne, elm, euonymous, forsythia, hawthorn, hemlock, sycamore, astilbe, begonia, bellflower, orange hawkweed, hosta, pansy, phlox, marigold, primrose, snowdrop, sweet woodruff, trillium and zinnia. Since the walnut trees are there to stay, try to plant one of the less-susceptible plants in the vicinity of the trees roots or canopy. Avoid plants that are sensitive to juglone, including apple, blackberry, pear and blueberry, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant, pepper, potato and tomato. Landscape plants sensitive to juglone include azalea, birch, honeysuckle, hydrangea, larch, lilac, magnolia, maple, pine, potentilla, rhododendron, spruce and viburnums. Copy & Past
If you have cows or goats you will have a hard time having bamboo. they will live of the new shoots.