Why bamboo becomes a removal job
Bamboo removal in Brisbane is one of the jobs people put off until it is twice the size. Bamboo was planted widely as a fast privacy screen, and in south-east Queensland heat and summer rain it does exactly that. The problem is that it does not stop.
- It spreads. Clumping bamboo widens every year. Running bamboo sends rhizomes metres sideways under lawns, paths and fences.
- It lifts things. Dense rhizome mats push up paving, crack edging and move retaining wall blocks.
- It shades out everything else. A thick stand leaves nothing growing beneath it.
- It holds rubbish and pests. Dead culms and leaf litter collect at the base, giving rats and snakes somewhere to live.
- It crosses boundaries. Running bamboo turns up in the neighbour's lawn, which is where many disputes start.
Clumping or running
Clumping bamboo grows from a tight rhizome mass, expanding outward by a few centimetres to tens of centimetres a year. The clump can become very large and extremely dense, but it stays together. Removal means cutting the culms and taking out the root mass.
Running bamboo sends long horizontal rhizomes underground and shoots up wherever they surface. Removing it means finding and removing those runners, which can extend well beyond the visible stand and under structures.
If you are not sure which you have, look at how the culms are spaced. A tight cluster usually means clumping. Culms scattered across a wide area, or popping up in the lawn, usually mean running.
How bamboo is removed
- Cut the culms. The canes are cut at ground level and stacked or bundled. They are hard, hollow and springy, and they do not chip as easily as tree branches.
- Take out the rhizomes. For clumps, an excavator or stump grinder breaks up and lifts the root mass. On tight sites it is dug and cut by hand, which is heavy work. For running bamboo, the runners are traced and dug out.
- Clear the waste. Culms and rhizomes are bulky. They are usually carted rather than chipped on site.
- Deal with regrowth. Expect a few shoots over the following weeks from pieces left behind. Cut them as soon as they appear. Each one cut weakens what is left.
- Consider a barrier. If bamboo stays on the neighbour's side, or you are keeping some, a vertical root barrier along the boundary helps stop it coming back.
Brisbane conditions
Bamboo loves Brisbane. Wet summers and mild winters mean rhizomes regrow quickly, so a half-done job in spring can look like nothing happened by Christmas. Heavy clay makes digging slow and the rhizome mass heavy. In sandier bayside soils rhizomes come out more easily but runners travel further.
Bamboo planted along creeks and drainage lines needs extra care. Disturbing banks can cause erosion, and herbicide near water needs care and may be restricted. Ask the contractor how they will handle it.
Neighbours and boundaries
A lot of bamboo jobs involve two properties. If it is your neighbour's bamboo coming through, talk to them first. Queensland's Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011 sets out how disputes about trees and certain plants between neighbours are handled, and QCAT can make orders. A shared job, done once and properly, usually works out cheaper than each side fighting it separately.
Price
Bamboo removal is priced on the size and density of the stand, whether it is clumping or running, access for machinery, how the rhizomes are removed and how much waste goes. Guide bands are on the prices page. If there are stumps or trees to deal with at the same time, have the stump grinding or tree removal quoted together.