Invading bamboo

Five years ago my husband planted a green bamboo which is now totally invading our garden. He didn't put it in a pot even though I told him to! In the meantime it's 12 feet tall, going under a path to reach the opposite side of the garden and creating havoc in my flower bed popping up all over the place. The problem is that he planted it and then put a 10 inch gravel layer on top of the section where the bamboo is. Despite this, it's also growing thru the gravel and even protruding from my rockery. How can I now either kill it off or get it under control without digging up all the gravel? I'm desperate. Any suggestions are very welcome.

 

Kill bamboo with herbicide:

To kill bamboo with herbicide you will need shears, a brush and a pale of herbicide (I have heard that vinegar will work). First, cut the shoot six inches from the ground then within 15 seconds you must paint the herbicide onto the shoot. It is important to paint the herbicide onto the shoot as soon as possible if you do not then you will not kill the bamboo. This is because the sap will retreat back down into the rhizome within 15 seconds and you want the sap to carry the herbicide with it and kill the rhizome. To kill bamboo this way you will want to have only a few shoots.

Kill bamboo by containment and starvation:

I've found this article...hope it helps.

 

Thanks, I'll try that. At least if it works I won't have to dig up all the gravel. If it doesn't then it seems like hard work and the use of muscles will be the order of the day.

 

Bamboos prone to running should always be screened off. The Rhizomes usually only head out sideways to a depth of about a foot. The only way to retain it is if you dig a ditch/trench around it and with a sharp spade cut off all the runners. You then dig a Rhizome barrier in to surround the Bamboo. You can then trace the Runners and dig them out. Good Luck.

 

Yeah, bamboo is well known to be a total thug when it comes to running wild! But Nick is right - vinegar is a great weed killer and it is harmless, eco-friendly and cheap! I sprayed those weeds that always seem to pop up in the driveway and within 3 days they were totally dead! I'm going to get a 2 litre bottle of it and bin all my Roundup and stuff. The heck with the fish'n'chips!

 

Wow! You have a problem with growing bamboo, I have a problem with no-growing bamboo... I don't know why, I can't have bamboo in my garden. I have asked a lot of people but none of their suggestions helped me. Maybe you could help me... Thanks!