How to Get Rid of Bamboo From Your Yard

Project Overview
  • Working Time: 1 day - 4 wks, 2 days
  • Total Time: 1 day - 52 wks, 1 day
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $0 to 25

Bamboo, a plant native to Southeast Asia and South America, grows surprisingly well in the southern United States. And under the right conditions, bamboo can spread rapidly. Trying to contain one of the "running" types (as opposed to the tamer "clumping" types) is a problem for many gardeners. Want to learn how to get rid of bamboo?

Persistent, natural measures—as opposed to a chemical attack—can safely eradicate the plant. These methods can be used either to turn an unruly bamboo patch into an attractive part of your landscaping or to rid yourself of the invasive plant for good.

Tall bamboo grass growing in front of wall in yard

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

When to Remove Bamboo From Your Yard

Bamboo spreads by rhizomes in the soil, so to eradicate it completely, you must attack not only the aboveground greenery but also the below-the-surface shoots. This requires a diligent effort that must begin in the spring and continue throughout the plant's growing cycle. In mild climates where bamboo thrives, this could mean year-round removal efforts until the grove is eliminated.

What is a rhizome?

Also called creeping rootstalks, rhizomes are underground stems that grow horizontally beneath the surface of the soil. They send up shoots along their length that break through the soil.

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Gardening gloves
  • Pruners
  • Handsaw
  • Lawnmower
  • Garden hose or sprinkler
  • Spade shovel
  • Axe

Materials

  • Tarps or plastic garbage bags
  • Landscaping pins or rocks

Instructions

Materials and tools to remove bamboo from the yard

The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Cutting and Watering Bamboo

Some experts recommend continuously cutting and watering a bamboo grove to eradicate it. This removal method involves cutting the plants to ground level to prevent them from completing photosynthesis. The process might need to be repeated for up to six months to achieve full eradication.

  1. Cut Bamboo to Ground Level

    Cut the bamboo to ground level with pruners or a handsaw. Immature plants that exist on the periphery of the grove can also be mowed down with a lawnmower.

    Bamboo cut at ground level with handsaw

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  2. Water the Area

    Water the area thoroughly with a garden hose or sprinkler.

    Garden hose watering bamboo where removed in yard

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  3. Repeat

    Repeat this cutting (or mowing) and watering process until you've exhausted the roots of their energy store. Eventually, they'll no longer send up new shoots.

    Allow any remaining rhizomes (underground stems that send up new shoots) to rot in the soil.

    Bamboo repeating cutting process at ground level with handsaw

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Digging Up Bamboo

The process of digging up bamboo takes effort, and it can be a year or more until you achieve eradication. Thus, this method is recommended only for smaller patches or clumping varieties. Clumping bamboo does not contain rhizomes, so it's easier to remove from the soil.

  1. Water Bamboo

    Water the bamboo patch with a garden hose or sprinkler. Allow the moisture to soak into the soil for about half an hour.

    Bamboo plant watered with garden hose in yard

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  2. Cut Down Bamboo

    Cut down the bamboo with pruners or a saw, so only a small amount of greenery extends from the earth.

    Bamboo cut at ground level with handheld pruners

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  3. Loosen the Soil

    Using a spade shovel, dig around the base of the bamboo plant to loosen the soil.

    Spade shovel loosening soil from around cut bamboo base

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  4. Pull the Plant Out

    Pull the plant from the ground, rootball and all. For non-clumping varieties, follow the plant's rhizomes as best as you can to remove all of the underground shoots.

    Bamboo rootball removed from the ground

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  5. Break Up Rhizomes

    Use an ax to break up the rhizomes. Remove all pieces of the rhizomes if possible.

    Ax head breaking up bamboo rhizomes from above

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  6. Repeat

    Repeat the process until you've dug up and removed the whole patch.

    Bamboo cut at ground level with handsaw to dig up

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  7. Dig Up New Shoots

    Dig up new shoots once they form, and remove the rhizomes below the surface. Repeat the process until nothing grows back.

    New bamboo roots dug up with shovel and removed

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Smothering Bamboo With Tarps

Another method for ridding your yard of bamboo is smothering the plant with tarps. This typically takes around two months. However, the bamboo might be able to spread beyond the covered perimeter, so you have to closely monitor the situation.

  1. Cut Bamboo

    Using pruners or a handsaw, cut the bamboo to ground level.

    Handsaw cutting base of bamboo

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  2. Cover With Tarps or Garbage Bags

    Cover the entire area with dark plastic tarps or garbage bags. Secure them with landscaping pins, or place rocks on top of the tarps.

    Brown tarps covering area of cut bamboo with rocks

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

  3. Wait

    Wait several weeks or months until the contents below the tarps have suffocated.

    If the covered bamboo patch sends out rhizomes beyond the tarps, creating new sprouts, cut and cover the sprouts immediately. Alternatively, plant other proliferating perennials around the border to create a natural barrier that will crowd out new bamboo shoots.

    Tarp laid out in front of bamboo plants in yard

    The Spruce / Jayme Burrows

Bamboo Removal Tips

When digging up bamboo it might help to have a sifter, so you can sift through the soil to locate stray rhizomes. Any fraction of a rhizome left behind can result in a new shoot.

For the smothering method, consider enlisting the help of buried barriers. You can effectively fence in the bamboo by sinking plastic barriers into the ground around the grove. Barriers should run 30 inches deep and extend a few inches above the ground to prevent rhizomes from weaseling their way over the top. This method also works well if you have a patch of bamboo you want to keep yet control.

Polygonum cuspidatum, also known as Japanese bamboo or Japanese knotweed, is not a true bamboo, but it acts similar to one. You can use the same methods to eradicate this species.

FAQ
  • What is the best killer for bamboo?

    A broad-spectrum herbicide, such as glyphosate, can be an effective way to get rid of bamboo. However, it also will kill other plants it comes in contact with, as well as damage the ecosystem. Plus, it is toxic to humans and animals.

  • Does vinegar kill bamboo?

    Spraying bamboo with vinegar will weaken and eventually kill it if you’re diligent. The acidity in vinegar works by drying up the plant. But you’ll have to keep reapplying it as it wears off and rain washes it away.

  • How do you stop bamboo from growing back?

    Smothering bamboo with tarps and keeping the tarps in place for weeks to months can be an effective way to prevent it from coming back. Regardless of which removal method you choose, you also must be watchful for new sprouts to catch them as soon as possible to prevent spread.

  • Can you remove bamboo with boiling water?

    Yes, boiling water can assist you in removing bamboo. Dig around the plant until you can see the root system and pour boiling water on it. Do this regularly as you see new growth, and you may be able to seriously diminish or even kill the plant entirely.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Growing Bamboo in Georgia. University of Georgia Extension

  2. Glyphosate. ATSDR, United States CDC.