If you must tackle the problem yourself or believe it is manageable, then there are known best practices to follow and myths to avoid. By doing so, you can be relatively assured of positive results.

Kicking & Mowing Bayonets Myth

Kicking over or mowing the young cane, aka bayonets, doesn’t stop the roots from continuing to grow even further away and producing even more cane stalks.

The “Roundup” Myth

Some say that when applied to bamboo leaves in an undiluted form, Roundup can be successful in ridding your property of invasive bamboo. Research indicates that for herbicides to be effective, bamboo should be mowed or chopped and allowed to regrow to a height of approximately 3 feet, or until the leaves expand.

Glyphosate applied at a 5% solution or imazapyr at a 1% solution, the active ingredients in Roundup, can then be applied directly to the leaves. We caution against taking this approach for bamboo removal due to the inherent toxicity of chemicals.

Roundup Toxic findings:

• A shocking new report published in the journal Entropy finds that Roundup “weedkiller” may be the most biologically disruptive mutagenic chemical in our environment, responsible for contributing to a wide range of lethal diseases in humans. Read the Article?
• From 2001 to 2009, the French Supreme Court made a verdict and later upheld it that Glyphosate was “dangerous for the environment” and “toxic for aquatic organisms”. [Source: BBC October 2009, Wikipedia 2013]
• “A French court on Monday declared U.S. biotech giant Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer. France, grain grower Paul Francois, 47, says he suffered neurological problems including memory loss, headaches, and stammering after inhaling Monsanto’s Lasso weedkiller in 2004.” [Reuters.com 2/13/12 “Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in France” ​]
• Roundup, An Herbicide, Could Be Linked To Parkinson’s, Cancer, And Other Health Issues, Studies Show [Huffington Post, Reuters 4/25/13, Roundup Herbicide Linked to Parkinson’s ]

While Roundup may be somewhat helpful in slowing bamboo infestation when applied properly, there are no known herbicides that will actually kill bamboo, including Roundup. In fact, not only will Roundup fail to rid you of even surface-level bamboo, you stand a very good chance of poisoning the rest of your surrounding flora, as well as your soil, groundwater (and possibly yourself), whenever using this highly toxic herbicide. If you need to remove or eradicate bamboo, you should avoid using Roundup or any other herbicides.

The most effective, time-proven method for bamboo removal remains organic, chemical-free hard labor, involving the digging out of the entire root structure along with all canes/culms. With a certain amount of muscle power and the necessary tools, bamboo removal and eradication are possible to achieve, yielding lasting results.

The “Tarp” Myth

It has been frequently suggested that cutting down cane stalks and extensively tarping the area for six months will cause everything to rot, and you will be done. Others recommend leaving the tarp in place for five years. In either case, this is not a dependable, precise, or even slightly satisfactory solution for the invasive bamboo removal model to follow.

Firstly, tarps are generally made of plastic or other materials that are easily punctured by the sharp bayonets that pierce the ground and mature into cane stalks. Furthermore, tarps tend to incubate and insulate the rhizomes, keeping them warm and cozy during those cold winter months, resulting in the production of condensate moisture in hot and humid locales. This actually causes plants to grow better and faster, as a result, even if this growth occurs outside of the immediate footprint of the tarp.

So, add more tarp to cover a larger area, right? Just remember, plastic is not biodegradable and is not a feasible solution for invasive running bamboo problems, as it only redirects growth away from the covered area; newer rhizomes continue to crop up indiscriminately, still causing further damage.