Invasive bamboo cost £10k to remove from Knutsford gardens

Homeowner Isobel Chetwood wasn’t aware that tenants next door had planted bamboo along their adjoining boundary.

It was only when shoots began to appear in a raised bed she had designated for strawberry plants that she discovered there was a problem.

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She began to cut down the new growth, but it was a losing battle as the plant took hold.

Knutsford homeowner Isobel Chetwood only realised there was a problem when bamboo shoots began to appear in a raised bed she had designated for strawberry plants (Image: Environet)

Isobel said: “The bamboo shoots started appearing prolifically and I could see it was clearly coming from next door.

“My raised bed is constructed of brick and heavy wooden sleepers but in no time at all the bamboo was forcing its way beneath the sleepers, pushing them apart.”

Bamboo is popular for its screening qualities but it spreads faster than Japanese knotweed (Image: Environet)

The encroachment spread into three gardens and cost £10,000 to remove.

Invasive plant specialist Environet warns that bamboo grows faster and further than Japanese knotweed, and can trigger disputes with neighbours.

The plant’s aggressive spread via long lateral roots extending up to 30ft from the parent plant.

Bamboo can push through brickwork, drains, patios and cavity walls (Image: Environet)

Hardy, fast-growing and tolerant of most soil types, bamboo is popular for its screening qualities, creating privacy in overlooked gardens.

Commonly planted in borders and along boundary fences, it has the ability to push through brickwork, drains, patios, cavity walls and even cracks or weaknesses in concrete.

After Isobel alerted the landlord of the property next door of the problem, he treated the infestation with weedkiller.

But that only focused the plant’s energy on growing more vigorously in Isobel’s garden and new shoots began to emerge at an alarming rate.

Isobel said: “I commissioned Environet to carry out a survey of the infestation and sent it to the landlord.

“I think that’s when he realised we needed professional help. “Fortunately, his landlord’s insurance covered the cost of excavating the bamboo on my side of the fence, but he had to pay for the removal on his side since it had been deliberately planted by tenants.

“I’d advise anyone thinking about planting bamboo to avoid it at all costs.”

Using a mechanical digger, Environet excavated enough bamboo root and rhizome to fill two entire skips.

The patio had to be dug up to remove the extensive network of bamboo runners embedded underneath. The work cost around £10,000.

Nic Seal, founder and managing director of Environet, said: “Bamboo encroachment is one of the most common problems we deal with, since unlike knotweed, it’s still being and sold in garden centres with no warning of the risks.

“It might take 10 years, but most types will become invasive eventually.

“Since it’s usually planted along boundaries, it can very quickly lead to legal disputes which are expensive to resolve.”