Bamboo takes over Jefferson County man's yard; expert provides advice to stop spread

Yahoo

2 days ago

KIMBERLY, Ala. (WIAT) — Bamboo is a plant that can spread fast. Experts said it takes a couple of months for it to take over your yard.
That's exactly what happened to Colby Rickles. He's tried to get rid of it but hasn't been able to. CBS 42 spoke with experts this week from the Alabama Forestry Commission to find out what Rickles needs to do to get his yard back.
Colby Rickles' used to enjoy a paradise. Lately, it's turned into a forest of bamboo.
'You can't get past it,' Rickles said.
The 'massive problem,' as Rickles called it, is not unique to his yard.
Bethany O'Rear, a horticulture expert, said that across Alabama, bamboo is pretty common. Most of the time, it's running bamboo.
'Because they are running, meaning they spread pretty quickly, that's why they are such an issue for us here in Alabama,' O'Rear said.
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O'Rear said to stop the spread, you have to act quickly.
'The first step would be to try to dig those up if possible, making sure you try to get as much of the root mass and rhizome as possible,' O'Rear said.
Digging it up can be easier said than done. So if grabbing or possibly breaking a shovel isn't your thing, there are other options for how to go about getting rid of it.
'A kind of management technique is to use an herbicide,' O'Rear said. 'If you use a 41% glyphosate solution and mix, per the label recommendations, it's pretty effective in helping manage bamboo. One thing that you need to know, though, is you do need to cut that bamboo down, let it flush back with those new leaves, and those are the ones that are most susceptible to take in the herbicide once it applied.'
Most tree or landscaping companies will help deal with bamboo like Rickles has. He said he's going to take the advice CBS 42 shared with him and get to work on clearing his yard.
You can contact the CBS 42 Your Voice Your Station hotline by sending an email to [e-mail] or calling 205-488-4128.
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