Rhizome Removal

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Lot 112
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Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 9:28 pm
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Location: Los Angeles,CA

Rhizome Removal

Post by Lot 112 »

I made the mistake of planting a Phyllostachys Nigra without a barrier. Even though I have been quite vigilant a rhizome was able to travel a distance from the mother plant & wedge itself under concrete & send up a shoot.

At the time of my previous post I was unable to locate it. I have since located the rhizome & have severed it from the mother plant but I have been unable to successfully remove it.

I have tried various methods & it has lodged itself under the concrete slab & I have not been able to remove it.

How can I successfully remove it?
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needmore
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Re: Rhizome Removal

Post by needmore »

Why do you want to remove it?
Brad Salmon, zone 12B Kea'au, HI
ghmerrill
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Re: Rhizome Removal

Post by ghmerrill »

Keep any greenery chopped off, or spray with roundup, and don't worry about it, it will just decompose.

The only bamboo that I have ever seen push put through solid concrete was black bamboo, its pretty aggressive stuff.... Almost impossible to kill in a situation like what you are showing, it will keep growing due to the heat that the concrete absorbs, and continue causing splits in the concrete. Eventually you just have to shovel the gravel out from where the rhizome is rampaging and dig down far enough to get it out whole, because if you miss any lateral rhizome branches, it just keeps going.
Good thing its not near a house! The warmth attracts the rhizomes even in winter, allowing them to continue growing. Its especialy bad if they can get into a sewer line or some other underground utilities conduit- it gives them a straight shot to the warmth of the house that way. Once they make it in, and into your carpeting, look out!

What kind of bamboo did you say this was?
:lol:

Just in case, I'm not really being serious........
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