# Cursed Bamboo. Or what to do now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564 "2007-09-26T17:11:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/21 "2007-09-27T13:00:09Z")
I have rhubarb in my garden and it keeps coming back… ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/22 "2007-09-27T13:56:39Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I have rhubarb in my garden and it keeps coming back… [/QUOTE] Rhubarb doesn’t make a very effective privacy screen, unless the neighbors live in the basement. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/23 "2007-09-27T14:49:59Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] Rhubarb doesn’t make a very effective privacy screen, unless the neighbors live in the basement. 😃 [/QUOTE] Don’t fence with me! :eek: I suppose you think my post was planted… :smack: ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/24 "2007-09-27T15:15:21Z")
[QUOTE=glee] Don’t fence with me! :eek: I suppose you think my post was planted… :smack: [/QUOTE] Hm, I was expecting you to bring pie upon your return. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_Stimulus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Digital\_Stimulus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_Stimulus)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/25 "2007-09-27T15:49:29Z")
I love bamboo and look forward to the day I own a house and can plant it. I came across the [Boo Shoot Gardens](http://www.booshootgardens.com/Homepage.cfm) company awhile back (via a [NY Times article](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/05/garden/05garden.html?_r=1&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/R/Raver,%20Anne&oref=slogin)) – their website has a lot of interesting information on it that may be of interest. The owner(s) discovered how to culture bamboo tissue, which was a huge problem in cultivating and selling it commercially. Warning: they seem to have changed the format since I last looked; there are now a _terribly_ annoying number of popups and flash displays that are screwing with Firefox and making it really difficult to navigate. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/26 "2007-09-27T15:50:44Z")
I think **glee** has been bamboozled by this thread. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/27 "2007-09-27T20:01:57Z")
Stay away from Bamboo and Ivy unless you really intend to keep up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/28 "2007-09-27T20:17:58Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] [Call these folks](http://www.endangeredspecies.com/who.htm)! She’s a friend of mine who grows bamboo for various and sundry theme parks, gardens and zoos, corporate places, private residences, and so on. [/QUOTE] I’ve always wanted to meet her and tour her property, but somehow it just never materialized. ☹ Next time you talk to her, mention that I used to work for Bob Greenberg—she’ll know who you’re talking about. Regarding the OP, I recommend simply destroying the bamboo and starting over with a clumper. When you go to buy the new bamboo, feel the culms. If they have an indentation in them, then they are of the genus phyllostachys and are runners. If they do not have an indentation, they are of the genus bambusa and are clumpers. A good choice might be bambusa vulgaris vitatta or perhaps some Alphonse Karr. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/29 "2007-09-27T23:03:16Z")
All you need to do is get some samurai and some ninja and have them duel in your bamboo. It will all get cut down dramatically in short order. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/30 "2007-09-27T23:40:18Z")
I’m doing a little homework for you. Forget the B. vulgaris vittata—too voracious. Not a good idea that close to the house. I think [Alphonse Karr](http://www.bamboogarden.com/Bambusa%20multiplex%20'Alphonse%20Karr'.html) is your best bet. In fact, if you’re anywhere near Simi Valley, I have some in my front yard in a container that you can have for free. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/31 "2007-09-27T23:47:55Z")
[Buddha belly](http://www.mrbamboo.com.au/clumping_bamboo/buddha_belly/buddha_belly.html) would be another excellent choice. I’ve seen clumps of this stuff in the ground not budge an inch over the course of several years. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/32 "2007-09-28T07:26:42Z")
You need to outcompete it. I suggest kudzu and knapweed. ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/33 "2007-09-28T09:00:46Z")
If you’re concerned about the cost and upkeep of giant pandas, goats are cheap and eat anything, I hear. Plus, they’re damned cute. Seriously, though, does anyone know if goats can eat bamboo? What about horses? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/34 "2007-09-28T09:09:05Z")
This question came up on _Gardeners’ Question Time_ two weeks ago on British radio (lest this revelation ruin my street reputation, I am still down wit da kidz, it just happened to be on - that’s my story anyway). The advice was to cut it back and then clip every green shoot, every day, for a year, and it would eventually die. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/35 "2007-09-28T12:32:35Z")
My husband and I are dealing with this very issue with a stand of yellow groove bamboo. Our strategy has been to cut it down with a chain saw and use Round Up on every green shoot that comes up. We’ve been spraying once a week and so far we seem to be winning. It’s been a very dry summer, so I think that has been helping us. As to goats and horses eating it, I’m not sure if they would, since I have no experience, but the stuff is 30 feet tall. It wouldn’t help much even if they did eat it. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/36 "2007-09-28T12:38:19Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] This question came up on _Gardeners’ Question Time_ two weeks ago on British radio (lest this revelation ruin my street reputation, I am still down wit da kidz, it just happened to be on - that’s my story anyway). The advice was to cut it back and then clip every green shoot, every day, for a year, and it would eventually die. [/QUOTE] Gardeners’ Question Time is cool, man. 🆒 Ain’t no question about it - those dudes know their onions. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/37 "2007-09-28T13:12:39Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] If you’re concerned about the cost and upkeep of giant pandas, goats are cheap and eat anything, I hear. Plus, they’re damned cute. Seriously, though, does anyone know if goats can eat bamboo? What about horses? [/QUOTE] That’s the thing - there’s no upkeep! They eat the bamboo! What else is there for upkeep for giant pandas besides that porn they try to get them to have sex with? And I bet you can get a free trial online for that. (Problem is, it’s all in black and white.) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/38 "2007-09-28T21:11:55Z")
[QUOTE=Renee] If you’re concerned about the cost and upkeep of giant pandas, goats are cheap and eat anything, I hear. Plus, they’re damned cute. Seriously, though, does anyone know if goats can eat bamboo? What about horses? [/QUOTE] That’s an idea. Seattle just designated pigmy goats as pets, rather than farm animals.They’d have to learn to climb the 20 foot stalks, but I’ve heard they’re pretty smart. 😃 > [@glee](#): > > Don’t fence with me! > > I suppose you think my post was planted… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/39 "2007-09-29T19:03:53Z")
[QUOTE=picunurse] That’s an idea. Seattle just designated pigmy goats as pets, rather than farm animals.They’d have to learn to climb the 20 foot stalks, but I’ve heard they’re pretty smart. 😃 [/QUOTE] Ha! Our neighbors when I was a kid had three goats. One would lay on the ground, another one would lay on top of the first, and the third would stand with his back legs on both of them and his front hooves (feet?) on their fence to eat the leaves from their trees. I was astounded when I first saw this feat. Smart indeed! ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2007, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564/40 "2007-09-29T19:13:24Z")
[QUOTE=glee] I have rhubarb in my garden and it keeps coming back… [/QUOTE] I swear I didn’t know it was your garden. Please don’t have me whacked, I’ll go quietly now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cursed-bamboo-or-what-to-do-now/420564.md?page=3)