Laborer needed ... this bamboo grove has got to go!

I actually removed all of the bamboo from 2 different plots in my backyard last month. It wasn't THAT hard. It took my wife & I two days, maybe 15hrs each, and 2 dump runs with my truck. The 2 plots were only about 20ft apart and definitely interconnected by roots underground (cement in between). So I have a feeling the remaining roots could reemerge again; it's always popping up in nearby areas anyways. But I am going to simply cement the open/empty plots where they used to live...

How matted were your rhisomes?  Apparently I have a really aggressive variety which gets very tightly matted.

-Allen

Lop it off at a foot and cut that shit up with a bigass napalm sawzall blade and sledge w/ implements like a pizza and rip it out with a truck!   .357..........

.357.

I think that's too cheap Ben.  BTW, Eddy's in Mountain View has new S&W 686+'s in stock for ~$900.

But to put this in perspective, without yet seeing it, the bamboo company estimated that this could be $2-3K for a complete removal.  This is based on a full crew taking 2-3 days to do the removal, and includes renting a dumpster and taking care of hauling.  They are coming over tomorrow to do a consultation.

BTW, apparently barriers have an effective lifespan of ~10 years.  Do I really want to be dealing with this nightmare over and over again?  As you can probably tell, I'm really leaning towards HELL NO.

More to come ...

-Allen

I'm screwed.

I took some time looking at the foundation issue in the area this morning.  There is excess moisture coming from somewhere, and in fact I can see seepage in the area.  The bamboo is seeking this moisture, which is what is causing it to escape.  I had a bamboo expert come by today and he was surprised by how big and healthy my grove was given its age and asked me how much I watered it.  When I told him barely, it all started adding up.  Where the heck is this moisture coming from?

Next step, getting someone to come out to take a look at the crack in my foundation.   

-Allen

Bamboo is VERY strong stuff ... it can easily break water pipes under foundations & the water will case the bamboo to grow faster & allow it to cause more damage.  Vicious cycle!  Have you noticed any large increase in your water usage?

Bamboo is VERY strong stuff ... it can easily break water pipes under foundations & the water will case the bamboo to grow faster & allow it to cause more damage.  Vicious cycle!  Have you noticed any large increase in your water usage?

No large increases in water uses, and the only water line going by there is sprinkler feed, and would only carry water when the sprinkler is on.

I think there might be more going on here, as from the patched cracks in the area, this has been an issue for awhile.  I do live in a flood hazard area so there may be a water table issue.

-Allen

Bamboo is VERY strong stuff ... it can easily break water pipes under foundations & the water will case the bamboo to grow faster & allow it to cause more damage.  Vicious cycle!  Have you noticed any large increase in your water usage?

No large increases in water uses, and the only water line going by there is sprinkler feed, and would only carry water when the sprinkler is on.

I think there might be more going on here, as from the patched cracks in the area, this has been an issue for awhile.  I do live in a flood hazard area so there may be a water table issue.

-Allen

Could be.  I do have some areas in my yard where it tends to stay damp all the time & I still scratch my head every time I see those areas since there are no water lines nearby & I can't remember peeing there so 

Still sounds like the first step is getting the bamboo out so you can better assess the water/damage situation.  I'd lend a hand but I am stretched to the max already!

So...escapees moving in the direction of your house then?

So...escapees moving in the direction of your house then?

In 3 years of the past 6 years, they have, in 2 of the past 6 years they moved out the seam, which is away from the house.  And this year it sort of moved towards the foundation crack.  Luckily, I've had no complaints from the neighbor yet.

-Allen

So...escapees moving in the direction of your house then?

In 3 years of the past 6 years, they have, in 2 of the past 6 years they moved out the seam, which is away from the house.  And this year it sort of moved towards the foundation crack.  Luckily, I've had no complaints from the neighbor yet.

-Allen

Any chance the water source is your neighbor(s)?

So...escapees moving in the direction of your house then?

In 3 years of the past 6 years, they have, in 2 of the past 6 years they moved out the seam, which is away from the house.  And this year it sort of moved towards the foundation crack.  Luckily, I've had no complaints from the neighbor yet.

-Allen

Any chance the water source is your neighbor(s)?

It's on my list to check, but they have a driveway on the other side of the fence, so it would have to seep all the way under that.

-Allen

Just an update ...

I think I know where the water is coming from.  I never see that side of the house as it is facing the neighbors. It turns out there is a down spout right on the other side of the fence. It drains the gutter that handles that whole 1/2 of the house.  It's just flooding that area.  Also the neighbors downspout spills directly on their driveway and likely washes across it into this area.  That whole drainage needs to be fixed.

If that can be fixed appropriately, I'd like to keep the bamboo grove as it keeps the neighbors from looking directly down into my backyard from their second story.

So here is the plan.  Dig up the grove and save some clusters off to the side.  This area needs to be cleared so that the foundation work can be done.  Get the foundation fixed and get the drainage problem fixed.  Re-plant the bamboo, and redo the barrier, although I'll make the grove smaller to give me more clearance towards the fence, house, and storm door to the basement.

Damn, this quickly became complicated, and expensive.   Grrrr...

-Allen

Can you just add a drop to the downspout on the oposite end of the gutter system & then block off that downspout?  Or install catch barrels at the downspout end & start your own aquaculture project! 

Can you just add a drop to the downspout on the oposite end of the gutter system & then block off that downspout?  Or install catch barrels at the downspout end & start your own aquaculture project! 

Fixing the drainage issue is going to the the easy part here.  It's the other shit that concerns me.

-Allen

Fur sure the structural aspect of the foundation that can be worrisome.  Best of luck!