Phyllostachys Aurea bamboo culms — P. Aurea

Bamboo problems,
solved permanently.

Complete rhizome removal, containment, and care across the greater Seattle area. Guaranteed — and never with poison in your soil.

For twenty years, we've solved bamboo problems the right way. We solve problems that do not cause new ones. We answer questions that help you rather than helping our business.

Email for a free estimate Read the FAQ

Our Blog Rapport de Terrain — Field notes →

Before you try anything — read this.

Poison, plastic sheeting, cutting, tarping are all the same, none of these methods work on established and invasive growth. They often make the problem significantly worse. Bamboo conserves energy and is a pervasive plant that responds to control attempts by traveling deeper and farther underground.

"There is no chemical known to man that will kill bamboo rhizomes. Whenever the plant is threatened, it responds with more aggressive growth underground."

— Seattle Bamboo Read our Blog — Rapport de Terrain — Field notes

What we do

Bamboo services, what we can do for you.

Bamboo Consulting

We consult with residential and commercial property owners as well as exotic gardens in the US and Europe. Free telephone and email consults, as well as fee-based on-site consults from $250.

Bamboo Maintenance

Thinning out dead and diseased culms, twice-yearly fertilizing, exploring for rhizome travel, and suggesting ideal watering schedules.

Bamboo Removal

Comprehensive service to remove and replace with less aggressive evergreen plant species, even rebuilding the fence that the bamboo destroyed.

Bamboo Planting

We have a fee-based consulting service for those who want to plant bamboo.

Frequently asked questions

View all questions →

Removal Rhizomes Containment Species Hiring us

Complete removal of all rhizomes under the ground. Any other approach — poisoning, smothering, cutting the culms — makes the problem worse. Bamboo stores enormous energy in its rhizomes and responds to attack by traveling farther and deeper.

We will answer this question in far more detail based on your personal experience. But first:

Contact the neighbor in writing — leave a note on their front door. Inform them that their bamboo rhizomes have shown up on your property as evidenced by the canes shooting in your garden or lawn. Help them understand that the problem may be far greater, as underground rhizomes often travel without producing above-ground growth. No one knows where the underground rhizomes are until excavation begins.
Do NOT cut the shoots — they will lead you to the rhizomes without digging up your entire garden or lawn.
Not cutting new shoots is the best advice, as the rhizomes do not travel farther afield until the shoots are mature and leafed out. The rhizome, luckily for us, cannot do two things at once.
Dig out all rhizomes that can be located on your property.
Then you may need a professional to advise what to do to avoid the return of the neighbor's bamboo to your property.
If they are unresponsive you may need an attorney. In 20 years we have seen very few cases ever go to court, especially if you have expert advice in the form of a consult and report — which we provide your attorney for a fee.

We will answer this question in far more detail based on your personal experience. But first:

If the neighbor has contacted you — you need to act to avoid attorney costs and additional problems.

There are so many variables that we prefer to consult with you about the history. Please call or email us.

Barriers do not stop underground rhizome growth, they merely deflect and redirect it. If there is an issue with neighbors — their bamboo on your property, or yours on theirs — barrier placement can cause serious problems in the near future. Bamboo barrier was never meant to be placed around or near mature groves.

Yes. Wherever we dig, we guarantee it bamboo free — forever. There are no limitations to our guarantee, and there never have been in 20 years of serving the greater Seattle area.

Bamboo problems,solved permanently.