Getting Rid of Bamboo | Tarrytown Remodel

Front view of Tarrytown remodel - getting rid of bamboo.

Getting Rid of Bamboo – Tarrytown Remodel

Deferred maintenance had finally come to a breaking point on our 1949 Tarrytown bungalow. The roof had seen better days. The T1-11 siding on the addition was barely hanging on. And, the interior finishes no longer made sense. But, one of the biggest problems we faced was getting rid of bamboo that had overrun the yard.

Back of House and Back Yard two men planning remodel

Jim and Chris surveying the situation from a yard in disarray, and very overrun by a horde of vicious bamboo. This strain of running bamboo was well established when we bought the house in 1971. It had spread all through the back yard. Some was growing under the house in the crawl space!

View of rear of house showing addition with bamboo shoots.

New bamboo sprouts would pop the next day if you just cut off the top. A laborer who was helping us pointed out that bamboo is “hard to die.” Echo that!

So what to do?

Chris removing bamboo roots using pick and power washer.

We started with cutting all the bamboo poles and having the massive amount of greenery hauled away. The creeping bamboo roots are virtually immune to the herbicides people normally use on unwanted plants. In order to get rid of bamboo, you must physically dig up the roots. The good news is that bamboo roots are not deep. They are near the surface.

Chris found that a power washer aimed at some of the big root clumps washed away dirt and exposed them. The big ancient clumps of roots were then pulled out.

The ground was then re-graded to get just the right drainage. New grass sod was laid down. There were no flower beds – just grass. By mowing the grass regularly, new bamboo shoots would not be able to mature. Eventually the energy in the root system will deplete.

By creating an area that would be mowed regularly, we set up a system to prevent the bamboo from coming back.

view of rear of house with bags of bamboo leaves.

Thanks for visiting our post on getting rid of bamboo. Follow more posts as we work through this Tarrytown remodel project. If you’re planning a home remodel, reach out to us. We love to compare notes, and share ideas.

And, if you need somebody, and not just anybody, to help you find a home or get your home sold, we’d love to hear from you! Remodeling is just an occasional diy hobby. We’re full time Realtors with over 30 years experience in Austin real estate.