Massive bamboo removal in front yard
Once upon a time, in February 2010, we planted this clumping timber bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) in the front yard to replace a Bradford pear tree the City of Davis had just removed:
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| Bambusa oldhamii planted in February 2010 from a 5-gallon can |
We wanted a fast-growing plant that would provide shade and privacy far more quickly than a tree would. Bambusa oldhamii did everything we expected, and more. We knew we’d eventually reach a point where removal would become necessary—even a clumping bamboo spreads outward, albeit it in a far more predictable and controlled fashion than a running bamboo. That point was finally reached now.
I’m not good at estimating heights, but based on the height of the house, I’d say the tallest culms were 35 to 40 ft. Here’s a photo of Bambusa oldhamii taken on September 15, 2022:
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| Bambusa oldhamii there |
And a photo taken in the same spot exactly two weeks later:
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| Bambusa oldhamii gone |
The difference is mind-blowing!
The bamboo inside the fence is a different species, Bambusa chungii ‘Barbellata’. It’s much smaller than Bambusa oldhamii, and we still need it for shade and privacy. I will do some judicious thinning, though, to improve its health and appearance.
If you think that I did the work myself, bless your heart, but no, that’s not a job I would even consider doing. We hired our go-to tree service—a big shoutout to Alliance in Woodland—and they took care of it with their usual speed and professionalism. Here are some in-progress photos:
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| Alliance also did work across the street and next door—three jobs at the same time. These guys are good! |
Cutting down the culms didn’t take long, but removing the woody base and roots was another matter. Even with a stump grinder, it took almost four hours. The photos below give you an idea of how much there was to remove:
The hole left by the bamboo is impressive:
So much room for new plantings!
But first I need to fix the fence. Parts of it are rotten from the constant moisture—the pile of bamboo leaves went almost to the top of the fence—and some boards were damaged by the stump grinder, something I’d expected:
Fence boards are on order—precut to 3½ ft. so I don’t have to do any cutting myself. After the fence has been fixed, I’ll order soil and rocks to create several terraces. Then planting can begin.
I have some ideas of what to plant, including larger aloes as well as an assortment of agaves, some barrel cacti, and perennials for pops of color. Needless to say I’ll keep you posted on the progress of what is shaping up to be the biggest gardening project of the year.
UPDATE: Click here to see this area replanted.
© Gerhard Bock, 2022. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.
Wow! That's quite the stump and mess left behind. I bet the amount of light pouring into the front has increased. Prime real estate so look forward to seeing what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteSo much light now! In fact, that was one reason why I waited until now to tackle this project. In the summer, the plants that now receive more light than before would have fried.
DeleteThat was borderline nightmare-ish! I'm glad you had a good tree service. My Albizia keeps sneakily trying to mount a comeback - I hope you don't have that problem.
ReplyDeleteThere are three culms of the Bambusa oldhamii inside the fence, intermixed with the blue bamboo. Those I will cut down almost to the ground and then pour concentrated Roundup into the culms to kill the roots.
DeleteWow. The fire department had our neighbor cut theirs down that was much taller than yours, but right next to and under their wood deck and our wood fence. They let them keep it at 4 feet tall which won’t be possible.
ReplyDeleteThere are still 2 plants planted further down the hill leaning against our fence that are slowly swallowing their landscaping and shading out ours. I wish they’d wise up that these plants will only cause more problems in the future and pose a huge fire threat to their house and ours.
Bamboo is beautiful and I still love it, but it needs to be treated with respect and maintained properly.
DeleteThis is astonishing! Clumping or not, the mound at the base was huge! There is no way anyone could tackle this project without heavy equipment. I say good riddance, and hoorah to new planting opportunities. Did you save any of the bamboo culms?
ReplyDeleteChavli
The base was massive. I had visions of using tiny sticks of dynamite to explode it :-).
DeleteNo, I didn't save any of the culms. Our neighbor cut a few dozen last year and made an ornamental fence in front of his nondescript cedar fence.
That is a terrific company. What a great job they did!
ReplyDeleteThey always do such a good job. Everybody in our neighborhood uses Alliance Tree Service.
Delete"So much room for new plantings!" hahaha
ReplyDeleteAlways an ulterior motive :-)
DeleteThe base of the bamboo--jaw dropping. Wowza. Still--the need for shade in your region's ferocious summers is absolute. The bamboo did its job for 11 years. Now, on to new plant adventures!
ReplyDeleteThat's how I look it. The bamboo performed its service well and was much loved by us and the neighborhood.
DeleteI had to save one of those photos of the base and blow it up large to see just how incredible the mass was, crazy! And to think it all started with that innocent looking little plant...
ReplyDeleteGetting it all out was such back-breaking labor, even with a stump grinder. I felt bad for the guy who did the work--and very grateful.
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