Bamboo Triumphant

Last year I undertook a bamboo eradication effort after my clump of black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) escaped its small, isolated bed between the house and the alley, finding its way through 10 feet / 3m of compressed gravel, cement, retaining walls, building foundation, and pavers, and starting to overrun the shady driveway border. The effort took a pickaxe and dozens of hours of labor, with me digging down 4 feet / 1.33m and rooting out dozens of thick, ropy rhizomes. Despite this effort, I missed a bit and a seven-cane clump of bamboo sprang back last summer and grew to nearly twice the height of the house. I undertook a second effort and removed that as well, locating it to another spot in the yard. I thought I was finally done, but no. Nooooooo:

The seemingly peaceful, unsuspecting, and black-bamboo-free shady driveway border, which last year was overrun with unwanted black bamboo shoots:

 

And lurking behind it, a huge 2" / 5cm wide shoot has pushed its way up through the retaining wall! It grew to this height in about four days. I first noticed it after it knocked over a potted plant in the process of emerging. Behind the shoots is a heavy piece of cement which the shoot just brushed aside.  







At the base of the retaining wall is a small area in pavers where I access the hose bib and sometimes store potted plants. Two more equally large shoots have pushed aside a few pavers. There are a few other lumps in the paved area, so I suspect more bamboo drama awaits.

More pickaxe work is clearly in my near future. Alas.