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Neighbor planted bamboo that is spreading into my yard

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What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Massachusetts

My neighbor planted bamboo on his property as a natural barrier between his yard and mine. The problem is that the bamboo is spreading like crazy. I regularly have to go cut it back when it spreads onto my property. I understand and respect his right to have the bamboo plated on his land but it's becoming a real nuisance to me. I've tried asking him to kindly keep the bamboo from spreading to my yard but he is less than cooperative. Is there legally anything I can do or do I just have to put up with cutting it back when it grows out onto my property?
 


TheGeekess

Keeper of the Kraken
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Massachusetts

My neighbor planted bamboo on his property as a natural barrier between his yard and mine. The problem is that the bamboo is spreading like crazy. I regularly have to go cut it back when it spreads onto my property. I understand and respect his right to have the bamboo plated on his land but it's becoming a real nuisance to me. I've tried asking him to kindly keep the bamboo from spreading to my yard but he is less than cooperative. Is there legally anything I can do or do I just have to put up with cutting it back when it grows out onto my property?
You could talk to your neighbor about installing a barrier. :cool:
To prevent a running bamboo from spreading, a “rhizome barrier” is essential. A barrier two or three feet deep is effective. It should be slanted outward at the top so that when the rhizomes hit the barrier they will bend upwards. A barrier does not stop a running rhizome; it only deflects it. The barrier should project an inch or two above ground level. Check the barrier once a year, and cut off rhizomes that arch over the top.

Barriers can be concrete, or metal, or plastic. The usual recommendation is high-density polypropylene, 40 mil or heavier, glued or taped at junctions, or clamped with stainless-steel clamps. This material comes in rolls, or as hinged sections, and is available from some landscape suppliers and bamboo nurseries, frequently termed root barrier. More elaborate barriers with corner posts that hold the material at the proper angle are also available.
http://www.bamboo.org/GeneralInfoPages/ControllingBamboo.html
 

NC Aggie

Member
I think TheGeekess provided you with some good information. However, legally, I don't know if you have any recourse to prevent him from growing this bamboo if he's not coming onto your property. Your best bet would be to talk to him about the matter and see if the both of you can work together to prevent the migration of the bamboo onto your property.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Contact your local municipal authority. Bamboo may be considered a nuisance issue which the municipality has ordinances addressing.


Outside of that, if everything else fails, I would attempt litigation. While a plant is generally considered your problem if it crosses the property line, bamboo is a special issue. It is not natural to the area so that means he caused the issue you are having. I would think it might be able to be argued his actions are tortious; trespass

If everything else fails, plan on moving and plant kudzu all over the place. If you think bamboo is bad, just try eradicating kudzu.



btw: that last part about the kudzu was just a joke.
 

Ohiogal

Queen Bee
Contact your local municipal authority. Bamboo may be considered a nuisance issue which the municipality has ordinances addressing.


Outside of that, if everything else fails, I would attempt litigation. While a plant is generally considered your problem if it crosses the property line, bamboo is a special issue. It is not natural to the area so that means he caused the issue you are having. I would think it might be able to be argued his actions are tortious; trespass

If everything else fails, plan on moving and plant kudzu all over the place. If you think bamboo is bad, just try eradicating kudzu.



btw: that last part about the kudzu was just a joke.
Why can't he just sell the bamboo? That way he can profit off the bamboo on his property.
 

justalayman

Senior Member
Why can't he just sell the bamboo? That way he can profit off the bamboo on his property.
Well, that is definitely looking for the silver lining and opportunities in life. That would be a great idea if he would want to do it.

Maybe he could sell it to anybody whose property is adjacent to the guy that started this mess. That way his property would be inundated from all sides.:eek::D
 

154NH773

Senior Member
Copied From a Google search:
Keeping bamboo from spreading

A solid barrier wall in the ground completely surrounding the grove is the simplest and surest way to contain running bamboos. It takes work to install, but far less than removing unwanted bamboo. In China, a deep ditch of water is sometimes used because bamboo won’t grow in saturated soil. Contrary to common opinion, mowing off new shoots that appear where they're not wanted will not necessarily stop bamboo from spreading. The people at the USDA in Savannah told me that despite constant mowing around each of their plantings, rhizomes would routinely spread under the grass and eventually push up new culms in unmowed areas 20 ft. to 30 ft. away.

I make barriers from rolls of thin fiberglass sheet, normally used to cover greenhouses. I use Kalwal, which is made and sold by Solar Components Corp. (88 Pine St., Manchester, NH 03105; 800-258-3072). It can be bought in a variety of widths and lengths, and sells for $1.19 per sq. ft. plus shipping.

In my sandy soil, where the nutrients are in the top 12 in., a barrier extending about 18 in. underground is sufficient, in other conditions, barriers at least 24 in. deep are recommended. I dig a trench around the area to be filled by the grove, put the fiberglass vertically in the trench and back fill. I overlap the ends by a food and back the fill to keep the joint tight. I cut the roll down the middle with tin snips to get 24 in-wide strips, and leave 4 in. to 6 in. of barrier above ground to prevent the rhizomes from spreading in the moist surface mulch and going over the top - in ten years, no rhizomes have escaped.

I know of only three methods to get rid of bamboo that’s growing where you’ d rather it didn’t. The most laborious method is to dig up and remove every piece of the root system. This is what I’ve done; it does work, and it leaves the soil ready for something else. I haven’t tried the other two methods, which can be used if you want to kill an entire grove. One is to starve the root system by cutting a grove to the ground and cutting any new shoots that later appear. The other is chemical herbicide. I’m doubtful about both these methods; in fact, a man I know on the Cape has tried repeatedly to kill a grove with herbicide and failed each time.
 

drewguy

Member
Come up with a solution short of a nuisance suit.

Paying for a barrier yourself would be cheaper than that, but why not propose to split the cost of a barrier with your neighbor.
 

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