Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 16:35:10 -0500
From: “N.A. Booko”
Subject: My Love Affair with B.B. – continued . . .
Dear Chatlist Readers – I was so underwhelmed by the one response to my plight yesterday, I decided to give it to the rest of you today full whollop . . . B.B. Could very well be CP . . .
It was love at first sight- B.B. was youthful, beautiful and easy to get to know- First met nearly 18 years ago. I wanted so much to have B.B. come live with me- be mine, grace my surroundings – enrich and enhance my life. I wanted to brag to friends. We were compatible for a number of years- Then I noticed B.B. became set in ways- aggressive, possessive and developing deep rooted habits- Apparently B.B. knew no boundaries – Thought nothing of crossing property lines and messing around on neighboring property. I tried every method I could think of to solve the problem- During the winter, seemed B.B. would slow down and was content- But come spring- off and running- reckless, stubborn and defiant.
Short of murder, I could not see light at the end of the tunnel. Daily I saw the destruction, the pitiful victims in B.B.’s way. I sought professional help- Suggestions to leave it all behind and start a new life elsewhere were not a solution. On the brink of insanity, early in March of this year- I nailed down my plans. It was either me or B.B. Eighteen years had taken a toll on both of us. B.B. was not longer beautiful- but straggly and unkempt- lack of self-respect and wandering aimlessly around the property.- I wanted what was mine- what I once had-
New today: O.K- I romanced it up a bit. B.B. stands for Bamboo. It could also apply to WS. Wisteria. Bamboo, The legendary plant of the tropics- and not so tropic places. There are many types- some big, some small-
In some parts of the world, it is an important crop- providing food products and building products- shade, shelter and beauty. But if you have it for any length of time, you no longer want it. It is invasive. INVASIVE. It stops for no one- it stops at no line, barrier or structure. It can get under buildings and ruin the foundation- it can weave in and around walls and tear a building down. It chokes and devours everything in its’ path.
I first heard dwarf golden bamboo 20 years ago. A plant story entitled “Problem Plants for Problem Places”- It went on to tell of aggressive plants that could be used in areas that usually nothing else will grow- and they are supposed to counter-act each other….. Pleioblastus viridistriatus is probably the name of the plant I bought. I remember well, reading what one nursery owner said about it- “It is beautiful, but can be very difficult to eradicate. In my minds eye, I could just see a clump of it growing in a certain spot that “golden shoots” would look beautiful. I bought a gallon container and set it down on the ground in the area that I wanted to plant. It sat there for several months and I noticed that sprigs had escaped from the drain holes in the pot and were growing in the ground- “Great” I thought, now I can also start it in another area near the house- golden leaves would look good there too- It took root there too.
When growing, this plant produces slender stalks about the diameter of a pencil and stands about five feet high. The stalks from previous years do not fall down- they turn brown and detract from the new growth. I never cut any down. Within 10 years, it had spread an area 30 feet long and about 7 feet wide- and it places, sending out runners underground for 10 feet. On one side of it, was old hyway 64. ,made of asphalt. The runners would go under the asphalt at the edge and grow until it could find a tiny hole to sprout up in.
In 2012, it dominated three sections on my property. One much to close to my house and the path I had to walk daily. When it rained, the stalks would become top heavy and bend over, making it difficult to walk. I decided something had to be done. Early in March, everyday, I went at it like a job, knowing I was going to have a fight on my hands. First, I tried cutting it down to about two inches high and squirting gasoline on the stems, so it would soak down to the roots. That was only a temporary slow down.
Then I decided the only way was to dig it all up. Every day, with hand Maddox and a bread knife, I went at it. I would dig around the base of the plant, grasp the plant, pull and dig while pulling. One day, I counted three hundred fifty holes. One of the biggest problems was the roots would go under large tree roots and were next to impossible to get to. Again i used gasoline on those roots.
The second year, there was far, far less sprouts- but too many. I had a rule- Don’t let a new sprout linger overnight. Season three coming up. I sure hope B.B. won’t be hanging around . .
In case you are someone that thinks you are the exception and can control bamboo or wisteria,, think again . . the plant is smarter than any of us . . take a look behind the old library in Pittsboro- Take a look to your right as you approach the traffic circle near the library on 87, take a look at the bridge on Stage coach road, take a look behind the funeral parlor across the street from Habitat in Pittsboro.
N.A. Booko
(N.A. Booko resides, writes and gardens in Chatham County and is considering chucking it all)