How to Stop Bamboo From Spreading

 Our home came with bamboo growing close to the foundation and we knew immediately that it would need to be transplanted to another area. What we did not know is that bamboo was invasive and that once it was established in your yard nearly impossible to stop it from spreading. 

My husband dug up the roots and replanted the bamboo by our patio At first we thought it was a good privacy barrier but soon learned that it was invasive and that we needed to prevent it from spreading. We cut the large bamboo canes with a saw at the soil line and followed that by cutting the new shoots as they emerged.

The following photos show the bamboo canes. You can see that they were planted too close to the foundation and growing out of control.

 

The best way to stop the bamboo from spreading is to control all new growth by cutting it back as soon as the shoots emerge in the spring and throughout the summer months.  

 Another way to control the spread is to mow over the new bamboo shoots.  Set your mower at the lowest level then mow over the bamboo, you will need to repeat mowing of the bamboo weekly to prevent it from growing back.  

 Many people will stop the bamboo from spreading by cutting back the shoots and then treating the area with chemicals or herbicides.  This method is a way to permanently kill the bamboo. Be aware that you may have to repeat the herbicide treatment a few times to stop the roots from spreading.

 We find the best way to manage the bamboo growth is to cut back the new shoots and cut the roots that appear just below the soil surface. Then mow the area weekly.  

 

Stop Ivy from Growing on Trees

 

Ivy is a vigorous growing vine that will grow on anything, fences, walls, and tree trunks.  At first, you may think it looks nice and you will enjoy viewing the wildlife that takes shelter amongst the ivy. But soon you will learn that ivy is killing your trees.

 

A few years ago I planted six Baltic Ivy and when it grew on my rock wall I thought it looked pretty.  I also like how the ivy seemed to hold the rocks in place.  The ivy on the wall was manageable but when it started to grow up our oak tree we were concerned. 

 

My husband removed the vines by hand, then he used a hand pruner to cut the Ivy stems at the soil line.  He then dug up the roots and pulled them out. Tree service told us that this was the best way to remove the ivy and prevent it from taking over the tree. We were told that by removing the roots that the leaves on the tree would then die.  My husband did as the tree service had recommended but the ivy roots must have been deeper than he had thought because a section did die back but it was not enough to get rid of the ivy t had grown up our tree.

 

The bare bottom of the tree is due to the pruning..we thought it was dying back.

The ivy will kill your tree.  Here are a few photos of the branches that feel recently.  You can see the thick ivy branches and leaves. The ivy is sucking the life out of the tree and if we don’t find a way to kill it we will have to cut the tree down in the spring. 

thick ivy vine growing on side of the tree

Oak Tree branch with vigorous ivy vine 

Back to Basics Deer Repellent That Works

 

My home was built directly next to the woods and the deer think my yard is their yard.  

 

We love the wildlife but draw the line when it comes to our raised garden beds on our patio.  We think that is off limits and that the deer need to stay away from the patio next to our home.

 

We have tried pepper solutions, bells, wind chimes, and chicken wire but none of them have repelled the deer from our patio gardens.

 

Then in the fall I shopped at big lots and found decorative scarecrows.  I put them in my planters and to my surprise the deer stayed away from them.  A simple and basic scarecrow is what kept the deer away from my patio and surrounding yard.

 

Know that the deer are very afraid of the scarecrows especially on a windy day when their hair and arms have movement.

 

The deer will stomp their hooves onto the ground, snort and turn away from my patio gardens.  The scarecrows are a simple and basic way to deter wildlife. Even the raccoon stay away from the scarecrows. 

Summer Patio Container Gardens

 This year we planted a variety of flower and herb container gardens for our patio and enjoyed them all summer long.  Now that summer is ending the container gardens are in full bloom and have added color and interest.

Here are some photographs of my container gardens.

 

Know that this summer’s heat was on record for being the hottest summer in history.  Not only was it extreme heat there were also water shortages.   We were able to keep the container gardens hydrated by reusing household water, such as water used to cook vegetables or to rinse the vegetables and fruit in the sink.

While it took some creativity to find water for the containers, know that our efforts were worth it.  It's now the end of summer, the weather is cooler and the container gardens are in full bloom

 

Outdoor Accessories for Yard and Garden

Adding outdoor accessories is a great way to add ambiance to your yard and garden.  While your flowers add color and fragrance the garden accessories will add appealing interest as they are a focal area to your outdoor space.

 

Right now my summer flowers have bloomed and we are waiting for the end of summer flower buds to bloom.  So the garden accessories, solar peacock, flamingo, patio fountain, wind spinner, and garden flags that I bought at Amazon. Zazzle and Big Lots look really nice.

When you add decorations like the ones that I mentioned you will find that they are not only pleasing to the eye but also that they are also relaxing. A great way to unwind at the end of the day is to sit outdoors at night enjoying the soft solar lights and listening to the water in your patio fountain.

 

I decorated my yard with a garden fountain and crackle glass pathway lights that are solar-powered and look beautiful at night as well as during the day.  Both lights generate power from the sun so you will have to set them up in an area that gets direct sun.  I also added a few metal art solar-powered lights and spinners that look beautiful set up in the gardens.

 

All photos viewed in this post are of the accessories in my gardens.