Size of roll-off for yard clean up

I decided to declare the war on bamboo in my backyard. Going to be a tough one, but I need to start by chopping it all off + clearing other crud that accumulated in the yard. City picks up yard debris but it's just going to be too much of it to unload all at once. So I am thinking of getting a roll-off container. Questions :
1. Is there any sort of rule of thumb to try to figure out optimal or minimal container size for the job. Say if I have X sq ft of standing bamboo, can I convert that into size?
2. When I start calling places, are there suggestions on how to pick one over another? Price of course, but I am sure that's not the only thing. What else?

Thx!

Careful or you or going to make it spread

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Originally Posted by bpatnoe

Careful or you or going to make it spread

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The bamboo or the war? :)

I used to own a landscaping company and bamboo is a tough nut to crack. As far as a roll off is concerned, bamboo is a pain because the canes are tough to smash down. It takes up space quick. You can cut them into smaller pecies to save space. Depending on the type of canes you could always cut the branches off and put the canes on Craig's list. There are tons of uses for them.

My bamboo method was this. Cut all canes at 6 inches above the ground. If I was not keeping the woody canes they went into a wood shredder and disposed of. Then I brushed a systemic weed killer on all the stubs sticking up. A week later burned them and the found with a torch. This would give you 75% kill off. If you keep managing it each year it should become fairly sparse.

All that being said there are a million types of bamboo, some you can barely keep alive others will grow through foundations. Bamboo is a grass, it helps to think of it like a crabgrass instead of a bush. You can only contain it.

Back to the roll off, it may be cheaper to rent a woodchipper and then burn it if thats an option. Sorry if it sounds like I'm lecturing and you know all this stuff. I miss working with plants. :)

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Originally Posted by beardo

I used to own a landscaping company and bamboo is a tough nut to crack. As far as a roll off is concerned, bamboo is a pain because the canes are tough to smash down. It takes up space quick. You can cut them into smaller pecies to save space. Depending on the type of canes you could always cut the branches off and put the canes on Craig's list. There are tons of uses for them.

My bamboo method was this. Cut all canes at 6 inches above the ground. If I was not keeping the woody canes they went into a wood shredder and disposed of. Then I brushed a systemic weed killer on all the stubs sticking up. A week later burned them and the found with a torch. This would give you 75% kill off. If you keep managing it each year it should become fairly sparse.

All that being said there are a million types of bamboo, some you can barely keep alive others will grow through foundations. Bamboo is a grass, it helps to think of it like a crabgrass instead of a bush. You can only contain it.

Back to the roll off, it may be cheaper to rent a woodchipper and then burn it if thats an option. Sorry if it sounds like I'm lecturing and you know all this stuff. I miss working with plants. :)

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I did a bit of research and basically read this:
1. Chemicals that kill trees, bushes and grass do not work well on bamboo
2. To kill the roots, you have to mow down all the standing bamboo that feeds them. If you do that year after year the roots will eventually die

Problem is, my neighbors have it too and they are perfectly happy with it. There is an option of installing heavy plastic bamboo barrier which requires digging a 30" trench. Which would work just fine to put around my property line and then kill all standing bamboo on my property. Except that I have several big trees next to the line and (i) trench digger will not chew through their roots and (ii) even if I do somehow dig through them, I would risk killing the trees and then having them fall on my house in the next storm.

So I am sort of stuck here but at least I want to cut whatever standing bamboo I have in my yard and then decide what to do next. If I decide that bamboo is just way too cute to get rid off, I am sure it'll grow back fast enough without my help. ;(

That said, what weed killer did you use? And why did you torch the bamboo after applying it? Just to ensure destruction with redundant methods?

Oh, and did you ever use Agent Orange? >:)

hello


Measure (approx.) how tall the bamboo is on average - then measure length and width if it is all in one loacation. Is it possible to take a pict?

This reminds me of when someone asked me to get rid of mint in their garden. I had to screen the soil and was still pulling random strays for 3 years.

you need a goat and a pot belly pig and let it go they will take care of it and eat all the roots too. Then you can eat them in the fall.

If you do cut it post it on CL you may not even need to cut it down. My mother dose it, people come to her and cut it down and haul it away. (she wont do the PB pig thing).

Eric

We have some type of Bamboo along a fence line that I spray but yet to totally kill it off. The neighbors don't seem to mind it so it's a bit of a tug-a-war.

I don't mind a few of the plants but it's determined to take over if you let it.

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Originally Posted by Russell

hello


Measure (approx.) how tall the bamboo is on average - then measure length and width if it is all in one loacation. Is it possible to take a pict?

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Here's one. The fence on the left and the shed in front are my neighbors'. May not seem like much but the roots are everywhere including on the other side of the house, i.e. behind me as I was taking the picture.

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Originally Posted by etack

you need a goat and a pot belly pig and let it go they will take care of it and eat all the roots too. Then you can eat them in the fall.

If you do cut it post it on CL you may not even need to cut it down. My mother dose it, people come to her and cut it down and haul it away. (she wont do the PB pig thing).

Eric

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There is a business nearby that offers goats "for rent" to people who need to take care of overgrown vegetation including poison ivy. Can't help with bamboo, unfortunately. I guess it's hard for the goats to climb up to reach the leaves. :)

But a pig... An interesting idea...

Bamboo is too abundant where I live so supply is way bigger than any sort of demand. I presume one can use it for some sort of fencing or building material but I've never seen anyone here collecting it. What to they do with it where you mom lives?

beats me She lives in SW Ohio. Yard art I would Guess.

Look for free pot belly pigs on CL and turn them out in the back with a fence They will eat anything green.

Eric

I used crossbow and roundup. Its correct that they don't work great. You are just trying to cause as much damage to the plants as possible to hope for enough die off from cell damage. The burning was for the same reasons. As well as any piece of runner or root left in the soil has potential to root again. The mowing part is correct, especially with the neighbors plants you are always going to get runners. a pig would be perfect, all those yummy soft shoots just under the ground would vanish!!

Unlike trees and shrubs bamboo can out grow cell damage and reroot easily. However once you have it controlled you will just have to pull up what you find.

On mythbusters they showed that bamboo can actually grow into a human in like 2 days. Bamboos and English ivy and other plants are now being banned in some cities due to the damage they cause, but just for the record I love the stuff. Guys are growing it for wood pulp. Super cool as long as its the right variety. You could always buy a panda.

Forget the roll off - It wouldn't be cost efficient you'd fill at least 4 or 5 imo... Are there any tree companies in the area? Or, I would rent a pull behind chipper, the kind you hook to your bumper and tow behind your truck, you can rent one for a day for a couple hundred bucks at a tool rental outfit. If you shred it all up maybe rent a rolloff and shoot it all into it. Less than $1k I bet for everything.

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Oh, and did you ever use Agent Orange?

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Ya they used quite a bit of that over in Thailand and Vietnam and now there's a few million sick people from it.

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Originally Posted by etack

beats me She lives in SW Ohio. Yard art I would Guess.

Look for free pot belly pigs on CL and turn them out in the back with a fence They will eat anything green.

Eric

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City rules: not even chickens let alone pigs. :(

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Originally Posted by Russell

Forget the roll off - It wouldn't be cost efficient you'd fill at least 4 or 5 imo... Are there any tree companies in the area? Or, I would rent a pull behind chipper, the kind you hook to your bumper and tow behind your truck, you can rent one for a day for a couple hundred bucks at a tool rental outfit. If you shred it all up maybe rent a rolloff and shoot it all into it. Less than $1k I bet for everything.

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I might be wrong but I thought that chippers are bad with bamboo because it's hollow inside so a chipper will simply flatten it instead of ripping into pieces. A single rolloff might be ~$500-600 I think, not sure if I can find a tree company that will do it for that kind of money. Of course with the rolloff I will have to be doing the cutting, but maybe that's a good excuse to invite some friends over. Bamboo first, beer + pizza later.

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Originally Posted by Mechanic688

Ya they used quite a bit of that over in Thailand and Vietnam and now there's a few million sick people from it.

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I know. Was supposed to be a joke, albeit a bad one...

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Originally Posted by ilyaz

I might be wrong but I thought that chippers are bad with bamboo because it's hollow inside so a chipper will simply flatten it instead of ripping into pieces. A single rolloff might be ~$500-600 I think, not sure if I can find a tree company that will do it for that kind of money. Of course with the rolloff I will have to be doing the cutting, but maybe that's a good excuse to invite some friends over. Bamboo first, beer + pizza later.

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Def not a specialist by any means. Good point about the bamboo as far as shredding it goes; however, even if the chipper flattens it that wouldn't be such a bad thing.