Bamboo ban: Towns enact rules surrounding invasive bamboo plants
Officials say that bamboo plants can grow up to 40 feet tall and invade properties.
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Some towns are focusing on a different type of green this St. Patrick’s Day - bamboo. The plant grows over 40 feet tall and can potentially destroy you and your neighbors' properties.
Justin Drappi and Ryan Barnes call their business Professional Bamboo Landscapers. They specialize in controlling and removing the fast-growing plant. They’re now focused on a project in the backyard of a Somerset County home.
“Right now, we are clearing all of the rhizome structure from the soil,” said Drappi. “You’re talking about having to pull out patios, take down sheds, decks, driveways. We’ve had brand-new driveways that were just paved.”
And when your problems become your neighbor’s problems, it can get heated. That’s why towns like Edison and Sayreville have introduced or passed local ordinances restricting bamboo planting.
“People don’t realize how destructive bamboo roots can be until five years later and they completely regret it because it’s nearly impossible to dig up that entire area afterward,” said Edison Mayor Sam Joshi.
The Somerset County homeowner says his bamboo forest began 30 years ago with a single plant in a pot. Unchecked growth will now cost him $8,000 in removal fees.
“The price ranges can be $5,000 for a single day job or upwards of $35,000 - $40,000 to remedy the bamboo situation you may have,” added Drappi.
“A plant species that spreads upwards of 7 feet in a given year sometimes in all directions causing tremendous problems,” said Ryan Barnes.
This job will take Drappi, Barnes and their crew about three days to complete.
“We are open to townships working with us working with their own citizens,” said Barnes.
Edison’s ordinance will take effect next month. Sayreville introduced its ordinance on March 10 and is now awaiting a second reading.
