We have two types of bamboo in our garden - does it need removing?

• e-mail

We bought our current home eight years ago. On either side of the garden is bamboo, planted by previous owners.

We're no experts, but it appears to be two different types, one is close to our conservatory and the other is towards the back of the garden, near the shed office.

Recently, I've noticed the occasional odd shoot a good distance away from the plant coming up through the grass.

Should we be concerned about either type of bamboo? We're happy to get rid of it, but not sure how much it will cost, and who we need to contact to do it. 

Could it also be a problem if we put our house on the market? Via email

What to do about bamboo: This is one of the plants in my garden - I'm not sure whether to be worried about it

Jane Denton replies: Bamboos are a group of woody plants in the grass family. While they are grasses, some bamboos are so large they resemble trees. 

Bamboo is versatile and strong and can be used to create impressive architectural structures, as demonstrated by the Arc at the Green School in Bali. 

However, for homeowners and gardeners bamboo can cause a host of problems.  

The Royal Horticultural Society describes bamboo as 'vigourous and fast growing.' Some varieties can grow by one metre in a day. 

If left unchecked, bamboo can grow metres tall, become invasive and spread beyond its bounds. 

The photos you provided are striking and you are right to contemplate the impact of the bamboo on your garden and property. 

There is also a major risk that not only could the bamboo damage your property and your neighbour's but that it could substantially impact your home's value and make it hard to sell. This makes it advisable to act as soon as possible.

We spoke to two invasive plant experts and an estate agent to determine how best to proceed.

Another variety: This is the other bamboo in our garden

Emily Grant, a director at Environet, says: There are around 350 varieties of bamboo that grow in the UK, which can generally be categorised into two growth habits - running and clumping. 

Running bamboos have a far greater propensity to spread and can cause serious problems for homeowners, sending out long lateral runners beneath the ground to emerge unwanted in new locations.

It's difficult to be certain from photographs alone, but one of the two varieties you have appears to be golden bamboo, phyllostachys aurea, which is a running variety and we often see it spreading beyond its original planting area. 

The second species could be arrow bamboo, pseudosasa japonica, which is less vigorous but is still known to spread.

As both plants are on boundaries and one has already started spreading, there is a high risk of encroachment. 

If left unchecked, they are likely to encroach into adjacent properties over time, which may have already happened. 

Allowing bamboo to spread onto neighbouring land may result in legal liability for private nuisance, meaning there could be grounds for a legal claim against you if you fail to take the appropriate action to deal with the issue of encroachment. 

By keeping running bamboo in the ground, you also risk damage to your own property as runners spread in all directions and can easily dislodge patios, grow up through lawns and decking, overrun flower borders and even grow into the building itself.

Knowledge: Invasive plant specialist Emily Grant

A professional bamboo survey would determine the extent of the problem, assess the encroachment risk and recommend a plan for dealing with it. 

A full excavation of the bamboo would be the quickest and most effective course of action, and due to the speed at which it can spread, it's best to act sooner rather than later. 

If you wish to keep the plants, perhaps for screening purposes, they can be contained within a bamboo-proof root barrier or dug up and placed into strong pots – and should be monitored carefully.

An expert bamboo survey costs around £300 and excavation work typically costs in the region of £3,500 plus VAT. 

Unlike with Japanese knotweed, there is no obligation to declare the bamboo on your property when you come to sell, but it may be flagged up in a property survey recommending further investigation. 

This seems to be happening more frequently, as awareness of the risks grows.

Marc von Grundherr, a director at estate agency Benham and Reeves, says: Bamboo has been a traditionally popular method of providing natural privacy to gardens, but there are a number of invasive types that can spread quickly and be hard to control, let alone maintain. 

In fact, they can extend as much as 30 feet below the ground, as well as crossing boundaries which can cause issues with neighbours.

While it's now being likened to the notorious Japanese knotweed, there's currently no controls on bamboo and, unlike knotweed, you don't need to declare its presence when selling. 

However, homebuyers are becoming more savvy and it's no doubt becoming a modern day deterrent.

In terms of saleability, you really want to avoid anything that can impact the integrity of your property or any neighbouring property. 

Invasive bamboo species have been known to push through brickwork, as well as damage drains, patios and cavity walls, and so it certainly falls within this category.

It can be tricky to remove and can cost as much as £3,500 plus VAT, so if not removed, there's no doubt any potential buyer may take this potential cost into account when making an offer.

However, if you have a serious problem with bamboo it's likely to cost you a lot more and the presence of uncontrollable invasive bamboo is likely to be reported to potential buyers by surveyors.

It's thought that Japanese knotweed impacts property prices by an estimated 15 per cent and with invasive bamboo causing similar issues, that's a reduction in value of over £40,000 on today's average house price.  

Ethan Lees, an expert at Surrey Bamboo Removal, says: The larger bamboo plant looks like golden bamboo, while the smaller plant looks similar to arrow bamboo. 

The golden bamboo is a concern as it's classed as a 'running type' of bamboo. Arrow bamboo typically tends to clump together more. 

Specialist: Bamboo expert Ethan Lees

Unfortunately, despite it being a popular choice because of its characteristics, clumping type bamboo can be very invasive in its favoured conditions. 

We've seen some of our worst encroachment issues with clumping type bamboo. We tend to find that it's around the 12 to 15 year mark before it decides to make its move elsewhere.

The fact you've seen shoots pop up a good distance away from the plant's main system suggests the bamboo has already encroached into other areas. It's just not showing above ground yet. 

Given the location of all the bamboo in your garden, it should be dealt with soon to avoid any future infrastructural damage or prevent existing damage worsening. 

If you're happy to get rid of the bamboo, it makes sense to eliminate both plants at the same time to avoid any future issues. 

Excavating, repotting and root barrier installations can be options in some circumstances, but aren't always achievable due to access problems. 

Herbicide treatments are available, but from experience, we've found them to be largely ineffective. 

Bamboo can regrow from cut rhizomes no larger than your pinky finger, so it's impossible to say it'll be entirely removed at the first attempt. 

You will need assurance that the company will return if any regrowth appears in future. 

Search for bamboo removal experts in your area and speak to a professional about your specific scenario, or, if you have one, speak to your gardener to see if they have any recommendations.