The Backyard Bounty Bamboopalooza is coming this summer. Reserve your spot today!

One of the best parts about our job is the fact that we get to talk to so many passionate gardeners. We learn from them every day and we love to share with you what we’ve learned from others.

When talking with Backyard Bounty’s clients, controlling pests in an environmentally-sensitive way is always high up the list. The Order of Pest Misery is always same regardless of the garden’s size or location:

  1. Deer
  2. Mosquitoes
  3. Invasive plants – especially bamboo

For #1, Backyard Bounty is working on a new, wildlife-friendly deer deterrent approach which we expect to roll out in Fall 2020. More to come after Labor Day.

For #2, the very best local advice comes from Silver Spring’s own Skeeter Tim. We are using his non-toxic traps in our yard but, like Tim says, it’s all about getting rid of standing water. More resources and helpful hints are here.

For #3, bamboo has long been a scourge of the suburban garden. A long time ago, someone thought bamboo would be a cheap and exotic way to build screening. And we’ve been dealing with it ever since.

Getting rid of bamboo in an environmentally-friendly way is all about diligence and effort. As described in this article from the Rock Creek Conservancy, bamboo removal is neither easy nor fun.

It might not be easy but it is straight-forward:

  1. Cut down bamboo stalks
  2. Dig out roots and as many rhizomes as possible; bamboo has one of the most aggressive rhizomes systems out there
  3. Install an adequate barrier between your garden and any potential sources of bamboo re-entry
  4. Stay vigilant for a very, very long time to catch any wayward shoots

To do our part in combating this evil interloper, Backyard Bounty is offering 20% off our standard rates during our summer season (July 13 to August 21) for bamboo removal projects.

Contact us today at kris@backyardbounty.net to schedule an estimate.

If you want to create native, sustainable habitat, the first step is getting rid of the invasives.

Like the Rock Creek Conservancy says, Be a Good Neighbor Like Tori.