Cutting Bamboo Plants

Bamboo is a type of perennial grass that can reach heights up to 100 feet tall according to the BackyardGardener.com, and the stalk of this plant is hollow. While these plants are grasses, they grow more like trees, and you need to occasionally prune and shape bamboo. Since bamboos propagate via rhizomes and cuttings, you need to cut and divide these pieces to grow more bamboo.

Pruner

A bypass pruner features a curved head with one sharp blade and one dull blade, and the dull blade holds the branch in place while you saw through it with the top blade. This pruner generally has an ergonomic grip and a rubber coating, which helps you maintain control of the tool if your hands get wet, and it also increases comfort. The curved blade helps make clean cuts without damaging the plant, and it cuts in a scissors-like fashion. Use this tool on small bamboo for shaping and pruning, and you can also use this tool to obtain cuttings to grow new bamboo plants.

Lopper

Like the bypass pruner, the anvil lopper is a type of shear, but these pruners are larger than most shears. The blade of the anvil lopper is straight while the entire head is rounded. This is not a one-hand tool; you must use both hands to operate it. Anvil loppers slice through thick material, and are especially useful when removing dead or dying sections of a plant. You can use this shear on thicker bamboo plants, including cutting off major stems.

Hand Saw

For extremely large bamboo plants, you need more than shears; you need a saw. Hand saws usually work fine for most backyard bamboo plants, and the pruning saw is for cutting through plants that are still alive, especially green wood. The blades of pruning saws are either straight or slightly curved, and the teeth are very fine. Use this tool for cutting down bamboos or for trimming large stems. If you grow one of the larger Giant Bamboo species, then invest in a chainsaw since a hand saw won’t penetrate the thick stems.

Shovel

To break up the plant’s rhizomes, you need a root cutting shovel. The blades of this shovel are round with a pointed notch in the center, and this notch helps you break through the soil and cut through roots. The notch is small enough, however, that you won’t damage surrounding roots, and only cut the one that you need to remove.

Chainsaw

If you do have really thick bamboo, use a chainsaw, which will help you cut down large sections of the bamboo. A light chainsaw works fine for this work; you don’t need to purchase a really heavy chainsaw.

Safety Precautions

Always wear protective clothing when handling tools. This prevents you from getting materials in your eyes, and it also prevents calluses from forming on your hands. If possible, employ help if you plan on cutting down large branches. While bamboo is a plant, the trunks are just as thick as tree trunks.