Valley Independent Sentinel

posted by: Caryn Zlamany Rickel on February 23, 2012  8:23am

http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/CommDocTmyBillAllComm.asp?bill=HB-05122&doc_year=2012

posted by: Caryn Zlamany Rickel on February 23, 2012  9:12am

Vally Indy:
Please be careful when you refer to the
Conn Green Industries Council :
Bob Heffernan that you do NOT confuse
these statements to be those of our:
Conn.Invasive Plants Council.( Not the same )
  So the** LAST FOUR ** PARAGRAPHS of the
ABOVE ARTICLE are all the words only of:
Bob Heffernan of CNLA. Landscape interest*
*NOT THE INVASIVE PLANTS COUNCIL* who testified in support of H.B.5122 with a comment to include all of the Genus:Phyllostachys,so as to not miss any of the varieties of species within* this genus. (which are ALL the alien *invasive running -rhizomatous bamboo )

posted by: Caryn Zlamany Rickel on February 23, 2012  9:21am

Here is the testimony from our
Invasive Plants Council- William Hyatt
stating H.B. 5122 would need to be
specific to all Phyllostachys species: which are all the non-native invasive running bamboo.
This would include all of this genus
Phyllostachys. Here in the northeast it is all Phyllostachys aureosulcata common name:yellow groove, in the south mostly Phyllostachys aurea: common name :golden So the Council is correct here that you want to pick up all of them , not just 1.Here is their testimony:
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/ENVdata/Tmy/2012HB-05122-R000222-Invasive Plants Council-TMY.PDF in support with this clarification upon writing the bill. This is correct , as they have recommended . I hope this clarifies some of the confusion for the readers.

posted by: Ruthann Haluschak on February 23, 2012  9:46am

There are more important things to worry about in The Valley than plants.  Also, homeowners who planted “invasive” bamboo over a decade ago were unaware of the dilemma and should not be held libel for any damage that may or may not have been caused especially since they’ve been bending over backwards in recent years to rectify the situation and appease their neighbor(s).

posted by: Caryn Zlamany Rickel on February 23, 2012  10:06am

The above comment is my neighbors cousin
and I confirm what is written in the above post is NOT TRUE. I am sorry but this is why we need a law to protect property owners . We do not want
this to happen to others. The bill has received large support from Real Estate appraisers and people from all across Connecticut in all our towns. This is a widespread problem in all our states now as damage reports come in. We are working very hard, and this bill will protect all property owners from this damage to their property. We are very proud of our state in leading with this bill. Rep. Len Greene has done an *outstanding job in leadership as is proven by this bill. We are all very thankful, and not just here in Connecticut .

posted by: Ruthann Haluschak on February 23, 2012  10:11am

Caryn, regardless of my relationship with your neighbor I am entitled to my opinion and NO, I am not lying.  Nice try.

They HAVE been trying to get rid of the bamboo that supposedly went onto your side of the fence.  They shouldn’t be held libel for a plant that was planted many years ago and that was just recently found to be invasive.

posted by: Amy Connors-Buffone on February 23, 2012  11:00am

I came across this article and I felt some hope after reading it.  My own Township is proposing a ban here on Bamboo.  My property was destroyed by a neighbors bamboo.  We spent thousands of dollars trying to remove it.  We were unable to sell our home because of, my children and pets couldn’t go anywhere that part of the property when shoots were coming in.  It was a terrible, dangerous situation.  If I could have just pruned it, I wouldn’tr care, but the damage that spread underground was awful.  I tried to split the cost with my neighbor, as they had been apologizing for planting it for years.  They refused.  I hope my Town passes it.  If it’s been previously planted, There should be some measure to prevent further damage.

posted by: Carol Merritt on February 23, 2012  12:57pm

I can attest to the fact that this is a destructive plant. I lived in Connecticut most of my life, but have since then lived in Virginia and Florida. I have seen the damage that running bamboo can do. I have seen it grown up through concrete sidewalks. I have seen the concrete cracked and broken. We almost bought a house in Virginia that had bamboo damage. We did not know about bamboo at that time and we thought we could just remove it like any other plant.

Our neighbor in Florida planted running bamboo on the property line about 5 years ago. Since that time we have battled the underground rhizomes to keep it from damaging our property. We have spent months each spring digging in 95 degree heat. My husband has stress injuries to his knees from the constant work and he has had surgery to correct the problem. He will be needing more surgery in the future because it is not healing correctly.

We installed a steel reinforced concrete barrier at a cost of 3,000 dollars. It is a temporary fix! We lost the sprinkler system, landscaping, trees, and the lawn on that side of our house. Our neighbors do not care if it does damage to our property. So far the cost to us has been 10,500 dollars not counting the lost landscaping or the doctor and hospital bills. There really needs to be a law to stop this ignorance.

posted by: Adrianne Mora on February 25, 2012  10:00am

Ignorance is a really lame excuse. Hopefully this bill will at least help homeowners be aware of what they are planting, so they won’t have this excuse in the future.

posted by: Mary E. Haussler on February 25, 2012  12:52pm

Many thanks to Representative Greene for his time and efforts in supporting House Bill 5122. The negative economic effects regarding future real estate ventures, personal loss of money, time and the opportunity to enjoy one’s most treasured investment ... our homes and surrounding outdoor spaces, as well as the damaging interpersonal exchanges between members of a neighborhood and community, will become more the norm rather than the exception, if we turn our backs on this opportunity to regulate the sale and planting of bamboo in Connecticut. Many thanks to Caryn Rickel and others who have stepped forward in an effort to inform, educate and protect others in the future from the ramifications of this invasive and potentially destructive plant.

posted by: John Cummings on February 25, 2012  4:03pm

I’m not so sure HB5122 is an “overkill” bill. If the current laws on the books actually made a difference in regards to a home owner purchasing and planting Golden Bamboo I don’t think we would have this need to remind Golden Bamboo owners and sellers of their responsibility. Our current laws may be too abstract for this purpose making a specific reminder necessary.

HB5122 is a reminder to purchasers and owners of Golden Bamboo and should guide their behavior and decision making. Golden Bamboo is a “Trojan Horse” in many ways for the unsuspecting and can easily get out of control. The barrier methods offered to contain Golden Bamboo are known to fail and a failure can be financially disastrous to the home owner and their neighbors.

My interest and concern is the affect Golden Bamboo has on property value and on the market value of the neighboring properties. If the home owner doesn’t care I’m sure any lender and insurance company with a mortgage or policy on an affected property will care. Not being able to sell a property with Golden Bamboo on it or on the neighboring properties is a serious loss in value. The owner of the Golden Bamboo that is not contained and has spread across property lines is responsible for any value lost caused by the Golden Bamboo and the cost to eliminate the Golden Bamboo’s invasion.

Public education is of course best for preventing problems from happening. In my written testimony for the Environmental Committee hearing Wednesday I mentioned a friend who I consider to be a well informed citizen and civic leader in his community. He had no clue to the ramification of planting Golden Bamboo as a privacy barrier around his pool. His landscape advisor never informed him. In my opinion the public education starts with those selling the Golden Bamboo. My friend had no idea that if the barrier failed, or when it failed, he might lose his pool. He is now looking for alternative means to creating that privacy barrier. In my opinion we are evolving from a “buyer beware” society to one in which we look out for each other. This bill, in its entirety, is one way we can all look out for each other.

posted by: Daniel Fox on February 29, 2012  12:12pm

I have been watching this news item for a while and the tactics of Caryn Rickel in particular.  She uses a technique commonly known as the Gish Gallop, which is to spout so many half-truths, lies and deceptions that the opposing side is overwhelmed trying to answer them all.  This combined with any answering comments that show her lack of knowledge being flagged as “inappropriate” and removed does nobody except her any good.
Despite what Rickel has lead many of you to believe, many people who have bamboo do not let it grow onto the neighbor’s property.  We live in homes with foundations, septic systems, driveways, sprinklers, etc.  We have
observed, read about and experimented with the bamboo as it grows.  We have studied it in every aspect, including what to do when it becomes a problem.  Many of us have done so for well over 15 years, but are not so arrogant as to pretend to a fancy title such as Invasive Bamboo Research Specialist.
Rickel to the contrary, the majority of us don’t like it when someone takes no care where they plant it and lets it grow unwanted onto another neighbor’s property.  However, if you have such a neighbor there are things you can do to minimize the impact it has on your property.  There are very good reasons for these techniques, they should be followed closely and not rewritten into something else entirely, which happens far too often.  Basically the idea is to deprive the growth on your side of the property line of energy.

1) Rhizome prune along the property line.  This can involve overlapping shovel cuts, a trencher or other tool. If you opt for a trench along the property line then fill it with a mulch you can easily put a shovel through.  This would have to be done at least once a year to keep from spreading back into your yard.  Technically the neighbor should have been doing this from the start.

2) Cut all existing canes down level with the ground.  Do not cut them several inches above the ground like far too many people do.  Nobody wants a yard full of punji sticks.  Cutting them at ground level makes the ground more walkable and makes step four easier.

3) Water the area.  This may seem councounter-intuitive yet there is a good reason for it.  We want the rhizomes to use up their stored energy and watering them will encourage them to use it up by growing new shoots.

4) Mow the area on a weekly schedule.  Any edge areas you can’t get a mower into prune or weedwhack.  The rhizomes will be going into survival mode at this point and will try to put up shoots to get energy again.  Don’t let them.

These steps if followed will eliminate bamboo from an area.  And it will not poison your lawn in the process.  The dead rhizomes and stumps in the ground will decay fairly quickly.

Now, as far as damage to foundations and septic systems, trees are far more likely to do damage than any running bamboo is.  There are good reasons for this.  Trees and tree roots add a layer of growth every year.  A tree growing next to a foundation will eventually push it in.  A tree root that makes its way into a pipe will continue to grow inside the pipe eventually blocking or bursting it.  On the other hand bamboo rhizomes will turn and grow in a different direction when they encounter an obstruction like a foundation.  And yes, if there is a hole already in the foundation the bamboo rhizome can grow through it.  But the bamboo rhizome will not continue to grow in diameter
exerting pressure on the foundation or enlarging a hole it grew through.  Now there are good reasons to not have bamboo planted next to a house, but it has nothing to do with damaging foundations, but more to do with not having foliage growing against the house in the event of fire.

As far as septic systems, bamboo rhizomes do not like to grow into areas that are waterlogged.  This pretty much limits any tendency they would have to invade septic systems.

posted by: Carol Merritt on February 29, 2012  12:48pm

In response to Daniel Fox’s comments about invasive bamboo. How does one mow over the trees shrubs and flower beds on that side of the property. Why is it my responsibility to rhizome prune and control my neighbor’s encroacing bamboo from damaging my property. It seems to me the neighbor should be responsible for controlling his own plants.As long as the neighbor maintains the main plant on his property 15 feet from my pool and foundation, one can never mow, rhizome prune, or do anything to rid his property of it. I have done the research, paid for the containment (temporary) and suffered the damages to my shrubs, flower beds, and trees. In the process of installing the barrier the entire irrigation system on that side of our property was destroyed. We own a business and we are away from home for long periods of time. Do you think I should have to pay someone to control my neighbors bamboo? What about the loss of value to my property. I cannot refinace or sell without significant loss. Caryn Rickell has NOT said anything that I’ve found to be untrue. What is your stake in all of this? Do you sell it? My husband and I are 68 years old. Do you really think we should have to do all this work?

posted by: Daniel Fox on February 29, 2012  4:29pm

In response to Carol Merritt’s comments.  True, you don’t want want to mow over the trees, shrubs and flower beds, any shoots that come up there can be dealt with in other ways, even kicking them over works.  And I agree with you, it should be the neighbor’s responsibility to have kept the rhizomes from spreading to your property in the first place. However since the neighbor has forced you to deal with his mess you might want to approach the problem in a way that minimizes the impact on your life while you deal with the neighbor.  Just about any plant that is not properly maintained will either die or become a problem, they all take some minimal maintenance.  Blame the neighbor, not the plant. 
I do not sell bamboo.  I was given some many years ago and decided to actually learn about the plant to understand what I was growing.  When I found out about the American Bamboo Society I joined it.  There is a wealth of information there from people who have both grown and removed it for people.

posted by: Ruthann Haluschak on March 2, 2012  10:39am

In response to Adrianne’s statement about “Ignorance is a really lame excuse”:

The bamboo in question which started this issue was a gift to the original poster’s neighbors MANY years ago.  As such there was no care tag given with the cut bamboo gift as opposed to purchasing at a nursery or store so they were not “ignorant”.  Additionally, when the issue was bought to their attention they took care of problem.

I wholeheartedly agree that consumer education should be paramount but this vindictiveness, IMO, from the original poster needs to stop.