One of the reasons I enjoy writing this weekly column is being able to correspond with people from all over the country. Many times a question will come in from one region that will still apply to gardeners in other regions. For instance, today we have questions from California and New Jersey about bamboo and plum trees; it is great that the bamboo question is from New Jersey.

As some of you might remember from one of my earlier articles, there are bamboo varieties hardy to the great lake states and along both ocean coast lines — they aren't just a southern plant. They may not develop as large with the shorter growing seasons, but they can make nice ground covers or medium high screening plantings.

Q: About 15 years ago, I planted bamboo to solve a water problem on the side of my house. For some reason, this year it has gone wild and spread into my neighbor's yard and driveway. I employed a contractor to remove the bamboo; however, the bamboo has returned tenfold growing in new places. I employed Roundup and vinegar, but it still seems to regenerate. Do you have any suggestions on how to get rid of the reoccurrence?

A: There are two major groups of bamboo: the clump forming and the runners. The clumping bamboo will spread slowly and is easier to maintain in one location. The varieties that run will often take some time to get established, but spread like crazy once they are ready to go.

The answer to keeping either type in one spot is to install a barrier. You will need to dig a trench between where they are located now and where you don't want them to go. A trenching machine will be the best choice. It is used for installing irrigation lines and utility cables; it will dig a trench a few inches wide and can move down a few feet. The machine is much easier than hand-digging through all the roots — you will make less mess with a narrower trench. Be sure to have all your utilities and irrigation lines marked before any trenching is done.

Install a barrier in the trench. There are plastic walls available from several companies, such as the Deep Root Co. The wall should slope upward and outward, allowing the roots to develop to the surface where you can cut them off as necessary. The wall should be at least 18 inches deep, and 24 inches is preferable. Bamboo roots do not create cracks in barriers made of concrete, wood or plastic, but they do go through the ones they find.

Q: We have two fruitless plum trees on our property — a smaller one in the front of our house and a larger one in the back. During the spring and summer, the front one has contained many leaves and produced many small cherry-size plums. The back tree, which is as tall as our two-story house, has approximately one-fourth the leaves as normal, contains some rust on the edges and has clear sap seeping out of various branches.

I took a sample to our local nursery. They suggested that I dig some holes around the base of the tree to check if the tree is receiving enough water. I found the ground around the tree to be very dry; therefore, I started deep root watering the tree along with the recommended fertilizer. It has been approximately one month, but I have not noticed any change.

Is there anything you would recommend based on the information provided? I have also attached pictures to help with the description.

A: Thank you for the great pictures; they helped a lot. The local nursery provided a diagnosis that helped the tree with one of it symptoms, but not the root cause. Watering the tree will help since the dead edges on the leaves indicate a lack of water. But the main reason they are not receiving enough water is due to a serious infestation of borers.

The sap running out of the holes on the branches is the tree's attempt to drown the borer. The large holes located on the trunk and branches are the exit holes where the borer has already left the tree — the borer eats away at the tree's tissue, which moves the water from the roots to the leaves. The dead and dying branches are the result of the borer damage, not lack of watering. The two main borers on plum trees are the American plum borer and the peach-tree borer: both are moths and their larvae feed inside the tree.

I think this tree is nearly dead. If you want to save it, cut out all the dead and brittle branches. If there is enough worth saving, treat the tree with a systemic insecticide like Orthene or Merit while continuing to water. Don't forget to treat the front tree; if the borers are in the back tree, they are also in the front part. Follow label directions on the timing of when you can treat and still eat the fruit. Probably, the best time to spray for the borers was back in July.

Purple plum trees are a common fruit tree all across the country. As tasty as plums are to people, the tree is also appetizing to many pests. Many people prefer this tree for its colorful leaves and don't care if they receive any fruit. For them, other purple-leaved trees may live longer with fewer pest problems. For small purple-leaved trees, look for smoke tree, burgundy cherry and some Japanese maples. Medium-sized purple trees include some crabapples, and larger trees include types of maples and beech.

E-mail questions to Jeff Rugg, Kendall County unit educator, University of Illinois Extension at jrugg@uiuc.edu. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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