My heart is broken from this weed

[frankieweed]

Hi I am new to the forum, I have a small vegetable garden, and for the past number of years the soil has been infested
by this weed, if it is broken or snapped it sprouts a both ends and makes it worse.
I am in Ireland.

Can anyone identify the weed and suggest a solution of how to get rid of it.

[Jeanied]

The stems look like Japanese knotweed but the leaves are too young to tell.
Whatever it is there are two options - keep digging it out or zap it with weedkiller (not an option I would recommend!)

[SarzWix]

Isn't Japanese Knotweed notifiable? As in, if you have it, you're supposed to notify the authorities? I would check that for your area.

And although I wouldn't usually recommend weedkillers, in this instance I would say that you have no option. It will take farmer strength Round-up or similar, so might be a good idea to get a licensed person in to deal with it, but again, your local authority might be the people to help with this.

You have my sympathy, and I thought horsetail was bad....

[ginger ninger]

Firstly, welcome to the vine.
Secondly, that's Japanese knot weed, as Sarz said "You have our sympathy". You'll need some of this to help with the problem. By law you need to let the authorities know about it. Good luck and please keep us posted on what happens.

This is a quote I found on the internet.

"If you find Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica var japonica) on your land, it is your responsibility to eradicate it - kill it - and prevent it's further spread. It is no use just phoning the local council. It is your problem. You have to kill your own Japanese Knotweed. If of course, it has been bought on to your land with a load of topsoil, or other similar provable source, then you have a claim against the persons who imported it onto your land. If you are in a new build property, and suffer from the weed, then it may well be that there is a case against your builder!
Don't try composting it, this will not kill it - it is a waste of time and will lead to problems if you then use that compost on your garden!"

[frankieweed]

Firstly, welcome to the vine.
Secondly, that's Japanese knot weed, as Sarz said "You have our sympathy". You'll need some of this to help with the problem. By law you need to let the authorities know about it. Good luck and please keep us posted on what happens.

This is a quote I found on the internet.

"If you find Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica var japonica) on your land, it is your responsibility to eradicate it - kill it - and prevent it's further spread. It is no use just phoning the local council. It is your problem. You have to kill your own Japanese Knotweed. If of course, it has been bought on to your land with a load of topsoil, or other similar provable source, then you have a claim against the persons who imported it onto your land. If you are in a new build property, and suffer from the weed, then it may well be that there is a case against your builder!
Don't try composting it, this will not kill it - it is a waste of time and will lead to problems if you then use that compost on your garden!"

OK thank you, how confident are you that it is Japanese Knotweed?

[Jeanied]

FW you will need to post a picture of a fully formed leaf for us to identify it properly. I must admit that mine is a lot redder than that.

[chris]

Argh! I have that on my plot. I thought it was bindweed.

[Jeanied]

Be afraid, Chris - be very afraid.

Alternatively dig the stuff up, dry it and burn it.

[frankieweed]

OK the pictures I have taken are of this years growth so far, so I will have to wait until it develops a bit more before I take more pictures. Thanks for the replies!

[Two_Sheds]

how confident are you that it is Japanese Knotweed?

I've just Googled it, and yours looks exactly like what I found online ...

[ginger ninger]

OK thank you, how confident are you that it is Japanese Knotweed?

I'm pretty confident, a friend has it in her back garden. She digs it out...it comes back...she digs it out, you can guess the rest...sorry.

[sweetiepea]

Depending on whether you live in the North or in the Republic, here is the current situation:

The Law – Northern Ireland
Japanese Knotweed is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and it is therefore… ‘an offence to plant or otherwise cause it to grow in the wild.’ The current Environment Heritage Service policy on disposal of Japanese Knotweed material and contaminated soils follows the Environment Agency guidelines and thereby places a duty of care on all waste producers to ensure Japanese Knotweed is disposed of at a licensed landfill site and that the site operator is notified. There is also a duty of care to prevent spread to adjacent land or by failing to dispose of Japanese Knotweed by following the correct guidelines. Remember not all licensed landfill sites will receive Japanese Knotweed waste.

The Law - Republic of Ireland
At present there are no specific legislative provisions that directly govern Japanese Knotweed control or removal in the Republic of Ireland. However the Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 states that…. ‘anyone who plants or otherwise causes to grow in the wild – in any place in the State any species of (exotic) flora, or the flowers, roots, seeds or spores of (exotic) flora shall be guilty of an offence.’
..

[scott78]

i have a faint memory of a gardeners question time from early in the year that said that scorching the leave with a gas lamp will cause the plant to die off, cant find it at the moment ,but i will keep looking

[frankieweed]

I've just Googled it, and yours looks exactly like what I found online ...

Similar but not exactly the same, is it possible it is a variation of it?

[chris]

Can it be shaded out, or is it just like marestail? I have loads of that too

Looks quite the same to me, frankieweed