Japanese Knotweed - again

[VirginVegGrower]

VVG- the roots go down up to 10ft

Gulp - devil incarnate!

[Two_Sheds]

I've never seen it, but imagine it's like Russian Vine, but a lot worse (and that's bad enough!). It even cross-pollinates with RV.

the only bit of hope I can find is: "Root barrier fabrics made from reinforced polyethylene laminate have been successfully used to contain the spread of Japanese knotweed" but the largest amount of the plant is actually below ground ...

I'd move



edit: just found a bug that the Govt are/were considering introducing as a biological control: aphalara itadori


I'd still move

[Hazel at the Hill]

I didn't realise until last year, but you can eat it, actually.

66 Square Feet (The Food): Knotweed and lamb curry

[Aberdeenplotter]

Chris, the chances are that if this is an established infestation that the ground will have already been sprayed with glyphosate.

[marchogaeth]

We have two patches of this on the farm. As you probably know it was used to make tallow lights and was planted in gardens which is where ours originated. Our patches have been reduced down to almost nothing by grazing so I think if you are prepared to do the work of continuously chopping it will work. Now our animals are grazing it when it's quite short so you'd need to mimic that. Our very worst patch was also really hammered by having a huge bonfire on top of it. (It won't go completely because one source is of farm and we keep the other one for posterity - don't ask!)

I can't just find the actual reference but the biological control bug was being tested in S. Wales, Swansea I believe CABI | News & media | Continued testing of Japanese knotweed bug. It might be worth contacting Dick Shaw at Cabi to see what the state of play is.

So brush cutter/flame thrower/goat and endless patience if you don't want to spray.

Good luck.

[Newton]

Like TS says.....move allotments .. Bren you need to take action to stop it spreading. See your solicitor perhaps......they might be responsible for all sorts of damage if it reaches you. They would want to prevent any damages. A warning letter across their bows........

[SarrissUK]

There was a program on the telly about this a while ago. Apparently you are legally responsible if it spreads from your land to others, including any damage to foundations and the cost of repair, removal and disposal! Gave me nightmares, that did!

[chris]

Thanks all, I've read about the bug - but the fear is that it could have an adverse effect on other crops/wildlife so not really if they'd release it.

I realise that AP, and no doubt some of the food we eat bought from supermarkets contain similar, if not more pesticide / herbicide residue.

I will ask about other plots, just a bit like "hmmmph" due to the work I've put into my current plot!

More research needed in the mean time.....

Thanks for replying all

[Two_Sheds]

the ground will have already been sprayed with glyphosate.

... which didn't work. It doesn't do what it says on the tin, that stuff *grrrr

[green thing]

I was taking to the councils sub contractor who sprayed our site last year
he said for his private customers he injects copper sulphate mixed with lime using a hypodermic needle , When the shoots are still soft and coming up .
he's also used round up in the same way ,
And Picking the young shoots encourages more root growth ?
He marks each shoot with a spray of paint as he goes so he knows which shoots have been done
Ive never tried it myself and don't know what effect it would have on the soil ?

Thought it would help in your research

[taff]

yeah, the bio control thing I watched somewhere.....They've managed ot get rid of it form the old railway line in the back of the house I stay at in wales....I think they probably sprayed though....

[Aberdeenplotter]

... which didn't work. It doesn't do what it says on the tin, that stuff *grrrr

TS, yups it's a difficult weed to eradicate but the point I was making to Chris(which I think he noted) was that there will already be glyphosate residue in the soil.

[chris]

I've always had that mindset, even when taking this plot on, I knew that at some point in the past the likely hood of a previous plot holder using weed killers was quite likely, which is fine, that's their choice - it's just not mine

Taff - yep, it's all along the valley line too (from Cardiff -> valleys), really, really tall.

[veggiechicken]

And on Taff's river banks - so what you doing about it, Taff?

[Llamas]

Ugh. Nasty, icky, persistant stuff knotweed. Our chicken run had a 10ft square area which was infested with it. A combination of backbreaking digging, bonfires and then forking up the dirt and putting chooks on to it knocked it out. I also constantly patrol the area and quickly pull up shoots. Initially it made more shoots come up but they got weaker and fewer as time went on. Glypho did get used on one or two very deep clumps but it was much much less than if we'd just sprayed the whole lot.

Seems like the company who brought in the infection ought to be forking out to help tackle the problem. I thought you could be slapped with a pretty hefty fine if you contaminated a site with knotweed. Granted, they'd just want to spray though.