Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/05/08/what-to-do-about-japanese-knot.html
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Plant some Kudzu or Bamboo. They’ll crowd it out.
/don’t do this.
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The characteristic “strong will to live” clearly needs to be attacked at its source by crack herbological existentialists.
Once that is underway; the only question is whether a neutron purge or application of consecrated promethium is more efficient at extirpating the root structures.
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Pull them as close to the root as possible. Do this as often as you see them. I would show you my yard that was overrun with Knot Weed, but it wouldn’t be any use because you wouldn’t see any, even though the other side of the neighbor’s fence is a nightmare.
And don’t use glyphosate. Especially if it’s not working.
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My blood was boiling by your third word. Who knew it was so easy to enrage a botanist?
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Aren’t you supposed to apply glyphosate to the LEAVES?
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“The plants are characterized by a strong will to live,”
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In California and along the west coast we had to deal with Carpobrotus iceweed, which readily spreads via fragmentation but thankfully is limited by frost intolerance. So far as I know the only successful method for dealing with it is pulverizing the whole plant and soil, and just soaking that motherf*cking ground in glyphosate. Not exactly an ecologically friendly solution, unfortunately.
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Be glad it’s not Himalayan blackberry?
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The trick with knotweed is to cut it cleanly close to the ground and inject it into the living root. This gets it into the rhizomes and gets the job done.
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Mine was, too, even though it was immediately apparent that it was a joke. The Vine That Ate The South (and the forest behind my house) - I cuss now every time I look out the back window.
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What does the local ag agent say? In Texas I used their advice to apply Roundup and kerosene to tallow trees. It killed it good, but of course like all invasive plants it kept invading.
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It’s not a bug?
https://environetuk.com/blog/Is-Japanese-knotweed-safe-to-eat
“It is completely safe to touch and is, in fact, edible. With a taste reminiscent of a lemony rhubarb, Japanese knotweed features in a whole variety of both sweet and savoury recipes, including purees, jams, sauces, fruit compotes, soups, wines and ice creams to name but a few. Take a look on Pinterest - there are numerous boards here with suggestions on what you could do with knotweed in the kitchen.”
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Tear it all out and replace it with marijuana plants.
If your neighbors call the cops, just insist it’s Knotweed.
/me ducks
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Borrow one of Mark’s Goats.
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Have you tried full solarization:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74145.html
?
Use two layers of plastic, please, per:
https://permies.com/t/23934/Japanese-knotweed
Be patient.
The process of solarization takes a while, and you will need the hot hot sunlight to work its magic over weeks or maybe months. At the end of solarization, the soil will be sterile, which is in some ways pretty bad. I hope you don’t have an HOA or neighbors who will freak out about plastic sheeting/film visible for several months.
Apparently, you can also eat it:
https://permies.com/t/16500/Permaculture-deal-Japanese-knotweed
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They openly advise exposure to Pinterest. That sounds like someone in league with a destructive invasive species; not providing useful advice in dealing with one.
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You could achieve the same result much quicker by just pulverizing the soil and passing it through a furnace.
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