Topic: Japanese knotweed anyone?

[PREMTAL]

Hi Bananagirl,
                      Ordinary Marigold will be pleasing to the eye but have no effect on Bindweed.

The plant you are thinking about is Mexican Marigold
(Tagetes Minuta) it is grown in this country as an annual and in a good season will grow 5 feet tall and 4 feet across.

In my experience it was not very successful in curtailing
Bindweed but can be used with a good measure of success where Ground Elder is a problem.

It is also said to deter to growth of Couch Grass and Ground Ivy, but I cannot confirm this claim.

There are chemical compounds exuded by the root of this plant which it is claimed are the reason for its use in weed control.

In the country of origin the dried leaves are used to flavour soups and meat, recent research suggests that it has powerful anti-viral properties.

You can purchase the seeds from Chiltern Seeds at their website or by post.

PS It germinates without any problems, but very rarely
flowers in our climate.

I hope this information is of some help to you.

                                                            PREMTAL

[tomatoada]

After reading this thread I believe I have this weed in my back garden.  What dept. of the local council do I contact to see if I am suppose to report it?  Thanks for any advice.

[David R]

I would start with the Environmental dept, these guys deal with stuff like fly tipping, noise, asbestos etc.

Good luck

[RobinOfTheHood]

No, it's not the same. Try this link
http://weeds.cropsci.uiuc.edu/images/Japanese%20Knotweed/pages/Japanese%20Knotweed.htm
 It shows the early season's growth.

This one shows later growth, and the damage it can cause.
http://www.ex.ac.uk/knotweed/Introduction.htm

We have a small patch about 50 yards from our lottie, sprayed it with glyphosate last summer, it didn't kill it then, but it hasn't come up as yet this year...

spoke too soon, it came up the other day....

[slugcatcher]

Being new to allotments, this tread frightened me, so yesterday I decided I would have a look around the site I am on.
Yes!!, about 50 yards from my plot is this spike looking plant growing, on more looking it is rife, spreading all over the place.

I asked the sec. if it should not be being controled and was told that it is supposed to be, but the council havnt tackled it for nearly 2 years

At the speed that people have said it spreads I can see the allotments disappearing under this stuff.

Ron

[flower]

i cant remember the name of it but if councils fail to act on something re the allotments/removal of notifiable stuff etc there is an organisation who can make the council act re this and if they dont they do the work and charge them for it someone on here probably knows more knotweed is a mega prob weed used to try help control it when doing conservation work the seed pods explode at the slightest touch (putting a black bag over the top very carefully helps to stop the spreading of the seeds if u do attempt to dig it out ) also as someone pointed out it is an offence to remove it from the site  good luck trying to get rid of it  :-\

[RobinOfTheHood]

I think you're talking about himalayan balsam with the exploding seedheads, japanese knotweed doesn't produce seed in this country as all the plants are female.

[flower]

you are right robin my mistake it is himalayan balsam with the exploding seed heads

p.s also a notifiable weed

[reedos]

Hi,

This link has prompted me (again) to contact the council about the Japanese Knotweed spreading onto my allotment from adjoining land.
Before I did I spoke to a nice gentleman at DEFRA who told me that it is NOT notifiable to them, it is purely a matter for the landowner. It is not an offence to have the weed on your land, but it is an offence to "plant or encourage" it into the wild. This is under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I'm not really sure what the definition of "wild" is.
I'm awaiting my call back from the council with interest.

[David R]

Well Dominique, apparently thats edible too ;D

[redimp]

Do not under any cirumstances let this put you off posting on here.  I think we all make posts we later regret - mine are usually between 11.30 and 12.00pm on a Friday night.

[RobinOfTheHood]

Do not under any cirumstances let this put you off posting on here.  I think we all make posts we later regret - mine are usually between 11.30 and 12.00pm on a Friday night.

At which time they always make perfect sense to me !! ;D

[Clayhithe]

Do not under any cirumstances let this put you off posting on here.  I think we all make posts we later regret - mine are usually between 11.30 and 12.00pm on a Friday night.

At which time they always make perfect sense to me !! ;D

We ask a daft question.

We get an answer (or two).

We learn.

That's why we're here.  don't go away Dom :)

[Lizard Man]

I am currently house-hunting and have been surprised at just how many times I have spotted Japanese Knotweed in the garden of the house I am viewing. Luckily I have not had seen the right house yet as if I had and it had JKW then I would be in a dilemma whether to make an offer or not!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I would, a garden full of that would surely knock enough off the price to make the effort of dealing with it worthwhile!

[Pegmumm]

I have been trying to get rid of JKW for 10 years and am still working at it. I have hit it with every herbicide known and it still comes back though the area isnt solid as it used to be with hundreds of stems. Now 15-20 stalks are waiting for me to dig out. Anywhere the stalk falls, a new plant will grow. So don't compost it, toss it in the trash or leave it to dry out on a bit of concrete and then send it out in the trash. Its insidious and where I live the county comes by and sprays it if we dont dig it out ourselves and god only knows what herbicides they use.

The leaves are heart shaped, a bit bigger than my hand spaced at the length of my forearm. It grows to over 2 meters tall with rag weedy looking blossoms at the top. Its segmented like bamboo but soft life rhubarb and as big around as my thumb. Pretty but insidious.

Good luck with yours,
peg