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sprchik

bush/shrub, stalks remind me of bamboo, leaves do not

sprchik
9 years ago

This has totally overtaken a corner of my lot. Ignore the grapevines crawling in it.

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Comments (26)

  • thedecoguy
    9 years ago

    Oh dear, Fallopia. Japanese Knotweed.

  • annedickinson
    9 years ago

    Glad to know what it is, we have it in our area too.

  • Bookwoman
    9 years ago

    Agreed. My condolences.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Japanese knotweed

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    9 years ago

    My heart sank just reading the heading. I feel for you.

  • sprchik
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Good thing there's nothing around it that I will mind getting spray on. Thanks for the ID! I just bought the place and the garden areas are wildly untended, bushes/shrubs don't look like they've been pruned in years. I have a monstrous forsythia in another corner. Two meter tall privets out front. *sigh* So much yard work to do, and the unpacking inside too!

    This knotweed would be rather attractive, if not for the outrageous quantity. The comments definitely sound like I should kill it all off though, and not keep any.

  • Bookwoman
    9 years ago

    Knotweed can be very difficult to eradicate. When we bought our house 3 years ago, there was a small area of it in one of the beds. I cut it down and dripped full-strength glyphosate into the hollow stems. I didn't want to spray the leaves as a) I try not to use herbicides unless absolutely necessary, and b) there were flowers nearby that I didn't want to risk damaging.

    For the next two summers I dug out every single shoot that I saw (and the roots when I could get to them, but some were very large and deep), which was an almost daily task. This summer, 3 years on, there is still the occasional shoot, but I only have to dig them out once or twice a week, and I'd say I've reduced the plant by about 80%. I hope with continued vigilance to get to 99%, if not 100. Good luck!

  • Wildflowergma
    9 years ago

    It is edible. I had it a couple weeks ago and it was pretty good. The chef used the leaves too though. Unfortunately it looks like you have enough to feed the whole town. There you go, a Japanese Knotweed Festival. Maybe after a few of those, there wouldn't be much left. Check out this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QzMNKAQo9Y

  • sprchik
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I just learned that this plant is actually illegal to possess or introduce here in Michigan. I had nooooo idea what it was until today.

    I'm using glyphosate at the moment, though a .pdf from the DNR says glyphosate is probably least effective, and that it won't get all the way to the root system. But another website recommended glyphosate because it WILL kill the root system. *shrug* ???

    I sprayed the leaves. When it dies back enough, I'll cut, probably apply again to the stems, and dig. And keep vigilant for years to come.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    its not a spray thing with RU ...

    insert 100% RU or generic in the very expensive applicator at the link ... snip down a stalk.. drip on the RU ... continue until done ...

    repeat EVERY TIME.. you see a new shoot ...

    one snip one drip ... unless they are larger ...

    it may take years... with applications every 6 weeks or so ... every time you see a new shoot ... to finally kill the root mass..

    i went thru the same thing with a large underground poison ivy vine ....

    return unused product to labeled container ...

    you are using RU as a stump killer ... of which.. it is labeled for ...

    if you used the premixed stuff.. you are so light on dilution.. that this thing is laughing at you ... you can hear it... late at night ... when it is quiet ...

    ken

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    9 years ago

    Such a pity your survey didn't pick this up - they were very remiss not to spot it. You should have got a hefty reduction in the price of your house. Over here people struggle to sell homes if there is even a whiff of JK nearby.

    Here is a link that might be useful: JK blights houses.

  • sprchik
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The glyphosate I'm using is a concentrated liquid, 41% glyphosate. Mix .625 cups to 2 gallons water for spray. When I cut them eventually (have only sprayed the leaves with this mix so far, need to get some big black garbage bags before I cut them for disposal in landfill, per the DNR), I do plan to apply the un-mixed concentrated liquid to the stems (probably not with a mustard bottle). Though that is not 100% glyphosate, as that would be a white crystalline powder. So I assume you mean the concentrated liquid straight out of the bottle, when you say "100% RU or generic".

  • Bookwoman
    9 years ago

    floral, over here (at least in our area on the east coast) you wouldn't get a price reduction, unless perhaps the knotweed were actually invading the house, as I've seen it do in pictures from the UK.

    English ivy and wisteria tend to be worse offenders in our area, as far as actual home damage. When we bought our house there were tendrils of the latter coming into the attic from a large arbor, and it pops up everywhere. That said, I'd much rather deal with wisteria than knotweed!

  • sprchik
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I had the survey done the day after I closed, so had no chance of price reduction. I will let my neighbor (he actually is one of the trustees that was selling the place) know what it is though, it's far away from structures on my property, but it's about 10 feet from one of his garages. And there's some over the property line on his side, and some over in the backyard that butts up against mine. I'll do my best to eradicate it on all 3 properties if the other property owners let me.

    I might send off a note to the survey company though, make sure they know about it and suggest they always inform the owner it's there.

  • jean001a
    9 years ago

    You might check with your local Soil & Water Agency. Depending upon your situation you might be able to get some help from them. If nothing else, advice from the pros.

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    While I find the notion that invasive plants should be listed on a house purchase disclosure statement (surveys are very different type of documents here) an extremely appealing idea, it simply is not going to happen, nor would one be subject to any fines for letting them remain after sale or a new purchaser due a refund if discovered after closing.

    It would be a regulation that would be impossible to enforce and with way too many variables. Many municipalities do not have restrictions requiring removal, others rate by degree of severity/need for removal and the specific plants in question will vary widely from location to location.

    Otherwise I know of some folks who could have some major lawsuits pending..........knotweed, horsetails, Himalayan blackberry, spurge laurel, Scotch broom, English ivy!!

  • sprchik
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Oh I wouldn't dream of trying to ask for money back because it's here. I see it as completely my own fault for not knowing. I'd never even heard of japanese knotweed until I posted here and was told that's what I have! My fault for not thoroughly investigating the greenery before purchasing (honestly I was only concerned with the having the house inspected). And I didn't have any kind of disclosures at all; it was an estate sale, the sellers/trustees didn't live here. So even if invasive species were required on a disclosure, I wouldn't have known.

    I did point it out to my neighbor today, and he's fine with me attacking any knotweed that is over the line on his property, too.

    I'm glad the appraiser didn't notice it... maybe it would have lessened the appraisal!

  • sam_md
    7 years ago

    Upscale WHOLEFOODS, Baltimore, really our favorite place for grocery shopping.

    Immediately in back of the market, a sort of "no man's land" are large stretches of trashed areas, areas trashed with Japanese Knotweed and Porcelainberry vine seen here, both in full bloom today.


  • mattp321
    7 years ago

    You all are gonna hate me for mentioning this, but Sam that knotweed looks pretty good in full bloom in your pic... Lol

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    7 years ago

    It certainly does look pretty good. that is why our Victorian forbears imported it to decorated their gardens .... and the rest is history.

  • sam_md
    6 years ago

    While the rest of you were having such a nice Memorial Day wanna know what we were doing? CUTTING KNOTWEED.

    BEFORE

    AFTER
    All of this year's stems were cut at ground level and painted with 41% glyphosate. That stuff is amazing how it comes up through the cracks of asphalt. This colony was right alongside a large creek. I know I can't save the whole world but I can try to improve a little part of it :)

  • lisanti07028
    6 years ago

    Good for you, sam; this is really horrible stuff.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    6 years ago

    doing Gods work sam .. but why post it in a 3 year old post???


    ken

  • floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
    6 years ago

    Because that is how long it will take to eradicate it ;-) the OP is probably still fighting it.

  • sam_md
    6 years ago


    floral_uk is right. I took this pic of "Weed Warriors" one year ago. They stand beside a commercial dumpster This was filled to the brim with JKW from a local park. I returned to the scene in July, August & September and absolutely nuked the area with glysophate from a backpack sprayer. I continue to check the area and it is greatly reduced am happy to say, only an occasional sprout here and there. The followup with JKW is really important. The idea is to exhaust the extensive root system. It is worth noting that JKW can spread either from seed or vegetative pieces. The sad thing is that so many of our riparian areas are absolutely lined with this weed and it has taken up permanent residence.

  • Embothrium
    6 years ago

    Leaf shapes of plants shown on this thread mostly, if not entirely those of Bohemian knot-weed, the common hybrid between giant and Japanese knot-weeds.

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