japanese knotweed

my3cents · 19-08-2017 7:13pm

Gebgbegb wrote: »

I would imagine mixing with wallpaper paste would inhibit absorption and dilutes the glyphosphate.
What's wrong with just painting it on?

It drips off. Because the gel sits on the leaf for a while the plant absorbs more of it so you don't have to paint as many leaves. You can make the dilution anything you want and if you wanted can mix the wall paper paste into neat glyphosate but that would be overkill.

If it wasn't a good idea then why would Monsanto make their own Roundup applicator for dispensing a gel mix of Roundup? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roundup-Gel-Spot-Treatment-Weedkiller/dp/B005ZALTF0 .

pawdee · 06-09-2017 4:26pm

My partner and I started our eradication programme a few weeks ago. We were quoted 4500 euros by a specialist last year so that's why we're tackling it ourselves. We looked up various methods and opted for stem injection. The proprietary injection tools cost an arm and a leg so off we went to the local farm supplies shop and bought two syringes (2 euros each) and some Roundup Biactive (37 euros for 5 litres I think). Our method is as follows:

Step 1)

I go ahead and drill* holes in each stem.

Step 2)

My partner follows closely behind me and she injects the living s**t out of each stem with a 1:1 mix of Roundup / Water

That's it!

Already we're seeing the leaves turn yellow, then brown and then drop off. We'll know how successful our approach has been next spring. I'll report back next year.

*I started off puncturing each stem with a screwdriver but find a battery drill with a wood bit much easier and quicker.

my3cents · 06-09-2017 5:36pm

This is about the cheapest injection tool you'll find https://www.amazon.co.uk/jk-injector-japanese-knotweed/dp/B00WTC7MDK/ same guy also sells on ebay.

pawdee · 06-09-2017 7:50pm

my3cents wrote: »

This is about the cheapest injection tool you'll find https://www.amazon.co.uk/jk-injector-japanese-knotweed/dp/B00WTC7MDK/ same guy also sells on ebay.

Thanks for the link. It would be good not to have to keep re-filling the syringe from a jar so we'll probably buy one of those! It would speed things up enormously. This is really just a trial so fingers crossed.

my3cents · 06-09-2017 7:57pm

pawdee wrote: »

Thanks for the link. It would be good not to have to keep re-filling the syringe from a jar so we'll probably buy one of those! It would speed things up enormously. This is really just a trial so fingers crossed.

I only use it on isolated clumps but found this quite handy https://www.amazon.co.uk/KitchenCraft-Cooking-Syringe-Meat-Injector/dp/B0018BGKUE and very cheap. Its hard to get the same amount in each stem but you can do between 5 and 10 stems on one fill.

I still use a bit of wire fitted into a wooden handle to make a hole through each stem first.

pawdee · 24-10-2017 5:15pm

I've seen some horses**t written about JK but this (from a recent article in a national paper) takes the biscuit:

"In some instances it costs more to get rid of than the house is worth, giving the property a negative value," he explains. "When the roots go in under the concrete, that's where the difficulty lies. You could have a house worth €350,000 and it might cost €400,000 to sort it. From our perspective, that makes it beyond a write-off."

Shrubsandsudz · 24-10-2017 10:15pm

Chefs are seemily going mad over the flowers. Got this all over, propagates like mad......It's the first thing my pig will go to on a new patch. Big bitch eats better than the humans do IMHO xD.

Shrubsandsudz · 24-10-2017 10:19pm

As a side note, if you contact the local council (this is heresay) they are obligated to spray it. I wont do that here unless it gets "that bad" because we've spent our seven years without any chemical spay on the land and want to keep it that way. Test it out and let me know what they come back with.

Howzit17 · 28-11-2017 11:32pm

Any point in spraying this time of year?

my3cents · 29-11-2017 12:37am

Howzit17 wrote: »

Any point in spraying this time of year?

Bit late, I doubt there are any green leaves left. Best plan would be to wait till the stems have gone brown then cut them down. Next year keep an eye on it and wait till the plant is about 2-3ft high in late April early May (timings may vary and beware it can go from 3ft to 6ft in a couple of days) then spray it to keep it down. Follow up with another dose as soon as you get dry weather any time from the last week in August onwards.

magicbastarder · 29-11-2017 9:45am

yeah, with the weather as it is, the plant will have gone dormant and spraying would achieve little.

Shrubsandsudz · 29-11-2017 9:51am

Howzit17 wrote: »

Any point in spraying this time of year?

I would say not until april or may, then you know where to spray.. (Didn't mean for that to come out in poetry form.) :rolleyes:

wayoutwest · 29-11-2017 11:33am

Found a clump of Japanese Knotweed and notified the council - they said I had to deal with it myself, as it wasn't on council property. Their advice was to wait until next year, and spray them when they are in flower - around the first two weeks of September.

my3cents · 29-11-2017 12:08pm

wayoutwest wrote: »

Found a clump of Japanese Knotweed and notified the council - they said I had to deal with it myself, as it wasn't on council property. Their advice was to wait until next year, and spray them when they are in flower - around the first two weeks of September.

Thats good advice but from a practical standpoint a large infestation might be too tall to spray easily. Hence the advice to spay once early in the season to reduce the ultimate height of the weed then spay again in early September. Our late summer early autum can be so wet I advice spaying anytime from the end of August so you don't get rained off till next year.

Shrubsandsudz · 29-11-2017 11:41pm

wayoutwest wrote: »

Found a clump of Japanese Knotweed and notified the council - they said I had to deal with it myself, as it wasn't on council property. Their advice was to wait until next year, and spray them when they are in flower - around the first two weeks of September.

Having a guess you are the two fab people on YouTube. (hope so) blow-inblog.. love you guys...anyhow.

you need to target the rhizomes, a lot like nettles, certain types of bamboo; they're a creeper. I haven't pushed back against knotweed...yet, some chefs will pay for the flower, tastes great! And like nettles they can be a bitch to contain. If the stuff is invading beauty and your garden.... you need to maybe mulch heavy, but I do know the feelers it can send out. Meters long and tends to work in pairs, inter-weiving.

You find the roots, you find the source, but it will propagate readily like comfrey. I'm moving into the comfrey business, but like anything, tending is friending.

Nuke it! is the option that Donald Trump would give you, my advice, is work with it....or kill it!

BuboBubo · 29-11-2017 11:48pm

wayoutwest wrote: »

Found a clump of Japanese Knotweed and notified the council - they said I had to deal with it myself, as it wasn't on council property. Their advice was to wait until next year, and spray them when they are in flower - around the first two weeks of September.

Same problem here, reported a big clump to the council last year, it's on private land so it's staying. I've noticed the council are doing a good job clearing it in other areas (roadside) though. Re-growth was very weak this year. I wonder what they're using? Roundup maybe?

Shrubsandsudz · 29-11-2017 11:59pm

OMG! I'm really sorry, but what I thought was Jap.Knot was bind-weed. I feel like a complete fool, so please dis-reguard anything I've posted on this subject.

I was under the impression that the white trumpet flowers where knotweed...seems I've been pissing up-stream and got some backwash.

WoW. I'm so sorry for anyone that I've mis-informed. Best advice is, keep it to myself. #derp

BuboBubo · 30-11-2017 12:03am

Shrubsandsudz wrote: »

OMG! I'm really sorry, but what I thought was Jap.Knot was bind-weed. I feel like a complete fool, so please dis-reguard anything I've posted on this subject.

I was under the impression that the white trumpet flowers where knotweed...seems I've been pissing up-stream and got some backwash.

WoW. I'm so sorry for anyone that I've mis-informed. Best advice is, keep it to myself. #derp

Simple mistake, don't worry about it:D my grandad used to call bindweed "robin-run-the-hedge". I never heard anyone else call it that.

You know that sticky weed with the little sticky balls on? Don't know what it's called but it's some pain in the hole when you have a long-haired cat!

Shrubsandsudz · 30-11-2017 12:04am

I do have a piece of advice that will work though. FLAME WEEDER!. Basic roofing torch on propane tank in the general areas. It will kill the new growth, and if you "re-apply" every two two weeks, you may only have to deal with offshoots, burn them too, when you see them. But to be fair, I haven't a clue.....just ask my wife! xd

wayoutwest · 30-11-2017 12:07am

BuboBubo wrote: »

Same problem here, reported a big clump to the council last year, it's on private land so it's staying. I've noticed the council are doing a good job clearing it in other areas (roadside) though. Re-growth was very weak this year. I wonder what they're using? Roundup maybe?

The council told me to use Roundup.

Shrubsandsudz · 30-11-2017 12:08am

BuboBubo wrote: »

Simple mistake, don't worry about it:D my grandad used to call bindweed "robin-run-the-hedge". I never heard anyone else call it that.

You know that sticky weed with the little sticky balls on? Don't know what it's called but it's some pain in the hole when you have a long-haired cat!

I think you call it, "prickly-stickly, cat don't sticky?"

Shrubsandsudz · 30-11-2017 12:12am

wayoutwest wrote: »

The council told me to use Roundup.

I would invoke the anti-christ of roundup, seems like a lazy answer to me. There must be a cure?

wayoutwest · 30-11-2017 12:14am

Shrubsandsudz wrote: »

Having a guess you are the two fab people on YouTube. (hope so) blow-inblog.. love you guys...anyhow.

you need to target the rhizomes, a lot like nettles, certain types of bamboo; they're a creeper. I haven't pushed back against knotweed...yet, some chefs will pay for the flower, tastes great! And like nettles they can be a bitch to contain. If the stuff is invading beauty and your garde.... you need to maybe mulch heavy, but I do know the feelers it can send out. Meters long and tends to work in pairs, inter-weiving.

You find the roots, you find the source, but it will propagate readily like comfrey. I'm moving into the comfrey business, but like anything, tending is friending.

Nuke it! is the option that Donald Trump would give you, my advice, is work with it....or kill it!

Hi shrubsandsudz - I don't have any blog on youtube....but hopefully I am still fab

Shrubsandsudz · 30-11-2017 12:24am

wayoutwest wrote: »

Hi shrubsandsudz - I don't have any blog on youtube....but hopefully I am still fab

Yep, just thought you were westoutwestblowin on youtube. You fab yo!

wayoutwest · 30-11-2017 12:24am

Shrubsandsudz wrote: »

I would invoke the anti-christ of roundup, seems like a lazy answer to me. There must be a cure?

I don't want a cure - its not got a disease, its an envasive non indigenous species that needs to be (dalek voice) E X T E R M I N A T E D.

my3cents · 30-11-2017 12:25am

BuboBubo wrote: »

Same problem here, reported a big clump to the council last year, it's on private land so it's staying. I've noticed the council are doing a good job clearing it in other areas (roadside) though. Re-growth was very weak this year. I wonder what they're using? Roundup maybe?

I believe that Icade is being used by some http://rigbytaylor.s3.amazonaws.com/product_brochure/icade.pdf .

Don't bother trying to burn it as has been suggested, any damage to the top growth just makes it spread more.

kylith · 01-12-2017 12:46am

Shrubsandsudz wrote: »

OMG! I'm really sorry, but what I thought was Jap.Knot was bind-weed. I feel like a complete fool, so please dis-reguard anything I've posted on this subject.

I was under the impression that the white trumpet flowers where knotweed...seems I've been pissing up-stream and got some backwash.

WoW. I'm so sorry for anyone that I've mis-informed. Best advice is, keep it to myself. #derp

I was thinking you were mistaken; JK will come up through concrete so mulching heavily won't do a thing.

LurkerNo1 · 01-12-2017 6:30am

kylith wrote: »

I was thinking you were mistaken; JK will come up through concrete so mulching heavily won't do a thing.

It wont come up through concrete,this is a common myth, however it will come through cracks and holes in concrete searching for light. Buddleia and Ivy will do the exact same.

pawdee · 13-04-2018 3:42pm

Here's an update on my Japanese Knotweed plantation. As I posted last year we treated about a third of our garden last autumn by injecting the stems with a Roundup / water 1:1 mix. In the last few weeks some red asparagus like shoots have started to appear in the untreated two thirds of the garden.

In October I tied a yellow rope across the garden to mark the extent of the area that was treated. So far I haven't seen any red shoots trying to pop up in the treated area just two tiny, very thin JK plants with one or two leaves. I was expecting this as it was impossible to see every tiny stem in the dense growth. This is promising but I'll know more in the coming weeks. If successful with this first attempt the plan is to take a few days off in the autumn to try to wipe out the rest. I'm thinking I'll have it under control or even eradicated by next year.

Anyone else have any updates to share? I'd be very interested to hear of your experiences with this.

Graces7 · 13-04-2018 3:46pm

king size mars bar wrote: »

A lot of smart ****s here today me thinks.

who of course never, ever make typos

my3cents · 13-04-2018 4:09pm

Noticed the lumpy bumpy nobly stumps of JK on our shingle beach are making a fasciated comeback. The area has been sprayed on and off over about 10 years but I've only really gone to town on it over the last 5. Last year nothing got above about a foot tall all fasciated from previous glyphosate applications and the regrowth had 2 good applications of glyphosate. Plan the same for it this year. The roots which are often exposed by the movement of the pebbles on the beach are a good inch or more thick and the stumps with the regrowth up to 6 inches across.

Similar twice a year treatment over 4-5 years seems to have completely eradicated the JK from other areas near by. After the first year the amount of regrowth is very small but it still needs its medicine

RustyNut · 13-04-2018 5:06pm

LurkerNo1 wrote: »

It wont come up through concrete,this is a common myth, however it will come through cracks and holes in concrete searching for light. Buddleia and Ivy will do the exact same.

I wouldn't get complacent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu-Y68W4K5Y

my3cents · 13-04-2018 5:11pm

No were does that video show it coming up though concrete.

RustyNut · 13-04-2018 5:24pm

my3cents wrote: »

No were does that video show it coming up though concrete.

I was taking the "experts" word for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6lYn2pxGCQ

my3cents · 13-04-2018 5:37pm

Again its pushing up through gaps. Houses in the UK often have suspended wooden floors which means you can have it under the floor of a new build and it will come up through any gaps. In the typical poured concrete floor of an Irish house you shouldn't see JK coming through.

Shefwedfan · 13-04-2018 5:56pm

After the initial find which was sprayed it showed up last year, just a shoot. I hit it with some weed killer....I killed it but also a tree(Cheery Blossom).....

So far this year no sign of it at all, it was only the one shoot of it so I hope to have knocked it out for good now....

pawdee · 24-05-2018 8:51pm

Another update...........heading for June now and still no sign of JK in the treated area (well....apart from two or three that I obviously missed!). The area I treated is 20m x 7m. I've dug out all the dead root tops and what ever rhizomes I could see. This weekend I'm spreading topsoil and all going well we'll be seeding next week.

I know it's very early days but we're delighted with the results so far. It gives us great hope that we'll be able to wipe out the rest in the Autumn. The untreated stuff is about 7ft high already. We've got 40m x 7m of that to do so we have a lot of hard work ahead of us!

Hocus Focus · 25-05-2018 9:44am

pawdee wrote: »

Another update...........heading for June now and still no sign of JK in the treated area (well....apart from two or three that I obviously missed!). The area I treated is 20m x 7m. I've dug out all the dead root tops and what ever rhizomes I could see. This weekend I'm spreading topsoil and all going well we'll be seeding next week.

I know it's very early days but we're delighted with the results so far. It gives us great hope that we'll be able to wipe out the rest in the Autumn. The untreated stuff is about 7ft high already. We've got 40m x 7m of that to do so we have a lot of hard work ahead of us!

Good work!

Best of luck with the rest.

pablo57 · 02-10-2018 7:43pm

Hey guys, been reading through the thread as I've been a bit concerned about a few different creatures in the front and back gardens of a house we've just bought. Based on the links and expert tell-tale signs pointed out I don't think we have a Japanese knotweed problem (although may have various related weeds), but would be very glad of some confirmation/opinions from you kind strangers on the internet.

looksee · 02-10-2018 7:49pm

Nope, nothing even remotely resembling japanese knotweed - though I would take out that sycamore growing beside the wall, second last pic I think. It will soon become a liability just there.

New Home · 02-10-2018 8:22pm

I see lots of sorrel and dandelions (both edible, the former in moderate quantities, and ideally raw, it's very tangy).

New Home · 02-10-2018 8:27pm

As for this one, is it a forsythia? Were the branches covered in yellow flowers in spring (or shocking pink, at a push)?

pawdee · 03-10-2018 12:36pm

Autumn update............

I took a couple of days off last week to tackle the rest of my knotweed infestation. I bought a (cheap) injector gun on Amazon thinking I'd fly through the job. It certainly looked the part and felt solidly built but what a disaster it proved to be. I could live with the fact that the reservoir bottle holds only 120 ml of fluid. The fact that the injector mechanism came apart after every 3 or 4 injections was another matter. Another problem was the full dose of herbicide shooting back out at me and all over my (gloved) hand almost every time I took the needle out a treated stem.

I put it down to lack of experience and decided to persevere until I got the technique down. That was when I discovered the first wasp nest under a knotweed crown. Six stings to the hands and legs later I went indoors for a cup of tea and a rethink. Upon resumption, with the gun still acting the b****x and the wasps as angry as ever, I decided to change tactics. So, out with the loppers, measuring jug and funnel. I cut every remaining stem down to below the first node and filled them with a 1:1 mix of Roundup Biactive XL. I'm talking about a big area (approx 40 m x 7m). I managed to get it 99% done at the weekend. There are a few stems at the edges here and there that I left there as I'm out of Roundup.

It will be interesting to see what comes back next year. If it works as well as the patch I did last year I'll be very happy. If nothing else I'll have a very large scale, real-world trial of the injection versus stem filling methods. I'll report back next May or June and good luck to everyone else fighting the war

pablo57 · 03-10-2018 4:37pm

looksee wrote: »

Nope, nothing even remotely resembling japanese knotweed - though I would take out that sycamore growing beside the wall, second last pic I think. It will soon become a liability just there.

Thanks, I'll get on that!

New Home wrote: »

I see lots of sorrel and dandelions (both edible, the former in moderate quantities, and ideally raw, it's very tangy).

New Home wrote: »

As for this one, is it a forsythia? Were the branches covered in yellow flowers in spring (or shocking pink, at a push)?

We're only in the house 6 weeks, so I couldn't tell you what it looked like in spring. Would forsythia require some particular attention?

Apologies, complete gardening newbie here. (And one with a bit of garden all of a sudden!)

New Home · 03-10-2018 4:41pm

Apart from some thinning/pruning, not really - I leave the ones I have here to their own devices and they absolutely thrive. They're gorgeous, when they're in full bloom in spring.

looksee · 03-10-2018 6:42pm

Wow, yes they are spectacular. I had one squashed in between an apple tree, a shed and a wall and every spring it produced a lovely show of blooms, then the rest of the year was pretty much unnoticed. I cut great chunks out of it at intervals - it was difficult to get at so it wasn't so much pruning as sawing off random bits!

New Home · 03-10-2018 7:11pm

Just to be clear, that's not a photo of mine, I got that off the internet.

looksee · 03-10-2018 8:06pm

Ah dang, and I was so impressed!

Pacifico · 24-10-2018 12:43pm

Have noticed the attached growing up through my patio recently...just wondering if it's possibly JK?! Apologies for the poor pics...

pawdee · 24-10-2018 12:46pm

Pacifico wrote: »

Have noticed the attached growing up through my patio recently...just wondering if it's possibly JK?! Apologies for the poor pics...

I'm 99.9% sure that it's not JK.

japanese knotweed

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