Posted on 10/08/2022 2:24:04 AM PDT by DUMBGRUNT
Japanese knotweed evolved in one of the harshest environments on Earth – now scientists are desperately trying to find a way to destroy it.
Where it does produce seeds, Japanese knotweed is prolific. At one research site in Philadelphia, the plants were found to produce up to 150,000 seeds each year per stem – most of which were found to be viable.
This two-part system, with above-ground and below-ground body parts, means it's extremely difficult to control Japanese knotweed with chemicals. The most effective is glyphosate, which works by inhibiting an enzyme plants need to produce amino acids, and the best way to use it is counterintuitive. As many homeowners have discovered in their zeal to eradicate the weed quickly, if you use too much, you might accidentally cause the plant to spread.
The part of Japanese knotweed that's visible above ground is the crown – this is the dominant part of the plant that's actively gathering energy. But it has backup. "Surrounding those crowns are dormant buds – so they could potentially lead to new growth, but they don't because they're being suppressed by the crown," says Eastwood. So, if you flood one of these tricky weeds with herbicide, you might kill off the crown completely – and suddenly, all its satellite buds will wake up.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
You and me both!🙂👍
Around here it’s Giant Hog Weed and Wild Parsnip that keep us digging and burning.
Ragweed *AH-Chooooo* is the bane of my existence in the late summer until we get a hard freeze. Ugh!
Sometimes I wonder what God was thinking when he decided we needed some of these awful plants! ;)
—”edible and have been described as a cross between asparagus and rhubarb.”
We enjoy watching ALONE, and wondering what’s for dinner if things go sideways.
But the suggested serving time was early spring.
But presumably early spring could be when food supply is at its lowest level, I would imagine.
And is it grueling watching the episodes?
—”Around here it’s Giant Hog Weed and Wild Parsnip that keep us digging and burning.
A former neighbor discovered her talent working with dogs, yes, she was very good and enjoyed it.
She added some kind of super hedge to her fence, and it grew like crazy about 12 feet tall and needing constant trimming.
Looked great!
She moved to a larger space. the new neighbors tired of the work after a few years.
It took a hard-working three-man crew several days with a bobcat to remove it. Dig the open side and use a cable to uproot the monsters with the bobcat, after some time they switched to only grabbing half of the base because the bobcat could not take the whole root ball at once. Maybe weekly mowing will prevent regrowth?
I took out a bunch of wild parsnip along the road our property runs along. So far it was only along the roadside.
Apparently, the seeds are only viable for a few years so if you are diligent and cautiously keep cutting it back for a few years, it is possible to eradicate it.
Nasty stuff these plants that can cause such horrendous chemical burns.
—”And is it grueling watching the episodes?”
It is!
Because of bad weather/no resupply, I’ve had to go a few days without food and thought that was a hardship eating cattail roots.
Now I’ve changed my views on that subject.
I don’t know about Bamboo but when we bought our place, we had probably 2 or 3 acres choked with Georgia Cane, which looks a lot like Bamboo. It turns out that it is like candy to cows and the goats will eat it but not like the cows.
We are now down to a spot about the size of a 1 car garage and working on that.
Well then that’s some local Florida lore, because I’ve heard that story about Kudzu from dozens of folks in my parts.
Bamboo is listed as a non-invasive species but is strongly encouraged against outdoor planting in Florida.
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/AG266
I’m from Tennessee.
Huh, my Mom had mint growing in a narrow strip just outside a 2’(?) high patio wall, and zoysia encroaching on the mixed grasses (not sure what varieties) past the mint. The zoysia eliminated the other grasses and mint easily...
That makes me all the happier that I never put any zoysia in. A plant that’ll crowd out mint will conquer anything.
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