Chinese Weed (Plant)

Darkness · 11 May 2009 at 23:01

Anyone got any of this annoying plant/weed whatever you want to call it growing in the back of their garden?

Is there any way to remove it as we seem to hack it down in the summer, but it keeps growing back by autumn and it seems impossible to kill off altogether.

Cheers

LukeTW · 11 May 2009 at 23:02

Nuke it from orbit?

Raymond Lin · 11 May 2009 at 23:03

It's call Japanese Knotweed.

They are impossible to kill of cleanly, you really have to remove all the soil its in and then a few meters surrounding it.

TaKeN · 11 May 2009 at 23:04

You thinking of Bindweed? Grows lushy green leaves, with white flowers. Dig the ground up and there are loads of white noodle like roots which never seem to die!

Darkness · 11 May 2009 at 23:10

Thanks, I thought it was chinese but its actually Japanese Knotweed and its horrible, and makes the garden look extremely unattractive.

2bit · 11 May 2009 at 23:12

Surely the almighty and all knowing GoogleWiki has made this sort of questioning redundant young traveller?

Trouble us wise old Forumdia no longer.

chucky · 11 May 2009 at 23:19

We had it in our garden.

Dad tried a lot of industrial strength weed killers, none of which worked very well.

Over a period of about 2-3 years, he would have walked the garden everymorning before work with a knife cutting any shoots before the developed.

Seems to have caused it to move along.

Raymond Lin · 11 May 2009 at 23:24

It is really the one of the few weeds that deserve the phase "kill it with fire", literally.

Killing the actual plant on the surface won't do, you have to kill the roots and all the roots, deep down and around.

Pudney · 11 May 2009 at 23:27

Haha, out of interest i googled it, never knew it's an offence to let it grow... or to let it spread

Rroff · 11 May 2009 at 23:50

wow was gonna suggest modifying the soil pH but its tolerance range to acids and alkalines makes it impossible to do that without making the ground toxic...

starfighter · 12 May 2009 at 02:57

Sounds like a good plant to me, easy to look after, my plants usually die after being stood on.

danza · 12 May 2009 at 07:32

There is apparently a chemical that will kill this off, but the chances of you getting hold of it are slimmer than none because even the forestry comission aren't allowed to use it.

/Oh, it seems i was wrong. Tordon will kill it, and it's cheap at £300 for a 5L bottle.

Cosimo · 12 May 2009 at 09:31

danza said:
/Oh, it seems i was wrong. Tordon will kill it, and it's cheap at £300 for a 5L bottle.

... and probably requires trained personnel to use it.

The Dread Pirate · 12 May 2009 at 09:38

Napalm will get the job done! Napalm will help with all your weedkilling needs!

-Ad- · 12 May 2009 at 09:39

Knotweed, horrible stuff !

Have problems with it at work, and if you get some of the spores/plant on you, it can easily transfer to another location.

Napalm should do the trick, but Nicholas Cage recommends Thermite Plasma for the ultimate killing effect !

A.N.Other · 12 May 2009 at 09:42

Used to have Japanese knotweed around where we used to live. It made ground elder look like a walk in the park to get rid of

misterPK · 12 May 2009 at 09:43

Capn' $qu!ff said:
Napalm will get the job done! Napalm will help with all your weedkilling needs!

This advert was brought to you by the Napalm Customer Relations and Advertising Committee

PK!

The Dread Pirate · 12 May 2009 at 09:44

-Ad- said:
Napalm should do the trick, but Nicholas Cage recommends Thermite Plasma for the ultimate killing effect !

But... Napalm!

Cosimo · 12 May 2009 at 09:49

That was Vietnam and this a UK garden.

The Dread Pirate · 12 May 2009 at 10:03

simulatorman said:
That was Vietnam and this a UK garden.

Your point being? It can be used outside of the Vietnam War true not legaly but it can still be used!