Jap Knotweed...consience v 'walk away'.

[Haironyourchest]

I wonder if the "propagating from a leaf fragment" thing was arrived at by laboratory propagation in ideal conditions, perfect soil temps etc? We have loads around here, and I whack it down with a slasher and strim certain patches every year, it never seems to spread. Where other plants have established root systems the knotweed would have trouble getting in anyway, it prefers disturbed soil.

[10 Bears]

Oh - forgot to mention, you could always report the situation to Natural England as there is a risk that the JKN can spread from the site, as long as the land is used for:

 

keeping or grazing horses and other livestock

farmland used to produce conserved forage (eg, silage and hay)

agriculture

and in England!

 

They can issue an enforcement notice within 24 hours.

 

Otherwise if its domestic, you will have to go down the council route. Most councils do have a JKN policy, particularly if there is a risk of the JKN leaving site.

[treequip]

 

Otherwise if its domestic, you will have to go down the council route. Most councils do have a JKN policy, particularly if there is a risk of the JKN leaving site.

 

How about an authority that owns infected land and just ignores it

[10 Bears]

That may just be their policy!

 

How do you know that they know and are ignoring it? Have you reported it?

 

Perhaps they are genuinely unaware?

 

Sent via the arbtalk app, hence the brevity...

[treequip]

That may just be their policy!

 

How do you know that they know and are ignoring it? Have you reported it?

 

Perhaps they are genuinely unaware?

 

Sent via the arbtalk app, hence the brevity...

 

Its all over the show, you would need to be blind to miss it, one country park is particularly bad off, next to the river where its nice and handy for inoculating downstream

[Gary Prentice]

That may just be their policy!

 

How do you know that they know and are ignoring it? Have you reported it?

 

Perhaps they are genuinely unaware?

 

Sent via the arbtalk app, hence the brevity...

 

I normally email the location of patches of JK I come across, only to be told it's on the treatment list already.

[10 Bears]

Its all over the show, you would need to be blind to miss it, one country park is particularly bad off, next to the river where its nice and handy for inoculating downstream

 

That's a poor show really. The JKN may have floated in to the site to become established, but unless there is a disturbance to the ground or some JKN gets physically put in the river, it shouldn't contaminate downstream as it is an asexual propagator - unlike Himalayan Balsam which is an absolute nightmare to have next to a river and will definitely contaminate downstream.

 

Perhaps do as Gary suggests and send a nice suggestive email with locations/photographs and other details - and point out their responsibilities as a landowner/occupier. Perhaps also approach the local rag with a 'public interest' story?

 

It probably wont make you many friends, but may be a step in the right direction to getting it resolved...

[Lucan]

Interesting to hear about how easily it spreads

 

My local botanical gardens are proudly growing both Japanese Knotweed and Giant Knotweed, both right next to major paths and park entrances/exits. There is no information on show regarding the invasiveness or impacts either. I did FB them to ask about it, esp seeing as they are only use organic methods. They just said they pride themselves is growing species from around the world. The botanics are in the town centre as well.

[richy_B]

Victorian botanist are how we got these 'interesting' plant species in the UK.

 

Growing GH is reckless as there is always the risk of people (particularly children) snapping it and getting the sap on them. I've had plenty of minor burns over the years (mainly on wrists where your glove/sleeve). It's not overly painful but it leaves nasty looking scarring. If a child got this on their face it could be pretty major incident.

 

In regards JK, I'd never remove from site. It needs to be in sealed containers, taken to specifically licensed waste centres amd generally costs a fortune. Herbicide treatment twice a year for as long as it keeps returning. 3 clear years in a row is a good sign. It is acceptable to chop it back over winter to create access but I'd tried to 'thresh' it where it was and let it decompose in the infested area.

[timbernut]

I have a small area of JK at one of the entrance rides to my wood, it's in amongst a load of old soil/rubble that was dumped there way before we owned the wood and has only spread about 5m in the 13 or so yrs we've been here (and I left it cos blackcaps best in it every year)

It's now an issue as I'm selling a block of woodland adjacent to it and auctioneer has brought it up.

I've sprayed off the JK that's spread with glyphosate but just been told it's not effective (the 'infected' rubble area is being dragged onto adjacent concrete pad and torched with a load of straw and diesel)

Any suggestions for a more effective chemical treatment

 

 

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