Possible Japanese Knotweed?
Discussion
Hey, I'm not a gardener so you will have to excuse me for all the possible mistakes I have done so far.
My parents have a small access space behind their shed which has been cleared up once a year for the last 20 years. The small space is covered in concrete but has since cracked quite badly due to an old tree stump. We're planning to remove the stump and cement the ground this upcoming summer. There's normally some Ivy and some weed but the yearly clear-up has always done the job.
Anyway, yesterday I noticed a thorny branch coming through a gap through the back of the shed. I looked and I noticed a wild-looking bush of thorns had risen up. This had happened all within a few months.
Today I got some leather gloves and some weed killer and got to work with removing all the thorns. It had come from a small plant/shrub in-between the back fence and the concert floor. I cut and pulled as many as I could. As I got close to the actual plant I noticed it looked very similar to bamboo and it was half a meter in height. Being oblivious to what it was I carried on cutting the said plant which had about 2-3 shoots and eventually I got to the root. It pulled out with ease and it looks like a small tree shoot with the bamboo shoots attached. I then sprayed all the area and the cracks with SBK weed killer.
As I sat this evening to do some online browsing I decided to find what species of plant I dealt with and to my horror, I think it could be Japanese knotweed. Having said that I haven't found any info that states it grows alongside or with thorns. This is why I'm slightly confused.
I have now ordered glyphosate weedkiller based on the online recommendation, in the hope that I haven't made it worse.
Would it be okay to use the glyphosate weedkiller after the SBK, which is glyphosate free?
Any other advice would be appreciated.
My parents have a small access space behind their shed which has been cleared up once a year for the last 20 years. The small space is covered in concrete but has since cracked quite badly due to an old tree stump. We're planning to remove the stump and cement the ground this upcoming summer. There's normally some Ivy and some weed but the yearly clear-up has always done the job.
Anyway, yesterday I noticed a thorny branch coming through a gap through the back of the shed. I looked and I noticed a wild-looking bush of thorns had risen up. This had happened all within a few months.
Today I got some leather gloves and some weed killer and got to work with removing all the thorns. It had come from a small plant/shrub in-between the back fence and the concert floor. I cut and pulled as many as I could. As I got close to the actual plant I noticed it looked very similar to bamboo and it was half a meter in height. Being oblivious to what it was I carried on cutting the said plant which had about 2-3 shoots and eventually I got to the root. It pulled out with ease and it looks like a small tree shoot with the bamboo shoots attached. I then sprayed all the area and the cracks with SBK weed killer.
As I sat this evening to do some online browsing I decided to find what species of plant I dealt with and to my horror, I think it could be Japanese knotweed. Having said that I haven't found any info that states it grows alongside or with thorns. This is why I'm slightly confused.
I have now ordered glyphosate weedkiller based on the online recommendation, in the hope that I haven't made it worse.
Would it be okay to use the glyphosate weedkiller after the SBK, which is glyphosate free?
Any other advice would be appreciated.
Evoluzione said:
JK doesn't have thorns, it was probably a blackberry.
You can only apply Glyph to something which is growing and has leaves.
I did a google search and it's definitely not blackberry's. You can only apply Glyph to something which is growing and has leaves.
It seems like the throns were growing next to it. Based on more research it could be Leycesteria Formosa.
Having said that I'm now s
tting myself and struggling to sleep. Trying to figure out how to take measures to prevent the spread of contamination. If it looks like Leycesteria Formosa it's probably not knotweed. Knotweed would have:
- Bamboo like stems
- White flowers when in bloom which would be around now - late summer / early autumn
- Zig zag leaf pattern, i.e. each leaf stems off on it's own, you won't have two leaves stemming off at the same point. There's an illustration of this here: https://www.thejapaneseknotweedcompany.com/japanes...
If it was knotweed and you've dug it all out / sprayed it you'd need to wait until next summer to treat it properly. If you have some of the old plant you can email it to Environet or similar and they'll help with identification / suggest treatment plans.
We found Knotweed in our garden, wasn't a massive issue to get sorted and definitely wouldn't put me off a house in the future unless it was completely rampant and right next to the house.
- Bamboo like stems
- White flowers when in bloom which would be around now - late summer / early autumn
- Zig zag leaf pattern, i.e. each leaf stems off on it's own, you won't have two leaves stemming off at the same point. There's an illustration of this here: https://www.thejapaneseknotweedcompany.com/japanes...
If it was knotweed and you've dug it all out / sprayed it you'd need to wait until next summer to treat it properly. If you have some of the old plant you can email it to Environet or similar and they'll help with identification / suggest treatment plans.
We found Knotweed in our garden, wasn't a massive issue to get sorted and definitely wouldn't put me off a house in the future unless it was completely rampant and right next to the house.
We had a small infestation in our garden. We paid a specialist company to asses and they recommended we treat it ourselves. It took 3 years and we're now 2 years clear. It not a bad as the newspapers would have you think.
Buy the right weed killer, inject/spay at the right time of the year and leave the root system alone.
Buy the right weed killer, inject/spay at the right time of the year and leave the root system alone.
Motoring12345 said:
Would it be okay to use the glyphosate weedkiller after the SBK, which is glyphosate free?
Glyphosate is technically better as it is translocated to the roots, but SBK is a decent start. Both of them only work on growing plants, so if the SBK has rendered the leaves brown and crispy, there's no point in adding anything else.Motoring12345 said:
Having said that I'm now stting myself and struggling to sleep.
It's sad that in these days of H&S and general fear of everything, a 20cm weed can do this to people.tting myself and struggling to sleep.Can you post a photo?
I'd be annoyed but wouldn't lose sleep over JK providing it wasnt significant and near the house.
There is no shortage of ways of treating it easily, just need to research and progress methodically.
Post up pics or research what JK looks like via Google image. I'm sure you will be fine!!
There is no shortage of ways of treating it easily, just need to research and progress methodically.
Post up pics or research what JK looks like via Google image. I'm sure you will be fine!!
Have a read of the info at https://japaneseknotweed.co.uk/treatment-and-remov... for self-diagnosis and follow up with submitting a photo on the form for a second opinion if still concerned. I did this and they replied swiftly confirming mine wasn't and all they asked is if I'd consider leaving a review on Trustpilot for them.
Edited by MJNewton on Wednesday 21st September 10:38
As has been said, JK is not thorny and not that difficult to get rid of if you are organised and careful.
Can you post pictures of the stuff that you think is JK? It's quite distinctive and people will be able to help from the photos. (Pointless request if the stuff is already cleared and gone!)
Can you post pictures of the stuff that you think is JK? It's quite distinctive and people will be able to help from the photos. (Pointless request if the stuff is already cleared and gone!)
I went back and had a good look. Based on the few leaves I left behind I'm thinking it was mostly likely Leycesteria Formosa, the root looked just like this: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2...
I've ordered GALLUP XL and I'm going to spray all the cracks and the tree stump so we can dig it out and cement the area again. Unless the JK shoot out
I've ordered GALLUP XL and I'm going to spray all the cracks and the tree stump so we can dig it out and cement the area again. Unless the JK shoot out
Motoring12345 said:
I've ordered GALLUP XL and I'm going to spray all the cracks and the tree stump so we can dig it out and cement the area again.
Gallup is glyphosate, as are most of these things, but with different brand names.It's deactivated by organic matter so spraying the ground won't achieve anything.
ObSceney said:
We had a small infestation in our garden. We paid a specialist company to asses and they recommended we treat it ourselves. It took 3 years and we're now 2 years clear. It not a bad as the newspapers would have you think.
Buy the right weed killer, inject/spay at the right time of the year and leave the root system alone.
Small infestations are easy. The problem is when you want to put hard paving or building over it. I've seen it grow through new driveways. It's everywhere on South Wales, along with Himalayan Balsam.Buy the right weed killer, inject/spay at the right time of the year and leave the root system alone.
I still have some KW in the land next to my house, if anyone wants a pic.
There used to be 189m2 of the stuff about 8' high and pretty dense.
After three years, there are still a few clumps that keep coming back. They have a professional company coming in and spraying it twice a year.
Red/dark pink stem, looks like asparagus as it grows. Leaves then come on quickly and lot's of them. Importantly though, no thorns.
There used to be 189m2 of the stuff about 8' high and pretty dense.
After three years, there are still a few clumps that keep coming back. They have a professional company coming in and spraying it twice a year.
Red/dark pink stem, looks like asparagus as it grows. Leaves then come on quickly and lot's of them. Importantly though, no thorns.
Old thread but… how long after treatment finishes to irradiate the JK do you need to wait to disturb the ground? Any ideas? In this scenario, 4 year treatment plan finished in 2021 - would want to build a shed and patio in the previously affected area and so disturb the ground there. Thanks
After 4 years and a proper treatment plan if it was going to come back,I would have thought it would have done so by now. It can regrow from almost any length of rhizome left in the ground, so disturbing now shouldn’t suddenly reanimate anything if it’s actually been eradicated. If in doubt you could call the company that followed the plan and ask.
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