As far as gardening goes I would be the last person anyone one would turn to for tips. I am naturally not a gardener and I am the one in need of advice.
I have spent the last month attempting to prepare a large garden so that it may be enjoyed through-out the British summer holidays. Weeding patio areas with spray weedkillers, securing fences to prevent my dogs from escaping. Brushing paths, tidying up the hedges/ (which appear to have been butchered some time shortly before I moved in to the property 9 months ago). Moving grass and laying grass seed in relevant areas. Clearing weeds has been problematic and hence me joining this site after being informed by a friend that it's possible that what I'm dealing with is Japanese Knotweed. After doing a search on Google I have discovered that the weed (or plant) in question is not Knotweed, However the decorative and fast growing bamboo could be.
Firstly - I sprayed the weeds and they died off within 10 days but something else, green and fern like has replaced it - I still have not discovered what this could be or how I should proceed with it's removal from pretty much every crevasse or crack where it's taken a secure hold in less than a week.
Secondly - I cut down what I believed to be bamboo in late September last year in order to gain access to the corner in which it was growing and secure the garden fencing behind it. A week ago I tidied the area in question again in order to erect screening. But in that week new shoots have grown and there is several new shoots ranging from 1 to 4 foot in height. In a bid to discover what Knot weed is I googled it noticed that the bamboo more closely resembles Japanese knot weed.
Please can anyone help me identify what I'm really dealing with and does anyone have advise on how to deal with it, Is it poisonous and should I be requiring my Landlord to get rid of it rather than trying to tackle it on my own ? Help me please. I can get more photos if it would help.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Yes, the first one is Japanese knotweed. It is edible, but it is listed as "the most invasive plant in Britain" and very difficult to get rid of.
Here's what the Royal Horticultural Society says:
Re control, the above article says: Digging out is possible, but due to the depth that the rhizomes can penetrate, regrowth usually occurs. This method also creates problems over disposal as Japanese knotweed is classed as 'controlled waste' under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This requires disposal at licensed landfill sites or letting it dry out and then burning it. On no account should Japanese knotweed be included with normal household waste or put out in green waste collection schemes If digging out is attempted, remove as much root as possible, then repeatedly destroy regrowth. In this way the energy reserves in the remaining underground parts will be gradually exhausted; a process which may, however, take several seasons.
Otherwise treat it with superstrength glyphosate formulations, such as Scotts Roundup Ultra, Bayer Garden Super Strength Weedkiller, Bayer Tough Rootkill, Doff Maxi Strength Glyphosate Weedkiller or Westland Resolva Xtra Tough Concentrate. If you are going to do this, do it in a high growth period, like now. Cut the stems off a couple feet or so above the ground and "paint" the poison on the cut stems. This minimizes damage to surrounding plants and reduces the dispersal of the glyphosate in the environment. You will likely have to do it again in September before growth quits and again next spring. Glyphosate-treated knotweed will often produce small-leaved, bushy regrowth 50-90cm (20in-3ft) in height the following spring. This is very different in appearance to the normal plant and it is essential that this regrowth is treated.It usually takes at least three to four seasons to eradicate Japanese knotweed using glyphosate.
It sounds like a big deal and one that really the landlord should deal with, using specialized contractors.
I think the second picture is horsetail equisetum. It is a primitive non-flowering plant that reproduces by spores.
It appears to be another nuisance plant, though maybe not as much:
Here's what the Royal Horticultural Society says:
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=218Japanese knotweed
Although rather attractive, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a real thug as it spreads rapidly. In winter the plant dies back beneath ground but by early summer the bamboo-like stems shoot to over 2.1m (7ft), suppressing all other growth. Eradication requires steely determination as it is very hard to remove by hand or with chemicals.
Re control, the above article says: Digging out is possible, but due to the depth that the rhizomes can penetrate, regrowth usually occurs. This method also creates problems over disposal as Japanese knotweed is classed as 'controlled waste' under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This requires disposal at licensed landfill sites or letting it dry out and then burning it. On no account should Japanese knotweed be included with normal household waste or put out in green waste collection schemes If digging out is attempted, remove as much root as possible, then repeatedly destroy regrowth. In this way the energy reserves in the remaining underground parts will be gradually exhausted; a process which may, however, take several seasons.
Otherwise treat it with superstrength glyphosate formulations, such as Scotts Roundup Ultra, Bayer Garden Super Strength Weedkiller, Bayer Tough Rootkill, Doff Maxi Strength Glyphosate Weedkiller or Westland Resolva Xtra Tough Concentrate. If you are going to do this, do it in a high growth period, like now. Cut the stems off a couple feet or so above the ground and "paint" the poison on the cut stems. This minimizes damage to surrounding plants and reduces the dispersal of the glyphosate in the environment. You will likely have to do it again in September before growth quits and again next spring. Glyphosate-treated knotweed will often produce small-leaved, bushy regrowth 50-90cm (20in-3ft) in height the following spring. This is very different in appearance to the normal plant and it is essential that this regrowth is treated.It usually takes at least three to four seasons to eradicate Japanese knotweed using glyphosate.
It sounds like a big deal and one that really the landlord should deal with, using specialized contractors.
I think the second picture is horsetail equisetum. It is a primitive non-flowering plant that reproduces by spores.
It appears to be another nuisance plant, though maybe not as much:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EquisetumMany species in this genus prefer wet sandy soils, though some are semi-aquatic and others are adapted to wet clay soils. The stalks arise from rhizomes that are deep underground and almost impossible to dig out. The field horsetail (E. arvense) can be a nuisance weed, readily regrowing from the rhizome after being pulled out. It is also unaffected by many herbicides designed to kill seed plants. However, as E. arvense prefers an acid soil, lime may be used to assist in eradication efforts to bring the soil pH to 7 or 8.[13] Members of the genus have been declared noxious weeds in Australia and in the US state of Oregon.[14][15]
All the Equisetum are classed as "unwanted organisms" in New Zealand and are listed on the National Pest Plant Accord.
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applestar
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That's the kind of horsetail I'm familiar with. Young shoots are eaten in Japan.
They come up looking like this:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdoHpRlXIAA3FV-.jpg
If you have young children -- or if you are young at heart
-- there is a game you can play with the older ferny looking shoots. They separate easily at the line in the stem when gently pulled/tugged apart, and then you can carefully put them back together. Then show and ask for guesses on which segment was separated. 
There ferny shoots have high silica content and is said be useful for scouring pots, though I've never had the chance to try.
They come up looking like this:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CdoHpRlXIAA3FV-.jpg
If you have young children -- or if you are young at heart
-- there is a game you can play with the older ferny looking shoots. They separate easily at the line in the stem when gently pulled/tugged apart, and then you can carefully put them back together. Then show and ask for guesses on which segment was separated. There ferny shoots have high silica content and is said be useful for scouring pots, though I've never had the chance to try.
Okay thanks for the input guys - These are really too much for me to deal with on my own - I don't think I'll be staying for enough seasons to eradicate either f these weeds - so will inform my landlord agency. I suffer from fibromyalgia and the garden is far too large for me to manage. If I could just pick up the house and move it to a better location, lol.
Cheers for all the information and confirming my fears. It's better to have the knowledge and enjoy.
I expect I will just be clearing what I can to make it aesthetically pleasing for this summer
Thanks again x
Cheers for all the information and confirming my fears. It's better to have the knowledge and enjoy.
I expect I will just be clearing what I can to make it aesthetically pleasing for this summer
Thanks again x
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watermelonpunch
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Sun May 05, 2013 8:04 am
- Location: Pennsylvania USA
Wow, that Japanese Knotweed gets around. Had no idea it was a problem in Britain too.
Japanese Knotweed is bad here in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Someone who worked at a park where it had to be dealt with in a recreational location, told me to get rid of it, it takes a repeated multiple approach just to get rid of 2 bushes. I've had several neighbors mention they made attempts with weed killers before giving up and just continually chopping it down.
As for horsetail, when I saw those photos, I thought of this unidentified plant I have in my store waiting to get identified... so what do you think?
https://www.watermelonpunch.com/wppb/uni ... -plant-20/
October 7th 2014
zone 5a / 5b
Tobyhanna State Park, Pocono Plateau, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
It was located along Lakeside Trail, a multi-use trail along the lake, in a short length through the woods between the developed areas of beach & boating areas, that gets a lot of foot & bicycle traffic.
Japanese Knotweed is bad here in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Someone who worked at a park where it had to be dealt with in a recreational location, told me to get rid of it, it takes a repeated multiple approach just to get rid of 2 bushes. I've had several neighbors mention they made attempts with weed killers before giving up and just continually chopping it down.
As for horsetail, when I saw those photos, I thought of this unidentified plant I have in my store waiting to get identified... so what do you think?
https://www.watermelonpunch.com/wppb/uni ... -plant-20/
October 7th 2014
zone 5a / 5b
Tobyhanna State Park, Pocono Plateau, Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
It was located along Lakeside Trail, a multi-use trail along the lake, in a short length through the woods between the developed areas of beach & boating areas, that gets a lot of foot & bicycle traffic.
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!potatoes!
- Greener Thumb
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