knotweed Goddammit!!!!!
Discussion
Froggy porker said:
Your approach sounds like a good one, though I'm wary of digging as a break in a rhizome seems to be a local growth initiator.
One suggested eradication method that struck a chord with me when I read about it on the net was based on the observation that mowing a patch of knotweed regularly would eventually kill it off through exhaustion. What we are both doing is similar in that zapping new growth early (and of course poisoning the f
k out of it 
) prevents the rhizome from having any quality photosynthesis time to build up its energy levels.
Good luck, and die bd satan weed, die......
Mowing only will work but it will take around 3-5 years even for small patches. If a plant is truly dead, then digging up won't stimulate any growth. A lot of people think they are rid of the weed when it has actually become dormant. My idea is to remove as much plant mass as possible and by doing so , force the little ones to reveal themselves too.. One suggested eradication method that struck a chord with me when I read about it on the net was based on the observation that mowing a patch of knotweed regularly would eventually kill it off through exhaustion. What we are both doing is similar in that zapping new growth early (and of course poisoning the f
k out of it ) prevents the rhizome from having any quality photosynthesis time to build up its energy levels.Good luck, and die b
d satan weed, die......All that extra foliage will help to channel more herbicide to the roots. Let the plant grow a little before you hit it with poison and don't hit it too hard as all you will do is burn the above soil growth. Wait for the leaves to mature a little and whack it later.
Once it looks like there isn't any more regrowth dig down at least to 0.5metres to chase out the majority of the root system and be ready to spray the next round of growth in time for autumn. I plan to dig around august so that there is just the right height of flowering growth to spray before the winter dieback.
I'll update this on a regular basis to let you anyone who is interested know if this works....
wish me luck!!!
Good recent literature on effectiveness of treatments....
http://www.wsweedscience.org/Slides/2007/15%20Soll...
http://www.wsweedscience.org/Slides/2007/15%20Soll...
Well we have the first bit of good weather and there haven't been any new shoots for a while. I've decide to carefully excavate around the furthermost stand to determine the size and depth of the rhizome system.
Thankfully my hunch about clay soils proved to be a blessing - the lateral rhizome roots appear to be no deeper than 6 inches, a major one is just sitting under the surface earth. Of course, by the time I get to the parent plant this is unlike to be the case. For now it seems that the weed has been happily fed by all the surface water sitting on the clay. I'm going to keep the area well irrigated to sit stays happy where it is.
The idea is to these the roots out to the outermost point and then follow them all the back to the origin before I dig down. The roots have been painted with conc glyphosate and some other stuff mentioned on this thread....
Thankfully my hunch about clay soils proved to be a blessing - the lateral rhizome roots appear to be no deeper than 6 inches, a major one is just sitting under the surface earth. Of course, by the time I get to the parent plant this is unlike to be the case. For now it seems that the weed has been happily fed by all the surface water sitting on the clay. I'm going to keep the area well irrigated to sit stays happy where it is.
The idea is to these the roots out to the outermost point and then follow them all the back to the origin before I dig down. The roots have been painted with conc glyphosate and some other stuff mentioned on this thread....
Big bd roots for a small clump of weed! Shows just how much strength these devil plants keep underground - suppose that is the nature of a rhizome.
A few puny shoots found in my garden since D-day. Today they got the "treatment", i.e. cut off 1 cm from ground level and the remaining stump lovingly painted with Roundup.
However, when I cut down the big clump on common land near my garden boundary I chopped up the plants and compressed them in to two heavy duty bin bags. As recommended I put these to one side under shelter to dry out before burning - must have compressed them too much as one of the bags is now leaking a foul black fluid so the debris must be fermenting rather than drying out. I've got some old wood to get rid of so will go for hot incineration rather than waiting for the knotweed to dry out.
d roots for a small clump of weed! Shows just how much strength these devil plants keep underground - suppose that is the nature of a rhizome.A few puny shoots found in my garden since D-day. Today they got the "treatment", i.e. cut off 1 cm from ground level and the remaining stump lovingly painted with Roundup.
However, when I cut down the big clump on common land near my garden boundary I chopped up the plants and compressed them in to two heavy duty bin bags. As recommended I put these to one side under shelter to dry out before burning - must have compressed them too much as one of the bags is now leaking a foul black fluid so the debris must be fermenting rather than drying out. I've got some old wood to get rid of so will go for hot incineration rather than waiting for the knotweed to dry out.
Thankfully the rhizome is chunky and easy to identify and excavate. I reckon I'll get 99% out by digging and murder any surviving bits with some potent contact herbicide like triclopyr.
You will note that it likes to form thick lateral roots. New shoots form by budding off and migrating to the surface. Be careful to look for these white shoots as they are easily broken off. I've painted any exposed root at the end of the day with neat roundup.
Any bits that I have broken off are kept in a bucket with conc mic of sulphamate to break it down.
I decided to remove this sycamore sapling that's going to be in the way. In the absence of appropriate tooling I decided to deadlift it out!!!!
You will note that it likes to form thick lateral roots. New shoots form by budding off and migrating to the surface. Be careful to look for these white shoots as they are easily broken off. I've painted any exposed root at the end of the day with neat roundup.
Any bits that I have broken off are kept in a bucket with conc mic of sulphamate to break it down.
I decided to remove this sycamore sapling that's going to be in the way. In the absence of appropriate tooling I decided to deadlift it out!!!!
Edited by stanwan on Monday 28th May 22:44
I have just seen a site today that I will exchange contracts on this friday. It has a lovely clump of 10ft tall knotweed at the back that the owner says "I know nothing about that!". Well he does now and it will cost him 
Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
blueg33 said:
I have just seen a site today that I will exchange contracts on this friday. It has a lovely clump of 10ft tall knotweed at the back that the owner says "I know nothing about that!". Well he does now and it will cost him
Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
Dig or herbicide?Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
blueg33 said:
I have just seen a site today that I will exchange contracts on this friday. It has a lovely clump of 10ft tall knotweed at the back that the owner says "I know nothing about that!". Well he does now and it will cost him
Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
Good luck with Network Rail, they are probably the worse for dealing with knotweed and in fact are often responsible for spreading it due to very bad maintenance practices. Despite advising them numerous times i still see them unwittingly flail cutting dense stands during the growing season. Plus its come from the railway line behind, so Network Rail will be picking up the tab once my vulture (oops I mean lawyer) has had a quiet word.
richyb said:
Good luck with Network Rail, they are probably the worse for dealing with knotweed and in fact are often responsible for spreading it due to very bad maintenance practices. Despite advising them numerous times i still see them unwittingly flail cutting dense stands during the growing season.
I have been there with Network Rail before - my particular lawyer for this is senior partner at one of the UK's leading litigators and handled the last 2 knotweed cases for m, one was NR who caved in the other was a Council who remediated my site and gave me warranties. Plenty of case history which he will quietly point them at. Observations so far:
Enviroment agency guidelines stipulate excavating 3m deep and 7 radius from the outermost plant. I guess this is the way to do it if you are excavating blindly.
So far each small shoot tends to have a large single rhizome root that dives down around 10cm and then dives laterally when it hits the clay. Stems produce little white tusk-like shoots which snap off easily -it's important not to miss these.
Tracing knotweed roots has been fairly easy - its the sycamore and ivy roots that are a nightmare!!
I do have 1 rhizome which dives v deep - I f I cannot get to it I'm gong to fill up a condom with glyphosate pop it over the root.
Enviroment agency guidelines stipulate excavating 3m deep and 7 radius from the outermost plant. I guess this is the way to do it if you are excavating blindly.
So far each small shoot tends to have a large single rhizome root that dives down around 10cm and then dives laterally when it hits the clay. Stems produce little white tusk-like shoots which snap off easily -it's important not to miss these.
Tracing knotweed roots has been fairly easy - its the sycamore and ivy roots that are a nightmare!!
I do have 1 rhizome which dives v deep - I f I cannot get to it I'm gong to fill up a condom with glyphosate pop it over the root.
This is the case law we use when looking at Knotweed coming from Network Rail land.
Rule in Rylands v Fletcher said:
the person who for his own purpose brings on his lands and collects and keeps there anything likely to do mischief, if it escapes, must keep it in at his peril, and if he does not do so, is prima facie answerable for all the damage which is the natural consequence of its escape
Basically this case established a new area for Tort law. The key point is that previously the claimant had to show the defendant intended to do harm, now he only has to demonstrate that harm has been done.I'm ready to throw in the towel.
I've been digging for a solid 3 hours today. I'm 60cm down by the side of the house and there is a thick 2cm diameter stem that is diving down...
I've now reached the top of the foundation bricks and the enormity of my task is now quite apparent - by the time I've chased out the rhizomes at that depth I'm going to have a round 10 tonnes of soil to dispose of.
Part of me wants to carry on - I've been done over by my vendors and refuse to be beat. I am however concerned that given how close I am to the foundation that I am literally our of my depth right now (sorry for the pun).
The top layer of topsoil is completely infested with dead knotweed rhizomes - someones has a had a thorough go at poisoning and hiding this infestation. The vendors have screwed us over - and I am feeling v raw about it right now
I've been digging for a solid 3 hours today. I'm 60cm down by the side of the house and there is a thick 2cm diameter stem that is diving down...
I've now reached the top of the foundation bricks and the enormity of my task is now quite apparent - by the time I've chased out the rhizomes at that depth I'm going to have a round 10 tonnes of soil to dispose of.
Part of me wants to carry on - I've been done over by my vendors and refuse to be beat. I am however concerned that given how close I am to the foundation that I am literally our of my depth right now (sorry for the pun).
The top layer of topsoil is completely infested with dead knotweed rhizomes - someones has a had a thorough go at poisoning and hiding this infestation. The vendors have screwed us over - and I am feeling v raw about it right now
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