We inherited a number of noxious weeds with our rental house. Bindweed has been my main foe so far, but now I’ve moved on to Japanese Knot-weed, also known as Mexican Bamboo, Fleece-flower, and others. The recommended method for dealing with the pest is to cut all growth to the ground for several years and wait for the rhizomes to die. Digging it up will almost certainly spit the roots, which will start a new colony.
In an interesting twist, it appears that the knot-weed and bindweed are now competing. They both share fence space, and are becoming intertwined. Both are noxious and kill off all other plants competing for the same resources, so how will it end?
I could try and play the sides against each other like the US did with Iran and Iraq. If history is any lesson, it won’t work, and the havoc, death, poverty, and corruption that resulted won’t make much for a yard. I am afraid that using a glyphosate spray may be the only way to stop these bastards. They had free reign previously, and now we’re dealing with the consequences.
I wonder how the tradition began of naming bad things like illnesses and invasive plants after different people or countries?
Oh.
and here’s a cool blog.
I forgot I can’t html.
http://www.whonamedit.com/
http://invasivespecies.blogspot.com/
Here’s a cool breakdown and explanation of the different names for knotweed. Pretty cool:
http://www.knottybits.com/Knotweed/CommonScientificKnotweed.htm
I was wrong about it being noxious. Its just a “nuisance” listed plant. In fact, its probably a mix of Japanese Knotweed and Giant Knotweed. The Washtington Noxious Weed Board has this to say about it: “Giant knotweed shares habitat with Japanese knotweed. Both species are found along stream banks, in moist waste places, neglected gardens..”
So ours is a neglected garden :)