[Closed] Japanese Knotweed - Can you eat it?

google says it is.

[s]it is very dangerous, especially to children and can cause lesions and even blindness. You should report it to the local authority who are obliged to destroy it[/s] Ooops, that's Hogweed 🙂

[url= http://www.bogtrotters.org/rides/2008/26jul/_DSC0012.jp g" target="_blank">http://www.bogtrotters.org/rides/2008/26jul/_DSC0012.jp g"/> [/img] click pic for more[/url]

thats not Japanese Knotweed, thats Giant Hogweed. Very dangerous to direct contact with skin, JK on the otherhand will grow through concrete, tarmac etc...

Edit, understand sheep/cows will eat JK, but only when the shoots are very young. Can grow at about a foot a week in full flight.

but sfb says it isn't.

There's only one way to solve this;

Fiiiiiiggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttt.

but sfb says it isn't.

I was wrong 🙂

So that's Giant Hogweed Simon? And what of Japanese Knotweed?

😆
Edit: too slow

[i]simonfbarnes - I was wrong[/i]

*falls off chair*

Apparently you can cook it (JK) like you do rhubarb.

It is illegal to cultivate it though.

Not sure what you would do with the bits you don't use once you've cooked it though, it all has to be disposed of as Hazardous waste.

[i]Not sure what you would do with the bits you don't use once you've cooked it though, it all has to be disposed of as Hazardous waste. [/i]

throw in peoples gardens you don't like?

make soup out of leaves, iirc

One local authority near me was suggesting making JK jam - never did see any in the supermarket though...

There's research ongoing with biological controls, in this case psyllids, whereby something (other than humans) are introduced to eat it.

[url= http://www.cabi.org/japaneseknotweedalliance/ ]See here[/url]

You are welcome to come and graze on mine, it's spread alongside a stream. Cutting and spraying do seem to be weakening it a bit though.

Cutting it would surely have to be done VERY carefully near a stream - transmission through the watercourse would be a nightmare (though I presume thats how it arrived).

I reported a massive heap of the stuff to my local council last week. They said "it's not on our ground, we're keeping an eye on it". My old council would have been out, cleared it up and given the landowner the bill.

srrc - You should not cut it as even tiny fragments of root material can produce new plants. Don't touch it yourself but contact your local Environment Agency office or local council for advice.

it seems that its ok to introduce another foreign species to get rid of this one. talk about sending a theif to catch a theif!

Cutting it would surely have to be done VERY carefully near a stream - transmission through the watercourse would be a nightmare (though I presume thats how it arrived).

It was introduced by some Victorian mastermind who thought it would look nice in the English countryside. He was right, too, except that the plants he'd seen in Japan, with their lovely, delicate white flowers, were only a few inches tall. Their growth is stunted by an aphid which prevents the stem from developing. Because this aphid is not present in the UK, the Knotweed grows unrestrained - at a rate of around three or four feet per month.

One of my gardens is infected with this ****ing awful plant. I rip them out every week during the summer, then leave them in a pile to rot. I did try burning the ones a ripped out but the thick, rank black smoke they give off, even when dried right out, just makes it unfeasible, even though I don't have any neighbours to pollute. There's no way they could be burned in a typical smokeless residential area without havign the fire brigade descending on you. Now the stems and dug up roots get left to rot and the root balls (knots) get burned. I genuinely despise this plant.

Todays pix:

http://www.zooomr.com/photos/15397@Z01/

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[img] [/img]

[img] [/img]

http://www.zooomr.com/photos/15397@Z01/

Anyone got a pic of the JK,cheers

Wonder if it could be used as bio fuel?

When i was younger my Grandad taught me and my brother to use Giant Hogweed as pea shooters..I never knew it was poisonous!

you can eat japanese knotweed when it's a young plant - similar to rhubarb apparantly.

It is extremely difficult to get rid of - it can grow 5 - 10 cm a day. It will spread 7m underground in every direction and then come up again. Removal is done by either excavation to completely remove all traces of the rhizone, or with chemical treatment over a set period of time. There are new systems on the market that are non evasive and strangle the plant as it grows, they are however not quick solutions. The government have just approved the release of a bug which feeds exclusively on knotweed in a bid to control its growth.

It is also illegal to transport the plant anywhere and caries a hefty fine if caught. One of the leading Japanese removal experts is a good friend of mine. He's also a keen biker with a garage of bikes you could only dream of owning 🙂

all the info you could ever dream of here www.jksl.com

Year on year treatment of shoots around 2-3ft with Roundup seems to be working in my garden with this plant. I have a really small growth this year without full formed leaves, I think when I treat that it will be the last year it grows

The river Nene is already full of it on the banks. It can be cut left to dry then burnt or taken to a registered tip that can handle it.
I've been burnt by giant hog weed had a loverly blister come up on my forearm that left a scar for about 2 years 🙁 When young it just looks like common Hogweed.

Year on year treatment of shoots around 2-3ft with Roundup seems to be working in my garden with this plant. I have a really small growth this year without full formed leaves, I think when I treat that it will be the last year it grows

Does this treatment keep the plant's height down?

The river Nene is already full of it on the banks. It can be cut left to dry then burnt or taken to a registered tip that can handle it.

It's illegal to transport it without license.

Three_fish - my brother has similar problems, only he was told not to dig it up or burn it in open land as "it" gets carried away on the convection currents, the whole lot of soil has to be dug up and properly incinerated to properly treat the land. What's more, as you say, you can't transport it and glyphosate really knocks it back when it's young but never gets shut, it just travels undergroud to poke out somewhere else.

[i]It's illegal to transport it without license.[/i]

Good job I work for the Environment Agency then 😉

Knotweed DOs

Knotweed is unsightly and it is displacing our native plants, reducing biodiversity. Please help to prevent the spread of Knotweed by following these guidelines.

* If you intend to use a herbicide in or near water, you need to obtain the approval of the Environment Agency prior to treatment
* Follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding protective clothing and the safe and effective use of herbicides
* When applying herbicides, take care to avoid drift, and any damage to non-target plants. Spraying should be performed during still dry conditions, without rain for 6 hours
* Spraying on land which is not your own should be carried out by an approved contractor with a National Proficiency Tests Council Certificate of Competence

Knotweed NOTs

* Do not flail or mow Japanese Knotweed as this will cause it to spread. Cutting with sharp hooks, slashers etc is recommended
* Do not spread Japanese Knotweed stem and crowns. If you cut down Japanese Knotweed, it is best disposed of on site. Material taken off site must be safely contained and disposed of at a licensed disposal site
* Do not spread soil contaminated with Japanese Knotweed rhizome. Any soil that is obtained from ground within 7m of a Japanese Knotweed plant could contain rhizome. The rhizome is highly regenerative and will readily grow into new plants
* Do not chip Japanese Knotweed material. Mechanical chippers do not kill Japanese Knotweed. If you spread the chipped material on soil, Japanese Knotweed could regrow
* Do not add Japanese Knotweed to compost. Compost Japanese Knotweed separately, so that you can be sure it is dead before you apply it to land
* Do not waste time. If Japanese Knotweed appears in your area, treat it immediately. Do not allow it to become established
* Do not break the law. Remember, if you cause Japanese Knotweed to spread you are guilty of an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981

Confused as to why my council are saying "yeah, we know it's there, we're just leaving it and seeing if it spreads".

So, has anyone got any recipes ?

Good job I work for the Environment Agency then

Me too. Whatdya do? I'm an EO.

Good job I work for the Environment Agency then.

Would you like to pop over to mine for a cuppa? We can shoot the breeze, talk bikes, take away all of my knotweed and a few feet of top soil...

LTM delivery ops.

Would prefer Lord Smiths job 120k+ for 3 days a week would do me.

There's only one way to solve this;

Fiiiiiiggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhtttttttttttttt.

[url= http://www.googlefight.com/index.php?lang=en_GB&word1=edible+japanese+knotweed&word2=inedible+japanese+knotweed ]ok then[/url]

* Do not break the law. Remember, if you cause Japanese Knotweed to spread you are guilty of an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981

thats interesting, we have an expanding problem in our garden with it due to a huge amount in the neighbouring farmers field. he has point blank refused to deal with it.

I made some nettle soup today, hope that helps 😀

You can cook it, and as others have said, it's a controlled weed, can't be transported without a licence, has to be disposed of at a licenced site etc. Regenerates from pieces as small as 1cm cube.

Others have pretty much outlined the treatment methods - you either remove as much as you can to a tip, and block the rhizomes from resprouting with a geotextile membrane, or, if you have time, you can exhaust the rhizome network (the JK stores energy in the rhizomes, which is why it can come back time and time again). After about 5 years of the new growth being sprayed/burnt/whatever, the rhizome's had it and you've solved your problem.

One of the leading Japanese removal experts is a good friend of mine. He's also a keen biker with a garage of bikes you could only dream of owning

I used to be in this line of work - any idea if he's hiring (I seem to remember JKSL are Sheffield based)?

Edit: No, actually forget that for the time being. I've just remembered the joys of being on site at the crack of sparrow's fart.

The way to get it is to exhaust the rhizome. Cut it back after it's sprouted, then spray the stumps with glyphosate. Repeat when it grows a bit more. This exhausts the sugars in the rhizome, as it invests energy in re-shooting, but never gets chance to recoup that energy via photosynthesis as you keep cutting it back before it's in leaf. It takes a while, but it will eventually give up and bugger off...

JK is one of the 3 notifiable weeds along with hogweed and ragwort. (Hogweed sap is very nasty particularly if you get it on the skin in sunshine, nasty chemical burns).

As said above a glyphosate based herbicide and patience is the best way to kill it. Glyphosate is a systemic weedkiller that acts slowly but as a reult gets taken into the root system which is vital when dealing with JK.

Good luck to anyone fighting it.

Theyre based in Radcliffe tron, near Manchester. No idea if they're hiring, but f you want to, drop him a c.v. He's a first class bloke and I'd work for him without a doubt if I was in your game.

A bit more extreme, but its better to cut the stems and instead of spray direct inject 100% glyphostae into the stems. Lethal stuff to use in such a concentration but works....

[i]When i was younger my Grandad taught me and my brother to use Giant Hogweed as pea shooters..I never knew it was poisonous! [/i]

That wouldn't be Giant Hogweed as it would have melted your face off, it would have been Cow Parsnip that's what my Dad taught us to use and informed us to avoid Giant Hogweed.

yeah man... giant hogweed looks similar but about 10 times larger.. more didgeridoo than peashooter

[url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8555378.stm ]These little buggers[/url] will happily graze on them.