Contolling Japanese Knotweed

Knotweed, which looks a bit like bamboo, is being mechanically spread along our roads and highways by municipal snow plowing and other methods that move roots to creat a tall "bamboo curtain" along roads. It is also spreading along front yards near roadways and rivers where people dump the live tops. It is an aggressive species from Asia introduced here as an ornamental. The most common varieties of this troublemaker include Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), giant knotweed (P. sachalinense), Himalayan knotweed (P. polystachyum) and a Japanese and giant knotweed hybrid (P. X Bohemicum). Knotweeds have been spotted in 41 states and are becoming a real threat to riparian areas,' They crowd out native plants and are unable to hold soil firmly in place. When knotweed invades a riparian zone, stream banks become unstable and soil is stripped away. This scouring effect can actually shift a stream channel, create a sloping bank and result in significantly more sediment in the water. It also reduces the ability of both the riparian zone and the stream to hold water – promoting flash floods during periods of heavy runoff.

Why is knotweed so successful at taking over? Like many riparian invaders, it can spread vegetatively, as well as by seed. Each plant produces an extensive network of underground rhizomes that can spread up to 65 feet in all directions. Tens of thousands of dormant buds on these underground stems can sprout new bamboo-like shoots that have been known to break through asphalt. “I’ve even seen a picture showing Japanese knotweed that had grown through someone's living room floor,” says Timothy Prather, associate professor of weed science at the University of Idaho and a specialist in knotweed.

Even a small fragment of a root or stem can launch a new invasive weed colony. You need to proceed with care and use every tool in your weed control arsenal to control knotweed. Here are a few control tips and best management practices compiled by The Nature Conservancy. Some of these same techniques can be applied to other aggressive plant invaders:

Manual/mechanical control methods such as mowing, trimming, digging and pulling may work if you are persistent over a period of years. Your objective is to starve the root system, and that means staying ahead of new shoots that are produced from latent buds as you disrupt the plant. Be prepared to cut down or pull new shoots twice a month or more from April to August – and then at least once a month until first frost. Repeat the process annually until the knotweed no longer regrows. Also, keep stems that you pull, cut or mow out of the compost pile and well away from any nearby body of water. You don’t want the plant to spread to a new location. Dispose of them by putting them in sealed black plastic bags and letting sit in a sunny place of several warm months "to cook" before disposing.

Foliar herbicide applications may be appropriate for large infestations. As with mechanical control measures, timing and persistence are important. Multiple applications may be needed to do the job.
New stem-injected herbicide techniques are showing great promise. A special tool is used to inject concentrated chemicals directly into a hollow in the knotwood stem. It’s a labor intensive process, though, making it best suited for small patches that are easily accessible.

For more information, visit wssa.net.