Time to Spray Roundup Herbicide on Japanese Knotweed
Sunday August 31, 2003
If you've deemed chemical warfare a viable option
in your war on Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), then you've reached a critical juncture in the landscaping season....
For this is the time of year in which Japanese knotweed blooms. And it is when the plant blooms that it is most susceptible to systemic herbicides. The recommended systemic herbicide for use against Japanese knotweed is glyphosate, readily available in home improvement stores under the brand name, Roundup. If you have reservations about using Roundup, this article on eradicating Japanese knotweed suggests an alternative that does not involve the use of chemicals. The article also introduces Japanese knotweed: what it is, how it came to the West and why it is so hard to get rid of.
in your war on Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), then you've reached a critical juncture in the landscaping season....
For this is the time of year in which Japanese knotweed blooms. And it is when the plant blooms that it is most susceptible to systemic herbicides. The recommended systemic herbicide for use against Japanese knotweed is glyphosate, readily available in home improvement stores under the brand name, Roundup. If you have reservations about using Roundup, this article on eradicating Japanese knotweed suggests an alternative that does not involve the use of chemicals. The article also introduces Japanese knotweed: what it is, how it came to the West and why it is so hard to get rid of.
Comments
DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT use Roundup, here is just one reason why: http://www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2005/Roundup-Kills-Amphibians23jul05.htm
Along with the exploitative nature of its parent company, Monsanto, Roundup is a harmful product in too many ways.
Read both the methods for getting rid of knotweed. Have been in the position of trying anything and everything personally. This stuff is called Running Bamboo here in Philly. The only way to get rid of it for us was to have half our backyard dug out 3 feet deep, placed heavy barrier around the hole, then had fresh soil put in. This stuff is the worst! It loves trees and their roots - even a dead tree will feed it. And it can be at least 3 feet deep with the roots running sideways which also produce rhizomes (look like little fingers or baby asparagus). It’s all over our neighborhood. We just hope we never have to deal with it ourselves again! So far, 6 years later, so good. Roundup? the stuff here giggled at Roundup. Tarp? It better be really, really tough!
Always good to hear from a fellow knotweed warrior. It took a few years, but the tarp/Roundup combo approach worked for me. I’m proud to say my yard is now knotweed-free! And at a minimal cost (dollar-wise, not effort-wise).