Faux Bamboo; How to kill it dead ?!

[MossRoad]

Alright, so it's not weed! But it is knotweed, what I like to call Faux Bambooooo!
Whatever one calls it, it's damm near impossible to kill. Anyone got so spare agent orange lying around? I've got to get rid of it!

"Kill it with fire" seems to apply here!

I've been thinking of carefully brushing on a systemic herbicide to the leaves and seeing what happens, as I don't want to kill the lilac that it's intertwined with. I'll give it a try in another area first.

 

[stuckmotor]

Will it take over a lawn? How often do you have to mow it so it's not noticeable?

 

[MossRoad]

Will it take over a lawn? How often do you have to mow it so it's not noticeable?

I don't think it would take over a lawn, as most lawns are mowed what, once a week? At that rate it won't get tall enough to get leaves to feed the root system. But in flower beds, gardens, edge of woods, fields that aren't mowed often, etc... it can quickly get established.

One of our kids lives in the Pittsburgh area, and Pittsburgh is very hilly with MANY! un-mowable hillsides in all of the neighborhoods. Knotweed is pretty much everywhere there. Prolific as kudzu, but without the vines.

 

[Jstpssng]

"Kill it with fire" seems to apply here!

I've been thinking of carefully brushing on a systemic herbicide to the leaves and seeing what happens, as I don't want to kill the lilac that it's intertwined with. I'll give it a try in another area first.

In the unlikely event that you only have a few stems you can cut it off and pour the herbicide directly into the stem. That will help it get to the roots. Or try a,little "Lux" dishwashing detergent, using it the same way.

 

[MossRoad]

In the unlikely event that you only have a few stems you can cut it off and pour the herbicide directly into the stem. That will help it get to the roots. Or try a,little "Lux" dishwashing detergent, using it the same way.

The problem is it's in between the stems of the Lilac and a bunch of ground cover that I don't want killed. I'm just tired of pulling it out multiple times per year.

 

[Coyote machine]

The problem is it's in between the stems of the Lilac and a bunch of ground cover that I don't want killed. I'm just tired of pulling it out multiple times per year.

Every youtube discussion shows immediate application of Roundup or similar to the cut stalk, otherwise it seals itself and won't penetrate to the rhizomes. The above ground stalks and leaves, etc. are bad news, BUT the rhizomes are the truly 'dangerous' parts because they are what spread like wildfire, EXCEPT they cannot cross water. One can build a 'wall' going from above grade to below where the rhizomes spread around the ENTIRE area where the knotweed is growing to isolate it from further spreading, BUT one rhizome can and will carry on the spread if it gets beyond any built perimeter.
So diligence with eradication for several years may be necessary.

Don't mow it ever! It will spread and grow more viciously than ever. Any stalk I see growing from the main 'brain' I stay away from with any type of cutter. It's between 6-8' in a huge area near my stream bed, which is lined with 4-6" stone. It is growing along the edge of the stream and has managed, due to wind blown broken stalks and other detritus, to invade further into the streambed, where there is only occasional water flowing depending on rainfall quantity.

 

[Jstpssng]

Every youtube discussion shows immediate application of Roundup or similar to the cut stalk, otherwise it seals itself and won't penetrate to the rhizomes. The above ground stalks and leaves, etc. are bad news, BUT the rhizomes are the truly 'dangerous' parts because they are what spread like wildfire, EXCEPT they cannot cross water. One can build a 'wall' going from above grade to below where the rhizomes spread around the ENTIRE area where the knotweed is growing to isolate it from further spreading, BUT one rhizome can and will carry on the spread if it gets beyond any built perimeter.
So diligence with eradication for several years may be necessary.

Don't mow it ever! It will spread and grow more viciously than ever. Any stalk I see growing from the main 'brain' I stay away from with any type of cutter. It's between 6-8' in a huge area near my stream bed, which is lined with 4-6" stone. It is growing along the edge of the stream and has managed, due to wind blown broken stalks and other detritus, to invade further into the streambed, where there is only occasional water flowing depending on rainfall quantity.

If it's growing by a stream which floods, the running water can spread the rhizomes downstream. At a training seminar the speaker said that it's detrimental to fish, but haven't been able to find a reference online.
>
Oh yeah, the early springtime shoots are supposed to be great in recipes. A search yielded a myriad of websites, but this one Cooking with Japanese Knotweed | Fergus The Forager doesn't seem to include pop-up windows.

 

[rustyshakelford]

The stuff I use to kill everything is mojave or Sahara. Use plenty of surfactant and I throw in gly for a quicker kill. The stuff will soak into the ground and sterilize it for about a year based on rain. This is what I consider going nuclear. It’s bad stuff. Comes in 5 lb bags for around $70. 1lb per 10 gallons. In your case I’d go 1lb 5 gallons. Be prepared for Dirt for a while.

Brett

 

[kenmac]

Every youtube discussion shows immediate application of Roundup or similar to the cut stalk, otherwise it seals itself and won't penetrate to the rhizomes. The above ground stalks and leaves, etc. are bad news, BUT the rhizomes are the truly 'dangerous' parts because they are what spread like wildfire, EXCEPT they cannot cross water. One can build a 'wall' going from above grade to below where the rhizomes spread around the ENTIRE area where the knotweed is growing to isolate it from further spreading, BUT one rhizome can and will carry on the spread if it gets beyond any built perimeter.
So diligence with eradication for several years may be necessary.

Don't mow it ever! It will spread and grow more viciously than ever. Any stalk I see growing from the main 'brain' I stay away from with any type of cutter. It's between 6-8' in a huge area near my stream bed, which is lined with 4-6" stone. It is growing along the edge of the stream and has managed, due to wind blown broken stalks and other detritus, to invade further into the streambed, where there is only occasional water flowing depending on rainfall quantity.

I can tell you from my experience with Bamboo . If the knotweed rhizomes are anything like the bamboo I dealt with. They are already all under ground just waiting to sprout up.
I cut several of my stalks, drilled holes and pumped in straight 41% Glyphosate . I may as well have been using water, as those rhizomes underground just kept sprouting up.
When I rented the mini ex and started digging them up. I was amazed at how much those rhizomes had taken over under ground.
I wish you the best

 

[CADplans]

Maybe put the router in the yard?

Experiment finds that plants die when placed next to internet Wi-Fi routers | Daily Mail Online

On a more serious note,,,my SIL had some weed in Texas that he had a plan to get rid of,,,
he found this concept on the internet, somewhere,,
they claimed success,,,
he had acquired some test tubes, and he was going to insert the end of the weed into the tube with a rubber stopper.
the test tube would have 41% Roundup in it,,,

He moved before he got a chance to try it,,,

1 Pack - 2x15mm Pyrex Glass Test Tubes with Rubber Stoppers: Science Lab Test Tubes: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

The test tubes are cheap enough, $0.72 each, that includes the stopper,,,

I think I will test it on the plant in the garden, I believe it is morning glory,, it will not die, but, it does not spread,,,