Friend has found she has Japanese Knotweed

moneyistooshorttomention

I think you may well be right that more and more gardens will get this over the next few years. Apparently, it looks as if this Japanese bug that likes eating the stuff for dinner is about 5-10 years away from being on sale to the public (though the trials finished at the end of March by the look of it and seem to have gone successfully).

Since those trials were successful, then I dont understand why the bug cant be available this year and it seems more than a little "inefficient" for there to be such a delay between conclusion of successful trial and the bug gets marketed.:cool:. Does anyone know the cause of this delay in marketing this bug?

I was cautious myself and made sure my house is surrounded by other properties on all sides and I would know exactly which owner was responsible if any turned up and whose "head to go for". But that shouldnt be necessary, as I would presume all owners surrounding me are responsible enough to deal with any problem they had before it came to "its gone over the border and their head is now not safe on their shoulders" stage.

Davesnave

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Since those trials were successful, then I dont understand why the bug cant be available this year and it seems more than a little "inefficient" for there to be such a delay between conclusion of successful trial and the bug gets marketed.:cool:. Does anyone know the cause of this delay in marketing this bug?

I'd imagine the other ramifications of introducing a foreign species would need to be explored.

We've had JK for over 100 years and it was an introduced foreign species.

'Act in haste, repent at leisure,' and all that.

moneyistooshorttomention

I had been presuming those trials werent just of whether the bug would eat the JK, but were also including whether the bug would also nosh anything it isnt supposed to as well.

Do you think the trials may have just been limited to whether it will do its job, but havent included whether it noshes other things as well then? (Obviously we wouldnt want our other plants noshed too I appreciate).

RAS

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

her husband is also panicking and is pulling it up as he spots it....and

What rather worries me is what is he doing with the stuff he pulls up?

Putting it in the domestic waste or taking it to the tip is illegal.

Composting would be crazy.

It must be dessicated on site (on top of plastic to avoid rooting) and burned.

Elsewhere

RAS wrote: »

What rather worries me is what is he doing with the stuff he pulls up?

Putting it in the domestic waste of taking it to the tip is illegal.

Composting would be crazy.

It must be dessicated on site (on top of plastic to avoid rooting) and burned.

Maybe he's eating it? There are quite a few recipes on the web.

RAS

Elsewhere wrote: »

Maybe he's eating it? There are quite a few recipes on the web.

There are recipes for eating the new shoots (look a bit like pink asparagus) but if the leaves have developed the plant is not suitable IMO.

annie123

I'd just like to vouch for the RAS removal guide
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=45685202&postcount=20

Did my sons garden in '12, last year a few bits came back with some interesting deformities and so far this year no sign.
Simple to do and it worked.

elsien

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Other thoughts on this are can she sue the vendors for the cost of dealing with this? They had had the house some years and my friend realised so soon after buying it that the vendors must have known about it...

They may have been pulling a fast one, but it's entirely possible they didn't know. My neighbour is a landlord with lots of houses and he'd never heard of JK until I collared him.

moneyistooshorttomention

Update is that I have recently gathered there is a way of zapping JK with electric current.

I have been googling for details and haven't been able to find any. I assume this is an experimental method currently being trialled too?

Does anyone know anything about that?

REEN

Radio 4 was on in the background at work last week and I heard mention of Japanese Knotweed. I meant to listen again properly when I got home but forgot. Now I can't find anything about it on the BBC website, but maybe someone better at searching could?
Found this, but it's unavailable atm. http://tevel1.com:81/programmes/p0201p21