Japanese Knotweed in tiny garden

rach_k

I have a very small garden, around 5 x 8m I think, and it only has two small areas for planting, one about 1 x 2m and the other about 0.75 x 4m. The rest is concrete paths/patio and a lawn.

I have recently realised that we have Japanese Knotweed trying to grow in both borders. I've looked at past threads about JK and they seemed to concentrate on eradicating it completely, but I am wondering if this is completely necessary or even possible. I think it is really quite common around here - I can see it growing in cracks in the pavements and it is in the neighbours' gardens too.

I've read that if you don't want to spread it, you mustn't dig within 7m of the plant... well that would mean not digging in my garden at all! Can I just keep pulling up the new shoots to prevent it becoming an established plant and/or spraying it with weed killer? If the garden was big I might worry about keeping on top of it, but as it's the size of a stamp I think I can manage! I know I must dry and then burn what I pull up (I see this as a good excuse to buy a fire pit or chiminea). I imagine it might spread into the lawn but I can do the same there too. Am I missing something or will this be okay? I don't think anybody would accuse me of allowing it to spread as it's in the other gardens around here too.

I_have_spoken

Are you sure it's JK and not plantain?

rach_k

Fairly sure... the stems grow straight up at first like little bamboo shoots (I have those too!), are kind of reddish and have heart shaped leaves. I've never seen it get particularly big and it's never been allowed to flower that I've noticed. Once the shoots get bigger they seem to trail along the ground. I can probably get a photo of the ones along the path outside the house, if that's any good?

trollopscarletwoman

Its like bamboo.

Up in the south wales valleys they call it peashooter.

During the winter it dies down to nothing.

Had it in my last garden. The hillside was covered with it.

trollopscarletwoman

rach_k wrote: »

Fairly sure... the stems grow straight up at first like little bamboo shoots (I have those too!), are kind of reddish and have heart shaped leaves. I've never seen it get particularly big and it's never been allowed to flower that I've noticed. Once the shoots get bigger they seem to trail along the ground. I can probably get a photo of the ones along the path outside the house, if that's any good?

It is red.

Dig down and the main plant can be as thick as your arm.

ravingandsaving

It's so invasive - good luck at getting rid of it!

rach_k

I think I probably need to change my username to something with 'numpty' in it. I've just taken a photo of it and brought it inside to compare pictures and I think it's actually bindweed. Whoops! I think I got carried away comparing the new shoots (which are reddish) to bamboo when it's actually just the leaves curled around the top of it.

This is the photo - is it bindweed?

Fruittea

This is JK. It grows straight up. You just have bindweed luckily.

rach_k

Thanks, panic over

DigForVictory

Bindweed can be killed with glyphosphate.
It isn't a sorted in one session (or even year) job though, *especially* if both neighbours are infected.
My Aunt planted skewers to encourage the stuff to grow Up not along & then dosed the leaves.
I'd be working with raised beds for a while so I could grow what I wanted & focus on commiting havoc & destruction elsewhere...

rach_k

Thanks DigForVictory. The beds are so small that I think I will just keep chipping away at it... even if it never disappears completely it won't really matter I suppose. And I do have two kids who like to 'help' in the garden, I can put them to work!