h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Japanese Knotweed - A1148924
Author: Woodpigeon - U30129

Here is an article on the most ghastly plant in the Western World. I hope you like it - the entry that is, not the weed.

Woodpigeon

Great entry, Woodpigeon!

It might be a good idea to link to a page which has a picture, though - it's quite hard to make it sound distinctive enough in a description, even though the plant is so obvious once you know it!


Azara

"is one of the most noxious and invasive plants in the Western Hemisphere"

I think that it should be clearer that this is the opinion of the author - I could name other weeds that I consider far more invasive, because I find them in my garden, rather than this one.

Other ways of destroying the plants are the same for all weeds - steal their light. Cut it all down to the ground, and then cover it (and the surrounding area to catch the creeping) with tough sheeting, making sure there is no way for it to get through. It does take time, but you can always stick to container gardening while you wait for it to die. The sheet needs to be flexible, not taut, otherwise the shoots will pierce it. If it's flexible, it will 'give' and not break, because the new shoots are softer than old on. Old carpet it ideal for this, although it's not so flexible, it's less likely to break. Make sure that the plant can't get out round the edges. *Don't* work land next to the weed, it likes disturbed soil, so it's more likely to spread if you start digging away next to it.

I know that weeds like bindweed can be exhausted by taking the leaves off through the year, how vigourous is the reshooting? If it can be cut down ever time it reshoots, who is likely to get tired first?

Good entry Just one or two tiny points:

"...Japan's mountain ranges, where its numbers are well controlled by local pests and parasites"

"Its numbers" sounds a bit of an odd thing to say about a plant, how about "where its spread is well controlled..."

How about 'forbidden' as a footnote for 'proscribed'- it's a word people might not have encountered before.

I have to say the last paragraph sounds rather... preachy It's a bit of a doom-and-gloom anti-GM sounding message, which seems out of place in a supposedly unbiased entry. I'd either zap it, down it down, or take it out and expand it for a Post article, or some such.

Great comments all, thanks a lot!

I have added some weblinks, adopted your wording suggestions and adapted Mina's information on covering the plant into the article. I take KerrAvon's point about the "preachy tone" of the last paragraph. I will try to revise this later tonight and see if I can come up with something better.

Thanks a lot,

Woodpigeon

Looks even better now

Although I did of course mean 'tone it down', not 'down it down'

Ok, I took a long look at the last paragraph, decided that it added nothing new to the entry, was very preachy, and sends the topic going in a completely unexpected direction. It's gone.



Woodpigeon

The changes are all improvements - I liked it before, but I like it even more now! The external links are very good ones. It does look as if it's more of a problem in wetter areas, if Wales has more problems than England, and Cork (I assume) more problems than Wicklow...

Fallopia Japonica, or Polygonum Cuspidatum - only the genus, not the species, should be capitalized - Fallopia japonica, or Polygonum cuspidatum.


Azara

Easily changed Azara, thanks.

I was in the midlands a few days ago and yes, I noticed a much lower incidence of the weed than is the case in Cork. Some parts of Cork city are very badly affected by it.

Woodpigeon

I have removed the word "noxious" from the first paragraph, as it is synoymous with poisonous. Its not particularly so. Instead I have put in the word "undesirable".

Woodpigeon

As a non-gardening type I would normally be bored by this type of thing, my garden is grass and more grass. I read it because I like things Japanese and thought it was some type of edible seaweed. However, I really enjoyed it. I hope it goes far

My neighbours from Cork bought Japanese Knotweed in a garden centre many years ago (about 20) because it was supposed to provide rapid ground cover in their new empty back garden, which it did. A few months later, they noticed a strange lump in the carpet in their hallway. It got bigger and bigger and eventually they lifted the floor to see what was causing it. The whole ground underneath the house was infested with knotweed, which with its woody stems was starting to lift the floor. They had a terrible job removing the weed.

According to http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pocu1.htm

"Japanese knotweed is designated a noxious weed in the State of Washington".

There's a photo too.

Here's another good link:

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pocu1.htm

The "Japanese Knotweed Alliance"

Nice article.
As far as the use of the word 'noxious' is concerned, I'd leave it as 'undesirable'. While it might technically be noxious by definition, the word 'noxious' does have connotations of poisonous gases or disgusting odors.

This entry brought to my mind another pesky [understatement] plant which has covered the Southern US: Kudzu. You might consider adding a link to the kudzu EG entry ( A293311 ) if you feel it's appropriate.

CZ

I have added another link. Great story Gnomon! That one gave me the heeby jeebies! I hope they're not my neighbours!

I'll leave it as "undesirable" - apparently you can cook the plant during the spring.

Kudsu seems more like bindweed than JK, so I'm not sure how I would be able to add it. A lot of similarities though. Thanks for the reference.

Woodpigeon

It could be added to the links list with no changes to the text. I don't think that would hurt or detract from this entry. Just a thought.

CZ ...going back to read Gnomons link.

You've persuaded me - it's there!

'Similar Malevolence'... Nice.


CZ