What is this thing called........

[Bill_Overdorf]

It ain't love for sure  

Here in the most northwesterly reaches of the Pacific northwest it seems we have a newfound noxious plant growth on our hands. It travels under the handle of Knotweed according to our local Whatcom County Noxious Weed Coordinator. It is seen as the Godzilla of the plant world, having aggressively covered large areas of the Nooksack River flats, crowding out native vegetation and all else that happens to be in its path eliminating all competition shrubbery, ferns and grasses and has been known to grow through cover such as asphalt. Further, it grows at a rate of 12 feet in a summer season. I must admit that when I first saw a picture of the stuff it bore a close outward resemblance
to Kudzu, but thankfully they say that is not the situation.

Have any of you had any experience with this pest or found a means to control or eradicate this stuff?

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Bill, Now you got me worried and believing the Rose and Fricker's more then ever!

Please tell me the winds haven't been up from Oregon to Washington and Round-up Ready is spreading like the Giant Hogweed? (a name that only Gyrogolf, and Slag will understand)

[THuckaby2]

Bill, Now you got me worried and believing the Rose and Fricker's more then ever!

Please tell me the winds haven't been up from Oregon to Washington and Round-up Ready is spreading like the Giant Hogweed? (a name that only Gyrogolf, and Slag will understand)

Oh please, Tommy.  I was listening to Genesis when those guys were discovering Led Zeppelin.  Or should I RETURN to staying out of discussions like this?  

TH

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Sorry Tom, I forgot to add you to the list!

[THuckaby2]

No hassles.
Great song.
Now I'm off to bathe in the fountain of Salmacis.  I could use a dip.  

TH

[Tommy_Naccarato]

And Tom, Please, if you have information on anything in this subject, please add your thoughts!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

BTW, if you get a chance, get Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisited which has a rendition of The Fountain of Salmacis that's better then the original. No fooling!

[THuckaby2]

AHA!  Thanks for the tip. I shall seek that out.  

TH

[Peter Galea]

Hi Bill,
Here is the google search.
http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pocu1.htm
It seems to be a tenacious little bugger. The "cut stem" treatment is what's done to eradicate ivy. Although I can't make a pest control reccomendation, I would certainly add a "deposition and retention agent" such as Wilbur Ellis' - "In Place®".

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Pete,
I have been meaning to ask you what your view is of this Round-up Ready Genetic turf, or would I be starting WW IV?

[Peter Galea]

I haven't thought about it too much. Seems like a great idea, till you consider "escapes". If some of this plant material ends up in some other area or crop as a weed (plant out of place) it could be disaster. As long as there is some viable way to eradicte it, I guess it could work. Sorry the reply isn't more profound.

[Bill_Overdorf]

  As always, all I had to do was ask, although a number of responses were stranger than fiction. Thanks Pete and all. The link you provided was highly interesting.

[Forrest Richardson]

Bill,

I believe it was on a Star Trek episode from 1971. Good luck.

[Neal_Meagher]

Forrest, while you look quite spiffy in the Ross tartan, you are clearly misguided on your trekkie trivia.

EVERYBODY knows that Star Trek (the original and only one that counts) was on TV from 1967 to 1970.

Where do you get this 1971 stuff?

Clearly too much time spent around ball washers or something.

[Forrest Richardson]

In 1971 ST produced a special series of episodes for non-Californians. Although I was born in California, I managed to received these transmissions due to a bloodline which involved West Virginia and Texas.