On Mon, 16 May 2011 13:34:39 +0100, Jake wrote:

On Mon, 16 May 2011 08:35:47 +0100, Warwick
wrote:

On Sun, 15 May 2011 13:32:47 +0100, Jake wrote:

On Sat, 14 May 2011 22:08:07 +0100, Steve wrote:


Would it? I knew it was illegal to deliberately plant it, but harvest
it to eat?

All parts of the plant and also any soil contaminated with its
rhizomes are classed as controlled waste so (in theory at least) you
deal with it on-site or you either get it removed from the source
site by a licensed waste carrier or, if you remove it yourself, you
must take it to a waste site which is licensed to receive it (and from
which you then get a certificate of receipt). Usually the receiving
site requires advance warning that you are coming with Knotweed.

Oops. Bugger. I didn't know that. I dug out the small number that were
spreading from next door a few weeks ago. It was half a bin bag full. I
double bagged it and put it in the main waste bin rather than the green
bin.

I'll have a look at the Leicester City website and see where I should
take it next time.

Warwick

In a domestic setting (i.e. without heavy digging equipment) it's
actually best not to dig knotweed out as it usually makes the problem
worse - depth of roots, capability to grow from the slightest little bit
and all that stuff. It's better to mix herbicide treatment (as long as
you're not too near a watercourse) and simply pulling the young stems
off, again pulling rather than cutting, repeatedly.


The soil in the back is fairly crumbly (and in desperate need of a tonne
of well rotted manure) so I was able to work my way along all the roots.
I was gentle and sifting my way through it too. There was one small bit
of root that I obviously missed because that sprouted up about a week
later and was promptly uprooted. Any more will have the same treatment. I
prefer to avoid herbicides (but will resort to it on occasion). If the
soil was any firmer I wouldn't have been so sure of getting the roots out
but this stuff was easy. The next lot to show up will probably be dunked
into glyphoste solution to try to kill some of next door's lot at the
roots.

Easiest follow-up is to burn the stuff on-site if you can. Don't do what
one idiot did and put it in his compost dalek! It will compost
eventually but needs far more heat than your average domestic heap will
produce.

Not in a position to have bonfires, the heap is only just started and I'm
not putting *that* stuff in it.

I hope Leics don't just send their general waste to landfill ;-).

Apparently they have some big sorting ball thingy. There's nothing about
knotweed on the council site or the Biffa website.

Mike will no doubt suggest a letter to your family is warranted.

I haven't seen any posts from him for a couple of days now... wonder why
that could be? ;-)

Warwick