Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar

even rhubarb!

Lol

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

On May 14, 10:27*am, "Lol" wrote:
"Pam Moore" wrote in message

...

I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. *Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar

even rhubarb!

Lol

It is also known as Gypsy Rhubarb

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

Lol wrote:
Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar
even rhubarb!

Rhubarb is lovely!

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

On 14 May 2011 18:54:34 GMT, wrote:

Lol wrote:
Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar
even rhubarb!

Rhubarb is lovely!

So's the cat who has adopted us but I won't eat him ;-)).

I've never been a rhubarb fan and the trouble is that unless the
dreaded knotweed comes up in my garden, I can't experience its taste
as nipping up the road to cut some and bring it back to cook would be
illegal. Anyhow, the farmer seems to have won his 7 year battle this
year - no sign of it growing. (scratches head and gets splinter in
finger).

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

As Kids we used to have a go at chewing the young stems. Never did us any
harm, but we never tried them cooked with sugar, which they would have
definitely needed..

Bill

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

"Dave Hill" wrote in message
...
On May 14, 10:27 am, "Lol" wrote:
"Pam Moore" wrote in message

...

I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar

even rhubarb!

Lol

It is also known as Gypsy Rhubarb

It has many names depending on the locality - in Morriston we used to call
it something like Sally Rhubarb -Colloquially it was ronounced "Sarley"
Rhubarb.

These was a hell of a lot of it about :-)

Bill

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

Jake wrote:

On 14 May 2011 18:54:34 GMT, wrote:

Lol wrote:
Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar
even rhubarb!

Rhubarb is lovely!

So's the cat who has adopted us but I won't eat him ;-)).

I've never been a rhubarb fan and the trouble is that unless the
dreaded knotweed comes up in my garden, I can't experience its taste
as nipping up the road to cut some and bring it back to cook would be
illegal.

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

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

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

Jake wrote:

On 14 May 2011 18:54:34 GMT, wrote:

Lol wrote:
Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar
even rhubarb!

Rhubarb is lovely!

So's the cat who has adopted us but I won't eat him ;-)).

I've never been a rhubarb fan and the trouble is that unless the
dreaded knotweed comes up in my garden, I can't experience its taste
as nipping up the road to cut some and bring it back to cook would be
illegal.

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.

So you can eat what's in your own garden but cannot yourself remove it
from someone else's land unless you also happen to be a licensed
carrier.

Local authorities where Knotweed is a real problem seem to have a
sixth sense and turn up to check within days of anything being done to
a stand. My neighbour farmer used to phone up a couple of days before
he was cutting his clumps down to save them the trip. He cut them by
hand and then had a bonfire.

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

Jake wrote:

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

Jake wrote:

On 14 May 2011 18:54:34 GMT, wrote:

Lol wrote:
Anything tastes good if you use _enough_ sugar
even rhubarb!

Rhubarb is lovely!

So's the cat who has adopted us but I won't eat him ;-)).

I've never been a rhubarb fan and the trouble is that unless the
dreaded knotweed comes up in my garden, I can't experience its taste
as nipping up the road to cut some and bring it back to cook would be
illegal.

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.

So you can eat what's in your own garden but cannot yourself remove it
from someone else's land unless you also happen to be a licensed
carrier.

Ah, right. Thanks for the clarification.

Local authorities where Knotweed is a real problem seem to have a
sixth sense and turn up to check within days of anything being done to
a stand. My neighbour farmer used to phone up a couple of days before
he was cutting his clumps down to save them the trip. He cut them by
hand and then had a bonfire.

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

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

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

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.

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.

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

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

Cheers

Jake

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

"Pam Moore" wrote in message
...
I recorded Countryfile and have only just got round to watching it.
I did not realise that Japanese Knotweed could be eaten. Apparently
it's a bit like rhubarb, except that it's the young stems which are
cut up, stewed and mixed with sugar.
Luckily, none growing near here but has anyone tried it?

Pam in Bristol

Down here its also known as donkey rhubarb, Liz and I often joke its only
become a problem since kids stopped eating it!!


--
Charlie, Gardening in Cornwall
Holders of National Collections of Clematis viticella
and Lapageria rosea cvs
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

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

Eating Japanese Knotweed
 

On Mon, 16 May 2011 19:54:51 +0100, Warwick
wrote:

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



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

Because you haven't been looking, silly ;-))

Seek and ye shall find (copiously).

Jake