Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large pot,
or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:44:07 +0000 (UTC), clive
wrote:

Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large pot,
or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the
Isle of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

On 28/06/2011 20:44, clive wrote:
Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large pot,
or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

There are ornamental varieties that aren't invasive thugs like the
infamous illegal variety that is invading the UK and elsewhere. We've
got one here in our garden in France, bought from a garden centre. The
stems are the same shade of red but they are a lot thinner and it only
grows to around 3 feet high, forming an attractive clump. It dies back
each Winter. Quite pretty. I've got no plans to get rid of it but can't
vouch for how easy or otherwise that would be anyway! LOL

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:44:13 +0100, Jake wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:44:07 +0000 (UTC), clive
wrote:

Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.

On 28/06/2011 22:00, clive wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:44:13 +0100, Jake wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:44:07 +0000 (UTC),
wrote:

Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.



Jake is quite right. It *is* illegal to plant it/introduce it. I have
it across the rear boundary from me, threatening my garden and my
property. It *will* escape your pot..any pot..any garden, so my advice
is to follow the law and not plant it.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

In message , Spider
writes

Jake is quite right. It *is* illegal to plant it/introduce it. I have
it across the rear boundary from me, threatening my garden and my
property. It *will* escape your pot..any pot..any garden, so my advice
is to follow the law and not plant it.

I have witnessed how it can spread in a local country park, and it is
impossible for the wardens to contain it, as staff cuts had already been
made, and more are threatened due to government cuts.

They are supposed to inject it with a killer (subject to licence, I
believe), but it is overwhelming parts of the park, and the volunteers
cannot assist with this chore.

When I walked around the gardens at Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire I
spotted some in one of the flower/shrub beds, and commented to one of
the volunteer staff that it was an unfortunate idea!

She was unaware of its presence...
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

"clive" wrote ...

Jake wrote:
clive wrote:

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?


Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.

Having looked up the DEFRA advice I'm not so sure it is illegal to do what
you intend. I would not do it, having seen how it destroys native flora and
simply takes over, but I can't see why you can't if you wish to take the
risk.

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/wildlife...notweed.htm#ga

If you do plant it in a pot do let us know how long it took to smash the
pot, get into the soil through the drainage holes, how much you have had to
spend to eradicate it from your garden, how much your divorce cost
.......... :-(
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

In message , Bob Hobden
writes
"clive" wrote ...

Jake wrote:
clive wrote:

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?


Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.

Having looked up the DEFRA advice I'm not so sure it is illegal to do
what you intend. I would not do it, having seen how it destroys native
flora and simply takes over, but I can't see why you can't if you wish
to take the risk.

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/wildlife...ent/non-native
/knotweed.htm#ga

If you do plant it in a pot do let us know how long it took to smash
the pot, get into the soil through the drainage holes, how much you
have had to spend to eradicate it from your garden, how much your
divorce cost ......... :-(

Is it just the roots that are considered hazardous waste, or would be
pruned stems also fall into that category.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

It's controlled waste, not hazardous waste. It's only hazardous waste if it's been treated with certain weedkillers.

But all of it is controlled waste, and has to either be disposed of at specified sites, or burnt on your property. This would apply, eg, to any flower heads that were removed to avoid seeding.

On 28/06/2011 23:08, Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote:
In message , Bob Hobden
writes
"clive" wrote ...

Jake wrote:
clive wrote:

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to
keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?


Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the
Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.

Having looked up the DEFRA advice I'm not so sure it is illegal to do
what you intend. I would not do it, having seen how it destroys native
flora and simply takes over, but I can't see why you can't if you wish
to take the risk.

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/wildlife...ent/non-native
/knotweed.htm#ga

If you do plant it in a pot do let us know how long it took to smash
the pot, get into the soil through the drainage holes, how much you
have had to spend to eradicate it from your garden, how much your
divorce cost ......... :-(

Is it just the roots that are considered hazardous waste, or would be
pruned stems also fall into that category.

Probably both. Although I reckon after it has been sun dried for a good
couple of weeks the stems are no real threat. I am less sure about the
roots - best burn them. The stuff is hellishly invasive though and will
cause a lot of problems. The roots *will* find a way into free ground no
matter what he does and then he will be back here asking how to kill it
using over the counter weedkillers. Short answer is you can't.

Is there any news on the control species that they were thinking of
introducing to remove its vigour?

At this time of year I find it hard to believe that anyone who has ever
seen this stuff would even contemplate putting it into their own garden!

Regards,
Martin Brown

On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 22:57:40 +0100, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:


Having looked up the DEFRA advice I'm not so sure it is illegal to do what
you intend. I would not do it, having seen how it destroys native flora and
simply takes over, but I can't see why you can't if you wish to take the
risk.

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/wildlife...notweed.htm#ga

If you do plant it in a pot do let us know how long it took to smash the
pot, get into the soil through the drainage holes, how much you have had to
spend to eradicate it from your garden, how much your divorce cost
......... :-(

All parts of the plant are classified as "controlled waste" so, by
implication, you can remove it from your own property to take it to a
licensed disposal site (usually by prior appointment) or you can get a
licensed waste carrier to remove it for you. You cannot, unless you
are a licensed waste carrier remove it from amyone else's property (so
you couldn't buy it at your local nursery).

As the OP's garden is unlikely to be a licensed disposal site there is
no legal way to introduce japanese knotweed into it anyway.

OTOH, if the OP forgets any thought of growing the japanese stuff, he
could investigate polygonum (or is it persicaria?) which is a legal
knotweed relative, such as p. campanulatum which is non-invasive. Many
of the relatives are, though, equally thuggish unless well contained.

In message , Jake
writes
OTOH, if the OP forgets any thought of growing the japanese stuff, he
could investigate polygonum (or is it persicaria?) which is a legal
knotweed relative, such as p. campanulatum which is non-invasive. Many
of the relatives are, though, equally thuggish unless well contained.

Assuming that Fallopia sachalinensis (giant knotweed) should be eschewed
as being as bad as Fallopia japonica, the closest substitute might be
Persicaria wallichii. But I have the impression that this is rather
thuggish.

http://www.japaneseknotweed.co.uk/himalyan.php
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"clive" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:44:13 +0100, Jake wrote:
On Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:44:07 +0000 (UTC), clive
wrote:

Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large
pot, or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?

Cheers

Clive

Whaaaaaaaat! It's not April the first is it? Or do you live on the Isle
of Wight?

Gotcha - in effect your proposal is illegal.

And bloody stupid!

Damn, I swore!

Er, what? Illegal???

As I said I intend to be careful about preventing it propagating further
in my garden, so I can't really see there should be a problem keeping it
in a pot or raised bed.

If you are talking about Japanese knotweed then it is indeed illegal to move
it, propagate it sell it or anything else. But I suspect you are talking
about one of the many ornamental Persicarias which although still invasive
they are not in the same league as JK (which wouldn't stay in a pot for long
either before finding the holes in the base).

Just in case you think all the above is a load of nonsense and do plant
some, just be aware that down here if its found on your property by
surveyors when you are trying to sell a house it renders the property un
mortgagable and therefore very difficult to sell. rightly or wrongly the
lenders are terrified of the stuff (it actually isn't that hard to get rid
of)


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

"clive" wrote in message
...
Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large pot,
or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?


Where are you going to source this plant?

--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

On Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:55:15 +0100, "David WE Roberts"
wrote:


"clive" wrote in message
...
Hi

I'd like to get some Japanese Knotweed as an ornamental plant for the
garden.

I know people have run into difficulties if they let it get out of
control, so to forestall any problems I'd plan to grow it in a large pot,
or possibly a raised bed.

Besides making sure it doesn't set seed and pruning regularly to keep it
in check, are there any other gotchas to bear in mind?


Where are you going to source this plant?

Pertinent question: as others have said in the thread, there's no
lawful way of getting it. I don't see the attraction myself, though:
it _is_ actually a handsome plant, but it's herbaceous, so even before
it broke the pot and rooted in the ground, it would be a non-feature
for nearly half the year. One of the really attractive bamboos would
provide the tall "stemmy" look, and do so all the year round.

--
Mike.