Identifying the Japanese knotweed
Before you start to prune shears or pull out weed killer, make sure the plant you have seen is the Japanese knotweed. Dealing with this type of weed is a little more challenging than others, and that is why going online and looking for ways of killing weeds in your lawn is not going to help you that much.
Japanese knotweed is perennial which means it is going to die during the winter and then come back in spring. It likes moist and sunny areas like lawns, gardens, and riverbanks. They can grow up to 10 feet long and the roots can go 20 feet deep. The plant has heart-shaped leaves that are larger than the average hand and they grow in clumps. This weed is referred to as the knotweed because the stems have “knots” every couple of inches. The flower is cream and can bloom between 6-8 inches tall. This weed grows straight up.
Determining the method to use in getting rid of the weed depends on the time of the year
There are many different methods that will help in eradicating the weed, but it is going to depend on the time of the year. This plant is known to grow very aggressively, which is why it is important to have periodic yard work including shearing, pruning, and excavating. This is going to help in minimizing the growth of the weed. If you need knotweed removal on a regular basis, looking into some knotweed insurance backed guarantee providers would be beneficial to you.
It is a good idea to use more than one method to get rid of the Japanese
knotweed because that is going to increase the effectiveness of the removal. If you aren’t sure about when or whether you can deal with this weed, then it is best to have a professional do it for you.
Smothering knotweed in the spring
The beginning of the growing season is in spring, so you need to smother it using a tarp and keep it tamped down with heavy rocks so that the plant dies. Start by cutting the tall stems close to the ground as possible. The next step is removing debris from the area that it grows in. on. Clear away everything and place tarps over the area. You need to overlap the tarps so that the sharp stem edges don’t puncture it and allow sunlight inside. Sunlight is not good because they thrive on it. The goal is to make the environment as dark as possible.
Once you have applied the tarp, the next step is holding it down using cinder blocks, rocks, and other heavy materials. This will prevent the tarps from getting blown away with the wind or moving. New stem growth might happen and even start to push the tarp, but walking over the tarp is going to deal with that problem. It is not going to survive because there is no sunlight.
You should leave the tarp there until you are confident that the plant under it has died. Smothering is one of the most effective methods of getting rid of the knotweed, but it takes the most time. You can speed up this process by combining it with other methods.
Cut the stems down to the ground because the plant cannot photosynthesize during the summer months. You need to gather every leaf sheared and stem because they can grow in the soil if not properly handled. Keep an eye on the weed during the summer season and cut any stems that come up.