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Is this Japanese Knotweed?

matt1133matt1133 Posts: 7
in Problem solving
Afternoon all, I was clearing up my orchard and noticed these shoots, must be around 10 or so, can anybody tell me if this plant is Japanese knotweed  and/or how to eradicate it?

Posts

  • matt1133matt1133 Posts: 7

  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    Hi, don’t panic! I don’t know Japanese Knotweed, but these pictures look like it has completely different shaped leaves. I don’t know what your plant is though. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • matt1133matt1133 Posts: 7
    edited February 2021
    I am mildly relieved! only mildly, as this thing seems to have multiplied and the roots seem to go quite deep on one of the 'buds' I pulled out, really strange, nobody can quite pinpoint what it is
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    It might be ground elder.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Not JKW 100% certain. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    That looks like ground elder.  Does it have a strong smell if you break a root?  If I'm right, the roots won't go much deeper than 20cm or so, but will travel horizontally, throwing up a new plant from each node.  If you have light soil you can follow the roots through the soil and dig them out - more difficult in heavy clay though.  It's not very susceptible to glyphosate weedkiller so digging is probably your best option.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • EmerionEmerion Posts: 599
    I thought the leaves looked like ground elder too, but can’t recall if I’ve seen those rounded bits on it. Not seen it except “in the wild” for a while. 
    Carmarthenshire (mild, wet, windy). Loam over shale, very slightly sloping, so free draining. Mildly acidic or neutral.


  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    It’s the ‘rounded bits’ that made me think Alexanders ... but ground elder is another possibility. 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • matt1133matt1133 Posts: 7
    edited February 2021
    thank you, very helpful, I believe the ground elder picture having looked it up resembles closely what I saw last year, I think that may well be it, quite invasive, hence the concern! thank you all so much for your input. The roots are approx. 20cm deep, and yes, some have gone horizontally, almost like a cable in some places!
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328
    There's a patch of ground elder under the apple tree here which is mostly "rounded bits" at the moment.  I'm leaving it be for the time being, cos it's growing in dense shade (beech tree behind) where not even brambles can get a hold.
    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
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