I know most will be shocked, but I think I want to grow this plant. I’m thinking growing it in a 20ish gallon molasses bucket. I know it could escape, but I’m not convinced I can even keep it alive. From what I read, folks that have problems with it are way North of me. We are in South central Texas, below 29 degrees latitude. Anybody growing this in a similar climate?
I tried growing silver berries and they just cooked. Knotweed may have the same fate. Anyone have material I can propagate?
Thanks!
Dan
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why would you want to grow it in the 1st place? so much better things you could grow in a pot in your zone. knotweed is in the same family as bamboo. at least bamboo you could eat it the shoots and make things with it. youre right. its horribly invasive up here but it likes water so i dont think it would survive there in the wild.
Not sure it would be happy in a dry area. Likes creek banks here.
I would never recommend planting it as it is all but impossible to get rid of here., and places it likes to grow.
But is does have a few good uses …
https://www.phillyorchards.org/2020/04/22/japanese-knotweed-edible-medicinal-invasive/
@steveb4 , not related to bamboo ,
Knot weed is edible , not bad actually. Lots of Resveratrol.
And makes useful mason bee houses
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Bamboo is a grass. Knotweed is more of a buckwheat.
I’ve lived with knotweed my whole life. Yes, it’s edible, but more as a novelty. I never find myself craving to eat it despite having eaten it quite a few times.
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I’m sure your reactions are correct and what I expected. I read about it prior to asking the question, and it seems to be a fairly healthy veggie. I could plant it where our gray water line ends. I think the real killer for it would be our heat.
I have bamboo, and am expanding the varieties regularly. Still need a really large type for structural ptojects.
I have acreage and start medicinal, culinary and famine type plants around. knotweed falls in all three categories, so if I could keep it alive I think I would like to have some.
Speaking of water…praying for rain! D
Does this plant carry viruses That can effect stone fruits
Knotweed is a space swallower. If you actually manage to contain it in a pot it will be very stunted and not productive. If you plant it in ground or if it escapes a through a drain hole in the pot it will start eating space that could have easily been used by far more valuable plants.
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we have hundreds of acres where its taken over fields and drainage ditches. it loves water and we have alot of that here. just about every pond, brook or river has it growing along it now.
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Thanks for your input. Regards, Dan
Years ago , I worked on a water line project that went for miles to bring water to several community’s.
The soil was very rocky , the line went through many peoples yards. It was difficult to smooth up such rocky soil to make a suitable reclamation in the yards .
The contractor paid a local farmer for some nice sandy soil by a river , so we could spread it in the yards to make them smooth to mow the yards .
Hiding the rocks .
It looked good when we finished .early spring.
But then …!
The Japanese knot weed roots started to grow out of that sandy soil , ! That we spread for miles on peoples yards .
Lots of pissed off people .
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