Kill Garden Weeds - Japanese Knotweed

There are many ways to kill garden weeds and most of them are effective in one way or another. But when it comes to Japanese Knotweed, you are dealing with a hardy adversary that could possibly have single-handedly tackled the triffids - and won. This article will explain a little about Japanese Knotweed and offer some advice on the best ways you can kill garden weeds that are as tough as this one.

Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) is a perennial plant which is native to Japan - hence the name - China and Korea. In Europe it has been classified as an 'invasive alien species' which means that it is a non-native plant that adversely affects the habitats and the biological diversity of the areas that it invades. Knotweed can be identified by its hollow stems that look a lot like bamboo and can grow up to around 4 metres tall. The large leaves have a broad base and the flowers are cream or white in colour and form around short stalks that are around 150mm long.

The damage that can be caused by Japanese Knotweed is extensive and very destructive. Building foundations, roads, paving, walls, concrete - just about anything you can think of. Most of this damage is caused by the seemingly bullet proof root system that the weed grows. This plant will not be tackled by cutting as it will rapidly re-sprout from its roots once it is cut as a defence mechanism with devastating effects. It's root system is almost impossible to dig out too as these roots can delve almost 10 feet deep! It is also illegal to dispose of Japanese Knotweed anywhere other than at a licenced landfill site - which makes attempts to kill a garden weeds like this even more difficult.

There is no normal way to kill garden weeds such as these!

The only really effective way to kill garden weeds with the ferocity of Japanese Knotweed is by using a glyphosate based weed killer. This type of systemic herbicide not only targets the foliage and stem of the Knotweed but also penetrates deep into the root system and kills them too. Although there are several glyphosate based products on the market that kill garden weeds - not many of them are concentrated enough to have any effects on Japanese Knotweed.

But fear not! If you do need to kill garden weeds such as Japanese Knotweed, after a bit of searching, you will be able to find the glyphosate product with the right concentration. Take a trip down to your local garden centre, nursery or check online and you will be able to find the right product that will help you kill garden weeds that can even smash through concrete!