Plants offer many benefits to a yard, such as improving the air quality, increasing biodiversity with wildlife, and enhancing aesthetics.
But there is such a thing as too much plant overgrowth if invasive species are not managed properly.
In a Reddit post, one person posted photos of Japanese knotweed out of control in their mom's backyard.
The photos show massive plant growth overtaking the area surrounding the house.
"It's grown as high as the bottom of the second-floor deck," the original poster wrote in the caption. "What are the recommended ways to contain/eradicate it?"
According to an environmental awareness charity the OP referred to, Japanese knotweed is a highly resilient and invasive plant that does not respond to traditional control methods like mowing, cutting, tarping, and digging. Therefore, the group recommended hiring a licensed contractor to spray herbicide.
However, many herbicides contain toxic chemicals that have harmful effects on human health and the environment.
Scientific studies have linked herbicides to Parkinson's disease and increased cancer risks.
Herbicides can impact the health of nearby plants you want to keep and affect the soil's microbiome, making future growing much more challenging. The chemicals in herbicides also harm local wildlife, including essential pollinators that play an important role in the human food supply.
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r/StJohnsNL followers who had experience with Japanese knotweed offered their opinions and suggestions about this plant and how to get rid of it besides herbicide application in a natural lawn.
One Reddit user warned, "It can penetrate your foundation."
"Friends of ours in the city had chickens in their backyard who absolutely devoured the knotweed!" a person shared in the comments.
"Smothering is what I've done; it involved cutting everything down in the late summer or early fall," a Redditor wrote.
"In the areas we don't want it, we harvest the young shoots when they're still tender. They're edible and can be cooked/sautéed similar to asparagus!" someone else shared.
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