One home gardener recently sought urgent advice from the r/gardening subreddit about what appeared to be an invasive plant taking over their garden.
"What is this plant and why won't they stop growing?" the poster asked. "I have sprayed weed killer twice, dug the entire flower bed a foot down and chopped out the roots and they are still growing. They are everywhere and grow EXTREMELY fast. They have a hollow type stem almost like bamboo."
The expert gardeners of the subreddit leapt into action, with several speculating the offending plant was giant knotweed (and a few more suggesting that it could be a different variety of knotweed).
"It's giant knotweed. You have to remove the roots, and keep on doing it, then they will be gone. We had them all over the place, just keep on digging the roots, it's a bit of a struggle but in the end you will get there," wrote one commenter.
"Knotweed is a BEAST. You will likely be in this fight for years. Whatever you cut down/dig up should be placed in a plastic bag, tied shut, and left to "cook" in the sun for several days. Do NOT try to compost it - it can regrow from tiny surviving bits of rhizome," another commenter added.
The original poster concurred, writing, "After reading your comments and doing more research of my own, I do believe it is either Bohemian or Giant Knotweed. It seems I am indeed in for quite a battle lol. Thank you everyone who contributed to this mystery."
Knotweed, be it giant, Bohemian, or Japanese, is indeed one of the most feared invasive plants for gardeners in the United States. Anyone who has dealt with it knows how difficult it can be to completely eradicate, and ignoring it is not even an option, as it can grow so aggressively that it can even threaten the structural foundation of a house.
There is a bit of good news here, in that it is an edible plant that one forager called "better than rhubarb."
However, the original poster here is unlikely to be able to eat their way out of this mess, and is in for quite a lot of hard work over a long period or time, or quite an expensive series of visits from professionals.
🗣️ What's the hardest thing about taking care of your yard?
🔘 Mowing the lawn 🏡
🔘 Controlling weeds 🌿
🔘 Keeping pests at bay 🐿️
🔘 I don't have a yard 🤷
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
As always, whenever you're planting something in your garden, it's a good idea to save yourself stress, money, and time in the future by ensuring that what you're planting is a native species that is already adapted to live in your local ecosystem.
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