Japanese Knotwood

GSF · December 09, 2016, 10:20:09 AM

I know this is invasive but it's also medicinal. I have a 5 acre field I'll going to plant it in. Is it a good nectar/pollen source for bees?

BeeMaster2 · December 09, 2016, 01:02:31 PM

I remember someone talking about Japanize Knotwood here and here is what I found:

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Re: Odd Flavor
? Reply #10 on: September 24, 2008, 04:53:06 PM ?

Quote

Both buckwheat and japanese knotwood bamboo make very dark honey. I just did a removal and extracted 3 lbs of totally black honey. tastes like rootbeer. And I mean black, totally.
Jim

Eric Bosworth · December 09, 2016, 01:10:38 PM

It is very invasive and almost impossible to remove after it gets established. It has been known to throw shoots that grow up through pavement. I don't need to plant it because it is all over the place around here. The honey it produces is great bee feed but I don't think I would try to sell it. It looks nasty and I think it tastes pretty bad too. There are some people who like it however. The good part of it is that it blooms pretty late and if you pull honey off early the bees can stock up on it for winter. But, that is here. I don't know bloom times where you are. I do know I wouldn't plant it.

Michael Bush · December 09, 2016, 02:07:07 PM

I can only say if I were to plant it here, they would arrest me... it is listed as a "noxious weed" and I am required to kill it any time it is on my property or they will come and kill it for me and send me the bill...

Eric Bosworth · December 09, 2016, 03:25:41 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on December 09, 2016, 02:07:07 PM
I can only say if I were to plant it here, they would arrest me... it is listed as a "noxious weed" and I am required to kill it any time it is on my property or they will come and kill it for me and send me the bill...

What do they use or what to they expect you to use to kill it? Everybody that I know who has tried to kill it has been unsuccessful. It just keeps coming back. The only thing that has been the least bit successful has been to mow it all season and keep it from growing more than the grass. But don't ever expect to have it not come back if you stop mowing.

Beeboy01 · December 09, 2016, 08:24:49 PM

I had a small patch that I removed, took all summer digging up any shoot that popped up. Don't plant it!!!

tjc1 · December 10, 2016, 01:24:12 PM

GSF - think kudzu.... Don't plant it!!!

GSF · December 12, 2016, 10:56:22 AM

All this reminds me of the couple of pop corn trees I planted. 2-3 years later after I dug the stump up I still had shoots popping up. Thanks folks, I'll probably crawfish on this one. I'm in a pretty good area anyway.

divemaster1963 · December 13, 2016, 11:41:17 AM

the only way i have seen gardeners control bambo is by placing a 3/4 thick plastic barrier to deapth of 5 feet around the bambo planted with 10 inches out of the ground to keep the stuff fromm running. they still had to cut off runners trying to jump the barrier. to much trouble to be worth it.

john

Michael Bush · December 14, 2016, 09:11:08 AM

>What do they use or what to they expect you to use to kill it?

I think they inject it with roundup... but we don't have any around here, it's just on their list of things I have to kill...

Acebird · December 14, 2016, 09:22:33 AM

It sells well at our state fair. Like a lot of evasive plants constant mowing keeps it in check but we also have the winter die back.

brolib · December 14, 2016, 06:25:03 PM

I have Japanese knotweed growing on my property. I control much of it by constant mowing. I cannot put a shovel blade into the ground where it has been growing, even after mowing for 3 years, the knots are so hard. I'm considering pasturing pigs in the area to eradicate it altogether. Don't plant it unless you are sure you want it permanently.

Acebird · December 14, 2016, 09:02:05 PM

That might be a great idea. Let us know how it works out.

MikeCinWV · December 27, 2016, 11:07:58 PM

We get a good flow from it every year. Looks like used motor oil in a mason jar but if you spread it on a white plate it has a red color. I think it tastes great. I have many people ask for more. But like everyone has said not something you want to plant on land you have any plans for. There were lots of attempts to control it around here and they all failed. Seems to grow best along streams and rivers but can and will grow anywhere. Grows in very dense thickets and chokes out all other vegatation. Around here it blooms in late August and lasts about a month. The bees love it. We look forward to the knotweed bloom every year.