Knotweed AKA Bamboo

Walt Kowalski and I are working on the front hill in the evenings.  It is full of weeds, bamboo, azalea shrubs, and a few daffodils. More Bamboos than anything. 

Then again, it is better than it used to be. The bamboozles used to be so big that you could park a car in the driveway and the car couldn't be seen from the road.  It's an ongoing battle around the Cat Ranch.

This is the mature bamboo.

Here are new shoots coming up through the asphalt.

The Bamboozles or Japanese Knotweed as it is "officially" named, are often called a "prolific, noxious, invasive, dangerous bad-for-the-world, the-sky-is-falling weed." Oh by the way, it’s edible. Might be even really healthy for you. It is also listed as one of the world's most invasive species.  In our yard, and along the train tracks, this is definitely true. 

The bamboo grows over 6 feet tall and 65 feet wide by sending runners underground. You'll see a piece growing here and a piece growing WAY over there. As you start to pull one up, you'll find out they are connected!!! It will work it's way up through concrete, stones, and even the blacktop of our driveway. The poison ivy doesn't want to be left out and loves to join in the fun.

In some areas you have to disclose the presence of knotweed if you want to sell your house and some landfills won't even take the stuff. 

I can tell you that the dried stuff burns nicely, and I do it with pleasure, but we don't let it stay long enough to dry.

As for eating it, I don't know.  They say it tastes like apples, but if I made a pie with it I know Walt Kowalski is not going to eat it, especially if I told him what it was made with. I've also heard that goats love it. 

In the mean time, we will continue to attack with our shovels and pitchforks and heavy, black, plastic bags.

Last night, as we were showering up, I said to Walt Kowalski 'My calves are killing me from standing on the hill.'

From the other room, he responded with 'Your cats are killing you?'

Yes, my cats are killing me.  My dogs were barking, too.