[Sive]

I wonder would this work for Japanese Knotweed ? ! Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30583512

[Good guy]

It has to be worth a try, surely. I wonder if anyone in the U K has tried it (the NT perhaps?)

[James Kilkelly]

A neighbor had a few of those.
They were good for weed control............ and shrub control....... and tree control.......... and clothes on the washing line control.

[Greengage]

Twenty truths about raising goats from the Onion Farm.
http://www.tennesseemeatgoats.com/articles2/twentytruths06.html

[Good guy]

I thought I'd check with the RHS on this topic. This is the reply I got today; the article from Devon Co council, linked at the end of the letter, is very informative. The councils in Devon and Cornwall have been very active in researching this topic, as I discovered at the Chelsea show about 12 years ago.

Dear.....
Thank you for your enquiry to the Royal Horticultural Society's Members' Advisory Service.

Goats and sheep are known to graze the plant in this country, but only usually find the plant edible when it is producing young shoots . In the summer when the stems become woody, it is less attractive to them, so animals would need to be introduced early in the season. Using animals to graze Japanese Knotweed has been found to supress it, but not to eradicate it and so other methods would need to be used to do so. Grazing can prevent Japanese Knotweed from spreading into adjacent grassland however. Unfortunately areas where animals can be permitted to graze are not always where the plant grows abundantly and so their usefulness in dealing with this problem is restricted here.
I have attached an article from Devon council which assesses grazing as one of the options for controlling Japanese Knotweed.

http://www.devon.gov.uk/control_of_knotweed

I hope this information is helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Rob Stirling

Horticultural Advisor

[Sue Deacon]

I have heard that the young shoots of Japanese Knotweed can be cooked and eaten like Rhubarb - don't fancy it myself though!

A friend in England goes out walking armed with a stout walking stick and thrashes pathside knotweed and bracken as she goes. She says it is very theraputic.

[Blowin]

Sue - This featured on UK TV some time back and they said it was difficult to tell from rhubarb once cooked. If a 'tea' can be made from it in the same way as nettles and comfrey it ought to benefit any crop that likes an acid soil, e.g. spuds?

[tagwex]

Dear.....??????
Have you changed your name good guy? You're worse than popstar Prince now.

..... the forumite formally known as good guy.

[Good guy]

The original letter had my proper name. I wouldn't want to be broadcasting that, now, would I?

[tagwex]

I had worked that much out ..... or whatever your name is now!

[tagwex]

We could start guessing your name as per Mrs Doyle in Father Ted. Are you Todd Unctious?

[Sue Deacon]

Ramalama Dingdong?

[tagwex]

Ahhhh a song from good guys/....... era.

[Mews]

I managed to clear an incursion of knotweed from my garden by actively rooting it out when it showed sighs of life, it took my several years to clear. My problem is that the neighbouring premises is full of the stuff and I can't do much about it without trespassing on another property.

And on the other neighbouring wall I have bindweed invading but I've kept that under control so far.

[tagwex]

Fair play to you as you have had a major job on there methinks.