It grows in almost any climate and can tolerate high temps, exposure to
salt, and drought. It does its damage by crowding out native species.
Locally, Friends of the Mad River and Valley town conservation
commissions have been working to address the spread of knotweed by hand
cutting it and disposing of it in plastic bags in landfills or, this
year, drying it and then disposing of it.
Knotweed is so invasive that cutting it alone is not enough; the cut
plants must be destroyed and properly disposed of to avoid it
regenerating wherever the plants are disposed.
The ongoing efforts have seen volunteers repeatedly cutting back the
plant, carefully managing the process so that the seeds are not sown.
Despite some calls for abandoning the labor-intensive manual management
practice in favor of managing knotweed with chemicals, these groups have
persevered and apparently their efforts are having a positive impact.
Last week, volunteers in Warren spent a day targeting known knotweed
patches throughout the town and in three locations found no grow-back
while in other locations they found much less and found shorter plants.
It may be an anomaly due to the weather or the winter or the wind or
some other factor and the knotweed may well return next year or later
this summer. But it may be that the hours of sweat and toil from
volunteers is making a difference and it may be that the problem can be
controlled without herbicides.
It's curious yet encouraging. Thanks to all who take the time to help.
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