Here are our notes from the Permaculture Working Group meeting on August 5th. We took a closer look at Japenese knotweed. A few questions were left unanswered:
1. We know a small cutting of a root will sprout a whole new plant. What about the stalk? How long (and how) would it take to compost them down to the point we could use them in planting beds?
2. We learned that if you cut them without touching the root, the sprouts will grow to a foot tall in 2-4 weeks. If you want to wear out the root, keep cutting every 2-4 weeks throughout 3-5 growing seasons. Does anyone have good recepies for all those knotweed stalks?
3. We saw how knotweed plants grow from rhizomes in a lateral fashion. They grow shallowly, but can reach and sprout from pretty far down. What's the maximum rhizome depth that a plant can resprout from?
4. When composted, the knotweed plants are broken down by an unkown (to us) mixture of bacteria and fungus. If we find out exactly how those microbes work, could this help us develop a natural herbicide for weakening knotweed roots?
Please post answers if you find them!
Sorry it took so long to post this.
Later,
JEff
I made a knotweed/apple pie once that was pretty good. My understanding isthat the young shoots can be used just like rhubarb. Here's an apple-rhubarb pie recipe, altered slightly. Additionally, they can be steamed and taste similar to asparagus. Maybe with a hollandaise sauce.
Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) pie shell
6 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup knotweed shoots, diced
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4c flour or 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 440 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.
Combine apples and knotweed in a large bowl. Mix together sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small
bowl, then sprinkle over fruit. Toss until fruit is thoroughly coated. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.
3.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes