If you brush away leaf cover around last year's stalks you can see that Japanese knotweed is just starting to sprout in Glastonbury. This extremely invasive plant is considered to be the number one or two threat (depending on which expert you ask) in Connecticut. It spreads by seeds as well as rhizomes that grow very deep and spread many feet from the original plant. Once it takes hold it shades out everything else. There are a number of areas in town where you can see large thickets of Japanese knotweed that has killed every other form of vegetation in the area. Here's what it looks like as of mid-April:
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| Last year's cut stalks and new shoot developing, April 18, 2014 |
Unfortunately there's not a lot you can do about Japanese knotweed right now. The new growth needs to develop then
in late spring you can start your eradication strategy.
CLICK HERE for an excellent article with tips on how to eradicate this invasive plan from your property. It won't be easy but it will be worth the effort.
