The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: arobwk on April 04, 2017, 08:28:36 pm
-
I've tried so many web searches to see how experts describe the reproductive nature of H Balsam (HB). They all say that HB is an 'annual' plant. Now, my understanding of an 'annual' is that it re-grows from seed only, but that is clearly not so as regards my friend's patch of what is obviously a Balsam (Impatiens) of some sort.
Went to view his known patch of Balsam yesterday on land that has been un-managed for many years. Just a smattering of new Balsam growth this early in April, but it is not seedling growth - it is almost all renewed growth from old roots as testified by digging some up. And those roots (I would call them rhizomes) are as thick as a thumb, very long (I didn't find any obvious 'ends') and very difficult to pull out. My friend obviously has a problem that repeat strimming is not going to solve any time soon.
Because the area surrounding the well-defined 'patch' is made up of very dense tussocky grass, I have suggested we leave it like that on the assumption that any spread Balsam seeds have been unable to germinate successfully or have been suppressed and failed.
I reckon the only economic/practical option for clearance is herbicide application over at least 2 seasons on and around the patch.
Any thoughts on any of the above please, including any thoughts on whether his infestation it true HB or might be some other Impatiens species or hybrid that is not, strictly, an annual?
Ta.
-
Are you positive it's HB an not Japanese knotweed. I know they are very different plants but because they are both talked about and invasive many people get mixed up.
Can you put a picture up?
-
Doesn't sound like Himalayan Balsam to me. Whenever I've pulled those out, they pull out quite easily with no rhizome type structure. More like a small tap root. And we don't have regrowfh on the odd one we can't reach on the bank of our stream. So in my view it is an annual although I guess its possible for plants to behaive differently in duffrent environments.
-
Balsam is definitely annual - its one of its major problems, in that it swiftly out competes everything on river banks, forms a balsam monoculture then dies in the autumn after seeding , meaning that some the winter floods there is little to hold the river bank together
It does grow back voraciously in the same place every year from seed and the best way to kill it is to take off and nuke the site from orbit, its the only way to be sure .... assuming that's not an option the best way to kill it is to bash it with a stick before seeding time, breaking the stem, but not totally killing the plant , that stops seeds developing unlike strimming which will lead to it regrowing it from the cut.
You also need to work on a whole catchment basis from right upstream down, as it only takes a few plants left untouched to waste the effort of everyone down stream
-
Doesn't sound like HB to me either. Ours grows from the spread of seeds but where OH has strimmed before the seeds have had the chance to spread it has nearly been eradicated.
-
Agree with others, prob not hb.
Any chance of a pic? Has he/you seen it flower in the past?
-
Yeah doesn't sound like HB at all - we need some photos, of the new shoots and of the root if you have any. Snap a root open - if its orange inside it's knotweed.
-
Thanks all for comments. (I would post a pic if one were available - I'm so wishing I had taken one of this year's starter re-growth.) However ...
It is deffo not JKW (to clear that option out of the way). Also, the friend is horticulturally trained (but gave that career path up); he has also received opinion from an agri' contractor he engaged last year for a bit of a pasture tidy-up. We have all identified this as a Balsam and have assumed it is Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), but, as you all affirm, it is just not behaving according to given wisdom on HB reproduction!
Unless there is another similar Balsam species/hybrid that has rhizomous roots, I would suggest/warn that HB is possibly not a true annual (at least not in the fairly mild climate along the Tamar valley - Cornwall/Devon border) and any roots should be pulled in the year of first growth! (Best not put it off.)
Any other thoughts/comments anyone? (TY in advance)
-
I don't pull our balsam, just cut it when it starts to flower. But definitely not rhizomes.
Would still be interested in a picture, really curious now.
-
Maybe you could describe the plant as you have no pics? Overall height, flower colour and form, leaf and stem height, seed heads and if seeds ping when ripe.
-
This page has good photos of all bits of HB: http://www.shim.bc.ca/invasivespecies/_private/himalayan_balsam.htm (http://www.shim.bc.ca/invasivespecies/_private/himalayan_balsam.htm)
Been trying to think of other plants that look like HB ... but struggling!
There are annual and perennial impatiens varieties though, and some have rhizomes, like this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_omeiana (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_omeiana)
-
As a child I used to get balsam and rosebay willowherb mixed up.
-
the description of the leaf and stems sounds more like loostrife to me. we have it growing in the borders and I can't get rid of it
-
My hens go crazy for Balsam seeds
-
Well; this is extremely embarrassing! Rather than "deffo not JKW" (as per post 6 Apr), I now have to say, very humbled and contrite, it is almost certainly JKW - actually deffo JKW.
I have never considered myself to be a gullible person, but re-appraisal may be required!
There I was, prepared to help pull a bit of early H Balsam growth, amongst other tasks, looking at a smattering of leafy growth a few inches high (with none of those distinctive fat JKW shoots) and being told by my long-since horti-trained friend that it had been identified as H Balsam.
It dawned on me eventually after some more web searches: wish I'd done a search for pics of HB v JKW 'roots' on the web before posting on 6 Apr!
Mystery over and am awaiting 'explanation' from my friend,
So thank you fellow members for pointing me in the right direction.
Now, how do I get this thread deleted for all time so that I am not constantly reminded of my embarrassment?
-
:) Well at least now you know what you are dealing with. The down side is, HB is much easier to get rid of than knotweed :(.
-
Call it a brain fart and sidle away quietly :innocent: :roflanim:
-
LOL
At least you're brave and honest enough to admit it arobwk,
Bad shock for your friend, but worried about contractor plant knowledge :)
I hope you made sure no bits went home with you, scary thought having that stuff around.
Back in the 70s there was a patch where I walked the goats for grazing, used to walk in among it, never thinking what a problem it would turn out to be.
-
I have two clumps of JKW I'm battling with (there is loads around this area). It has just started shooting so it will be interesting to see what it does this year compared to last, as it had several chemical treatments last year. Fingers crossed it will be less vigorous! :fc:
-
incidentally pulling JKW is mostly a waste of time - if you arent organic inject each stem with round up - if you are hack it down and have a nice hot fire on top of it , or blaze it with a propane torch
-
To be as fair as I can be to my friend, he was more into grass keeping once upon! But he has firmly asserted, in most recent discussion, "I have seen the pink flowers myself". So perhaps (as you say Scarlet.D) there is a mix of the weeds - but I really doubt that.
Must go search "pink-flowered knotweed"!
Whatever, it has been agreed that he will leave a small 'stand' of weed to reach early flowering stage for re-evaluation/final identification later this year. I can't wait (although I suspect the real culprit will be identifiable a bit before then). We shall see.
-
We had two hard frosts last week ... and to my absolute glee it's knocked all my knotweed down to the ground! hahahaha!
I know it'll be back but it's just nice when you see the enemy limp and droopy just because a bit of cold ;D