Connecticut Land Conservation Conference

Knotweed tops the charts in calls and complaints, according to CT Invasive Plant Working Group. Fast-growing, aggressive, choking out riparian buffers and disturbed soils. Carbohydrate deprivation – cutting back the vegetative growth 3 times each growing season for 3 years, makes a considerable dent in stands, and can allow for native seedbanks to reestablish. But disposing of Knotweed stems and roots, which can readily resprout and spread, poses its own challenges. This problem with disposal of all invasive plant propagules in our state needs to be addressed by land managers.

Hear how multiple volunteer teams – land trusts, friends of preserves, protectors of town property and open spaces – have joined Nix the Knotweed effort to chop down and control Knotweed. Understanding plant life cycles is key. So is keeping volunteers motivated to come to chopping parties. But these parties have turned up kindred spirits and new volunteers. Hear what progress these teams are making on multiple fronts, including turning invasive plant propagules into bio char.