Don’t Mess With Ragwort and Japanese Knotweed
If you own animals, particularly horses, then you should know about the risks of ragwort. This dangerous weed is especially toxic to horses and ponies, as well as other animals, and once this virulent weed has been spread and starts to grow, it can be insanely difficult to remove. In fact, even just one plant of ragwort is capable of producing up to 150,000 seeds, 60-80% of them likely to germinate if the seeds find appropriate soil. More importantly, you might not be aware that you have ragwort growing on your property as the seeds can lay dormant for over twenty years.
Another weed that is particularly destructive is japanese knotweed, a weed which is able to spread astonishingly rapidly and which has a root system that is able to break through masonry. The curious, and humorous, fact about this destructive weed, is that it can be eaten – seemingly tasting not unlike rhubarb. Nevertheless, it is a problematic weed that needs handling as an industrial waste, as even the smallest section of its roots can grow into a completely new plant.
Japanese Knotweed comes in useful in other ways as well, for instance, it is a great source of resveratrol, (which is a general nutritional supplement, which is alleged to improve longevity), and an first-class source of emodin (also commonly in use as a nutritional supplement to help modulate bowel movements).
If you are unfortunate enough to have one of these nasty weeds on your property, you should act quickly, and should confer with experts in the field of weed control before the problem starts to become dangerous.
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