Giant hogweed

[Andy Millichamp]

Peter Gabriel's advice is to "strike by night! They are defenceless. They all need the sun to photosensitize their venom".

Giant Hogweed ... the only fishing pest to be immortalised by a 1970s prog-rock supergroup.

The Return of the Giant Hogweed by Genesis.
(from Nursery Cryme, 1971)

Turn and run!
Nothing can stop them,
Around every river and canal their power is growing.
Stamp them out!
We must destroy them,
They infiltrate each city with their thick dark warning odour.

They are invincible,
They seem immune to all our herbicidal battering.

Long ago in the Russian hills,
A Victorian explorer found the regal Hogweed by a marsh,
He captured it and brought it home.
Botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge.
Royal beast did not forget.
He came home to London,
And made a present of the Hogweed to the Royal Gardens at Kew.

Waste no time!
They are approaching.
Hurry now, we must protect ourselves and find some shelter
Strike by night!
They are defenceless.
They all need the sun to photosensitize their venom.

Still they're invincible,
Still they're immune to all our herbicidal battering.

Fashionable country gentlemen had some cultivated wild gardens,
In which they innocently planted the Giant Hogweed throughout the land.
Botanical creature stirs, seeking revenge.
Royal beast did not forget.
Soon they escaped, spreading their seed,
Preparing for an onslaught, threatening the human race.

[The Dance of the Giant Hogweed]

Mighty Hogweed is avenged.
Human bodies soon will know anger.
Kill them with your Hogweed hairs
HERACLEUM MANTEGAZZIANI
Giant Hogweed lives

 

[Neil Blood]

Stem injection system

I recently bought one of these for a fishing club and we intend to use it on several rivers for treating Jap Knotweed and Giant Hogweed:

CLICK HERE

They are also good for killing Rhododendrons i.e. drill hole and insert needle.

Not cheap, but I believe many councils and various conservation bodies are now using this method of treatment.

You still need the relevant herbicide and EA licences.

 

[Stuart Brookes]

Looks very similar to the system on Countryfile Neil. I'm going to get in touch with my club officials this evening just to find out the situation as I don't want to cause any problems with the riparian we lease the stretch off.

 

[David Gauntlett]

Have you watched the video in Neils link? Right neer the end?

I gotta get me some of that....you get a spaceman outfit and get to walk like Clint Eastwood, with the needle gun in a holster low on your hip....cue the music from 'The good, ther bad and the ugly'

Seriously though, it does look like it may be a way of avoiding polluting the river with toxic chemicals....provided you clear the dead stems away from the bank

I dare say the down side would be the cost...it is bound to be an arm and a leg, + the time to inject every stem, if you have a large area. Could be worth it though, if it works well.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Mic Foot]

hogweed

Stem injecting hogweed is an effective way of killing the plant, I do alot of this with the japanese knotweed sites I treat but I`m happiest keeping it at arms length with a cda lance. Also the fact remains its timing rather than method thats important, it must be treated before the seed heads form and this may mean regular monitoring and treatment throughout the summer months. The rootstock of the plant is irrelevent because its an annual and doesn`t grow back the following year its just new seeds germinating that continue the infestation.

Mic

 

[Pete Marshall]

Third Sector GB Invasive Non Native Species & Biosecurity Conference

The titles of these conferences get longer and longer...
However people may be interested in this conference called by the Association of River Trusts. The details are linked on the SRT site here.

I'm going along from the SRT.
Having spent many an evening lately trying to cut back balsam on the Teme which is bad enough, I would dread the day the giant hogweed also reaches us. And don't even consider mentioning the dreaded crayfish which is slowly making it's way further into our catchment.

I understand the government sees the Rivers Trusts as a way forward for control on the rivers and no doubt a cheap option..but any option is better than the inactivity shown on many rivers by the powers that be. Hopefully something and some money will come out of this,particularly cash to help angling clubs and riparian owners deal with some of the problems.

Just to add, there are already some of the River's trusts doing this. An example is the Monnow association and the Wye and Usk's project here.
Early days, but it is clear from everything I've been told about weed removal that we need the pro's in first and then the volunteers from clubs etc. can take over. The cash for the pro's to start the process is what most if not all clubs in the Severn catchment would find hard to find and that is where funding from DEFRA and the EU hopefully will come in.

I see some pro weed removal people have posted here. If any of you are in the Severn catchment you might like to make informal contact.