SAUGUS, MASS. (WHDH) - There’s a weed war in one North Shore neighborhood. Homeowners are trying all kinds of things to get rid of an unwanted plant without much success.
“It started and we didn’t realize what we were dealing with,” said Mary Borrello.
When Borrello first saw the leafy, green weeds with red stems in her Saugus yard she didn’t think much of them.
“Cut them down to the ground, cover it, and we’re good,” said Borrello. “The next year they were just right there as if I had done nothing.”
The persistent patch is Japanese Knotweed and it is not responding to any of the things Mary and her neighbors are doing to get rid of it. They’ve doused it with chemicals, smothered it and ripped it from the ground, but nothing works.
“You’re fearful that you can’t stop it,” said Borrello.
The problem is the powerful plant can break through sidewalks, damage foundations, and bring down home values.
“It’s going to ruin everything that’s here and it’s going to keep on going,” she said.
Over the last few years, the wicked weed has popped up in neighboring yards. Residents believe the weed is coming from the wetlands behind their homes.
“They’ve got all that right there,” said Borrello pointing to a growing patch of knotweed in her neighbor’s yard. “That has to be handled.”
The homeowners have tried laying down tarps to try to suffocate the weed. Although the weed is so persistent it’s even growing through or around the covering.
“It’s like fighting something that we haven’t found the right tools to fight yet,” said Borrello.
Saugus officials say they are aware of the knotweed in Borrelo’s neighborhood along Fiske Ave but Borrello says she hasn’t gotten any help from them to fight it.
“We’ve become quite familiar with it,” said Jack Schleifer of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.
Knotweed has been spreading through the chain of Boston parks known as the Emerald Necklace. Schleifer has been tasked with managing the weed. He says the weed’s roots are what make it so hard to kill.
“Depending on how deep they’re going into the ground, they also spread really well horizontally, and they create kind of a root network beneath the soil,” said Schleifer.
That root network can run as deep as 10-feet. Pulling the weed out can make it spread faster because buds can grow from the broken pieces of root left behind.
“Pulling out the roots can agitate it and make it grow back,” said Schleifer. “You need to help neutralize the route system, without stirring it up at the same time.”
If you’re fighting this worrying weed, experts say pulling out the plant can be effective if it hasn’t had a chance to build up strong roots.
- Experts say pulling out the plant can be effective if it hasn’t had a chance to build up strong roots.
- If the roots are well established and the stems start to look like bamboo shoots you can try some remedies on your own. You could cut down the plant and then cover it with tarps or apply a strong chemical treatment. This combination will take time, patience and repetition. In some cases, it could take up to five years to wipe out completely.
- It’s also important to be careful about where you dispose of any pulled roots or cut stems. They should not come in contact with moist soil or other compost because the plant could spread seeds to regenerate. Instead, bring them somewhere safe to dryout. Once they are brown, they are no longer a threat.
If these treatments don’t work, you can call a professional to administer herbicide or dig out the root system completely.
As for Borrello and her neighbors, they are hoping the city of Saugus will dig in to help them wipe out the weed.
“We’re hoping the town realizes what a problem it is for them,” said Borrello. “You don’t mind the other weeds after this. Dandelions start to look good.”
The weed has become such a problem that it’s illegal in New Hampshire and home sellers are being asked to disclose it like they would lead paint or water damage.
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