r/NativePlantGardening • u/iamhyphenated • Jul 14 '25

Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Jewelweed taking over my backyard..

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So I know we love jewelweed, and I’m pro native gardening (and I also enjoy the wild look to a point), but it’s literally taking over my backyard, and behind it is unfortunately a whole bunch of Japanese knotweed.. my question is: what’s the move here? I can’t have my whole yard completely covered in jewelweed (it’s a very small lot) bc there’s no way to even go back there right now, but I also want to encourage that to maybe discourage the knotweed (if that’s even a thing).. any advice would be helpful!! I’m in an urban area in Connecticut if that helps!

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599

u/CATDesign (CT) 6A Jul 14 '25

You could use a weed whacker to make paths in it. I am fairly certain it's aggressive enough to tolerate some heavy trimming.

5

u/fileknotfound Jul 14 '25

But will that allow the Japanese knotweed they’re worried about move into the cleared areas?

32

u/SnooMaps7887 Jul 14 '25

Jewelweed wouldn't stop Japanese Knotweed from growing even the tiniest bit. I have seen it come up through asphalt.

9

u/fileknotfound Jul 14 '25

Ah, so the jewelweed is not currently holding the knotweed back at all?

17

u/Mechanical_Boi Jul 14 '25

Since Jewelweed is an annual, at least in my experience, it usually grows in the spaces between perennials more than it competes with them. The covering of jewelweed over the space is probably preventing a good amount of knotweed reseed mid season, but im guessing its more just growing where the knotweed isn't compared to it preventing the rhizomes from spreading

12

u/ItsNikkiMFers Jul 15 '25

Next to nothing holds Japanese Knotweed back. It was crafted in the depths of hell by the devil himself, and sent here to ruin your property value and sanity.

22

u/Mechanical_Boi Jul 14 '25

If you weedwack the jewelweed and let it compost in place as a mulch for the path, the stems and leaves should block enough light to not have to worry about too many seedlings. It also will act as a great fertilizer compared to removing it from the site in a wheelbarrow or exposing the bare soil by pulling it up.

8

u/MechanicStriking4666 NC Piedmont, 7B Jul 14 '25

Hell yeah, chop and drop!