Re: Japanese Knotweed

August 21, 2006

Kendra and Cheryll

It's wonderful to hear that others are thinking along these lines. Now the

hard part is to motivate to get started. Maybe we should call our state

extension service and first ask if Knotweed grows in our area and then perhaps

suggest they read Buhner's book...maybe even get it for them if they are

interested. First I need to see it growing in the wild so I know what it looks

like. I wouldn't mind planting it in our yard. We have woods as natural

boundaries between us and our neighbors ...so maybe that would help it from

spreading. We also need to know how to use the different parts. I have powder I

bought to fill capsules but not sure if it is taken from the bark or the roots

(rhizomes?) Also I wouldn't know how to transplant it. I also have what looks

like the dried knotweed bamboo like shoots that I am supposed to make a tea or

tonic from. Haven't done that yet because I am still using the powder in the

capsules.

I spoke to someone on the net who said that the country they are from they eat

the leaves all the time. I am also just getting into different types of flutes

and whistles. I heard somewhere that bamboo or Japanese Knotweed could be made

into a simple one. We could have alot of fun with this!

Margie

kendra <kendraz@...> wrote:

fantastic idea, marjorie! i've been wondering along those lines too.

part of

my new way of looking at life is all about wondering, inviting " reversals, "

welcoming the " enemy, " seeing the gift in the so-called disaster. labeling a

plant a " weed " is just a concept, very limiting. can we free ourselves from

that prison? open up more creativity? more healing, wholeness?

curiously,

kendra

-----Original Message-----

From:

[mailto: ]On Behalf Of Marjorie Tietjen

I thought why can't we develope some educational program where instead of

using poisons or trying to get rid of the knotweed in other ways, why can't

we educate people on how to use it. People from other countries where it

grows, eat the leaves, I believe the rhizomes are used for the medicine and

one can even make flutes out of the bamboo like stalks.

__________________________________________________

August 21, 2006

Marjorie,

i think it's a GREAT idea! Here's a link with some pretty good pictures

of Japenese Knotwood along with a link for recipes. I've never noticed

it here in Michigan where i live, but that doesn't mean it's not here.

A friend and i have been brewing " weed " tea, it's made from purslane,

plantain, chickweed, pigweeds and malva. All very common weeds where

i'm from. She got the recipe from a native american after she had taste

tested and went back [twice!] for more brew. It's very healing.....she

likes it better with the chickweed b/c it helps with the pain she deals

with on a daily basis. Before she was drinking the weed tea she was

taking up to 6 pain killers a day and is now down to 1 day or

somedays....none at all. I've made it only once so am still learning

about it. Also, pigsweed is a name given to many different kinds of

weeds so my brew has lambsquarter instead of the amaranth. At any rate,

using the herbs/weeds etc in our local areas is the perfect thing to

do. Weeds grow like...well, weeds so we can gather them for free and

can dry and or freeze them for winter use. Herbs are another thing that

grow easily.....they also thrive on neglect. I understand the concern

about invasive plants however the worse offenders could be grown in

containers. That's where my horseradish is....so it won't take over the

world. I am currently reading/studying " The Herbal Medicine-Makers

Handbook, A Home Manual " by Green, Herbalist author of the Maler

Herbal. It's so good that i'm going to purchase it, it's an awesome

book with tons of easy ways to create your own medicine. Another good

book if Field Guides, Medicinal plants and herbs. I have the

Eastern/Central book.

please note the weed tea had other healing properties as well.....but

i'm too foggy to remember now. k

Marjorie Tietjen wrote:

>I have this idea....it's not that great...but it just makes sense to me. I

wrote Buhner and he thought it was a good idea.

>

> This past spring I went to an herb fest and we had a lyme booth there. It was

alot of fun with so many neat products and plants. That's where I bought my

sweet Annie plants. It was pouring rain that day but people were there anyway.

>

> The people in the booth next to us were from the Extension service and their

focus just happened to be invasive plants. We got to talking and of course we

had Buhner's book there so we began talking about it. I mentioned to them that

Buhner feels that invasive plants grow where there are invasive diseases and

that many times they can be used for these diseases. I told the folks from the

extension service that I wanted to plant Japanese Knotweed ( I found out it

grows in the northeast where I am). They were horrified and said Oh No...it's

invasive...you want your neighbors to kill you?

> We started laughing and I thought why can't we develope some educational

program where instead of using poisons or trying to get rid of the knotweed in

other ways, why can't we educate people on how to use it. People from other

countries where it grows, eat the leaves, I believe the rhizomes are used for

the medicine and one can even make flutes out of the bamboo like stalks. I have

yet to recognize it growing wild around here but I was told of a friend's

neighbor who has it growing by the side of her road. I must go see what it looks

like.

>

> We really do need to become independant of the medical/military industrial

complex and depending on where we live, start growing our own medicinals...at

least the ones that can be grown here

>

> Margie T

>

August 22, 2006

Margie said:

> This past spring I went to an herb fest and we had a lyme booth

there. It was alot of fun with so many neat products and plants.

What a great idea!

I live in NJ, and a friend who also has Lyme laughed when she saw

Knotweed recommended. She said it grows here but I'm not sure what

it looks like.

But is there only one variety? How would one know it is the right

one?

I also like what B. says about growing the various herbs. One of

them I remember he says, to grow it produces internal strength.

I was thinking of getting some seeds to put in pots, but I guess

I'll have to wait til next year.

BTW Margie, and everyone, you might be interested in a group

called Ethnobotany. One of the issues they discuss is ethical

growing and selling of herbs, some of which are being used to the

point of elimination.

ellen

August 22, 2006

Cheryll,

I'm certainly interested in the teasel protocol, as well as whatever

you read of Wood's.

Thanks,

Jessie

>

> Margie,

>

> What you wrote (below) reminded me of something Wood wrote

about teasel root. He uses teasel for Lyme (there's a protocol I can

provide for anyone interested.)

> Cheryll

>

August 22, 2006

I've got to remember that teasel root. Do you know where that is grown? I've

heard people have luck with it but keep forgetting about it.

Margie

Cheryll <literacyandslp@...> wrote:

Margie,

I have been thinking this also. One, health costs have skyrocketed and I think

this is seriously undermining our economy. Two, doctors and insurance companies

have entirely too much power. Three, if we don't know what we are doing

medically we are at the mercy of others (medical community, etc.)

Several years ago, my mother had a serious oral infection around a molar. She

did not want to see a doctor. I had read an ad for myrhh (a natural antibiotic)

in a supplement catalog. She ordered the tincture and despite its horrible taste

swished in her mouth several times a day. The infection was gone in a week. She

later confided in me that the infection was much more than she had let on.

This incident in our life showed me the power of herbal medicines. She would

have likely ended up with some sort of root canal or other surgery. Yet all it

took was a $6 bottle of myrhh. And she used very little of it, so it cost less

since it is still around for anything else that may come up.

I am treating myself with Buhner's protocol plus teasel root. And it's working

out pretty well, esp since the doctors (except one) would not prescribe anything

for me since it " couldn't be lyme because the test results were negative. "

Thank you so much for starting this group. This is very exciting.

Cheryll in Wisconsin

Marjorie Tietjen <daystar1952@...> wrote:

We really do need to become independant of the medical/military industrial

complex and depending on where we live, start growing our own medicinals...at

least the ones that can be grown here

Margie T

---------------------------------

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new .com. Check it out.

August 22, 2006

Yes...please tell us more about the teasel!

Cheryll <literacyandslp@...> wrote: Margie,

What you wrote (below) reminded me of something Wood wrote about teasel

root. He uses teasel for Lyme (there's a protocol I can provide for anyone

interested.)

Teasel helps with the knee and back, plus it has an antibiotic effect.

In his book, he noted how he found a teasel plant growing on his property in the

snow. What he found was that the deer were leaving foot prints in the snow as

they visited the teasel to nibble, presumably to instinctively help heal

themselves.

I even emailed Mr. Wood to find a source of seeds since it doesn't grow around

here. He was nice enough to email me back.

My point is that those plants that grow as " noxious weeds " are nature's way of

saying... you don't need doctors, use what I have provided to you for free, see,

you can't even get rid of them!

Cheryll

Marjorie Tietjen <daystar1952@...> wrote:

Kendra and Cheryll

It's wonderful to hear that others are thinking along these lines. Now the hard

part is to motivate to get started. Maybe we should call our state extension

service and first ask if Knotweed grows in our area and then perhaps suggest

they read Buhner's book...maybe even get it for them if they are interested.

First I need to see it growing in the wild so I know what it looks like. I

wouldn't mind planting it in our yard. We have woods as natural boundaries

between us and our neighbors ...so maybe that would help it from spreading. We

also need to know how to use the different parts. I have powder I bought to fill

capsules but not sure if it is taken from the bark or the roots (rhizomes?) Also

I wouldn't know how to transplant it. I also have what looks like the dried

knotweed bamboo like shoots that I am supposed to make a tea or tonic from.

Haven't done that yet because I am still using the powder in the capsules.

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August 22, 2006

This is good to know ...in case I find some knotweed and want to plant it.

Thanks!

Margie

Berndt <nlberndt@...> wrote:

Hi, Can I chime in? I am all for not being dependant on outside

sources and would love to grow some of these herbs as well. When I was looking

into growing bamboo which many species are running with invasive

ribosomes.......I found that they can be responsibly grown by digging a trench

and lining it with a rubber barrier and planting it with in this trench lined

(to above ground) to contain the spread which takes place underground. I believe

this trench was to be 3 feet deep by a few feet wide . Do a search nurserys that

carry bamboo and you should be able to purchase this rubber material. Hope this

helps, (Makayla'smom)

Marjorie Tietjen <daystar1952@...> wrote: Kendra and Cheryll