Kudzu

[Raider Bill]

Here's a interesting read if your considering a kudzu garden :D

Planting Kudzu:
Throw the kudzu seeds over you shoulder and then run like there's no tomorrow!
You can plant kuzu any time of the year and enjoy it for generations to
come. For those of you up north, yes this is a real plant, and
rumor has it that there are odds being taken, on when Georgia
will disappear under a cover of the stuff.

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Gardening Tips from Down South

How to Grow Kudzu

All you beginning gardeners out there might want to
consider growing kudzu as a fine way to launch out into the great
adventure of gardenning in the south. Kudzu, for those of you
not already familiar with it, is a hardy perennial that can be
grown quite well by the beginner who observes these few simple
rules:

Choosing a Plot:

Kudzu can be grown almost anywhere, so site selection is
not the problem it is with some other finicky plants like
strawberries. Although kudzu will grow quite well on cement, for
best result you should select an area having at least some dirt.
To avoid possible lawsuits, it is advisable to plant well away
from your neighbors house, unless, of course, you don't get along
well with your neighbor anyway.

Preparing the Soil:

Go out and stomp on the soil for a while just to get its
attention and to prepare it for kudzu.

Deciding When to Plant:

Kudzu should always be planted at night. If kudzu is
planted during daylight hours, angry neighbors might see you and
begin throwing rocks at you.

Selecting the Proper Fertilizer:

The best fertilizer I have discovered for kudzu is 40
weight non-detergent motor oil. Kudzu actually doesn't need
anything to help it grow, but the motor oil helps to prevent
scraping the underside of the tender leaves when the kudzu starts
its rapid growth. It also cuts down on the friction and lessens
the danger of fire when the kudzu really starts to move. Change
oil once every thousand feet or every two weeks which ever comes
first.

Mulching the Plants:

Contrary to what may be told by the Extension Service,
kudzu can profit from a good mulch. I have found that a heavy
mulch for the young plants produces a hardier crop. For best
results, as soon as the young shoots begin to appear, cover kudzu
with concrete blocks. Although this causes a temporary setback,
your kudzu will accept this mulch as a challenge and will reward
you with redoubled determination in the long run.

Organic or Chemical Gardenning:

Kudzu is ideal for either the organic gardener or for
those who prefer to use chemicals to ward off garden pests.
Kudzu is oblivious to both chemicals and pests. Therefore, you
can grow organically and let the pests get out of the way of the
kudzu as best they can, or you can spray any commercial poison
directly on your crop. Your decision depends on how much you
enjoy killing bugs. The kudzu will not mind either way.

Crop Rotation:

Many gardeners are understandably concerned that growing
the same crop year after year will deplete the soil. If you
desire to change from kudzu to some other plant next year, now is
the time to begin preparations. Right now, before the growing
season has reached its peak, you should list your house and lot
with a reputable real estate agent and begin making plans to move
elsewhere. Your chances of selling will be better now than they
will be later in the year, when it may be difficult for a
prospective buyer to realize that underneath those lush green
vines stands an adorable three-bedroom house.




From "The American Heritage Dictionary":

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Kudzu (kood'zoo) n. A vine, Pueraria lobata, native to Japan, having compound
leaves and clusters of redish purple flowers and grown for fodder
and foiage.
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Kudzu was introduced to Georgia earlier this century in an attempt
to provide improved fodder for cattle. It worked ALL TOO WELL. Cattle
do love kudzu but not nearly as much as kudzu loves Georgia. Georgia
provides nearly ideal climate and growing conditions for this rapid growing
and hardy perenial (that's "hardy", as in calling nuclear weapons "explosive").

People have been known to leave home on vaction down here only to
return a week later to find cars and other LARGE objects buried under it's
lush greener. It climbs telephone poles and crosses wires. It's eradication
is a major expense to utility companies. The City of Atlanta has used
bulldozers to dig up the tubers in vacant lots. It's resistant to most
"safe" chemicals although 2,4,D has some effect if used frequently enough.
It's sometimes call "yard-a-night" down here because that's how fast it
seems to grow. The only question seems to be whether the "yard" referred
to is that of "3 feet" or that of "front and back". Rumor has it that some
of the roads in the more rural areas don't get enough traffic and will be
covered by kudzu after a long holiday weekend.

It is a very pretty vine in early spring and summer. It's broad
leaves and flowers are quite attractive until you start to realize that
the dead stick, that it's sunning itself on, use to be a hugh pine tree.
In the winter, the first hard frost turns kudzu into tons of ugly brown
leaves and thick vines. It becomes a real eyesore and possibly a fire
hazard although I haven't heard of any actual kudzu fires. The plant regrows
new vines from the ground up every year, so you can see it's growth rate must
be phenominal.

I understand that the Japanese make a highly regarded form of tofu
from kudzu tubers. It is supposed to be prized for it's nutty flavor (soy
tofu is rather bland). The Japanese cannot produce enough to meet their
own demand and think we're NUTS for trying to eliminate it. I haven't
been able to confirm this use for kudzu, but, if true, they may well be right.
We've got plenty of hungery people and LOTS of kudzu!

The existance of kuzu in a neigborhood has been known to, adversely,
affect property values. The threat of planting kudzu in someone's yard is
generally considered an extreme case of "fight'en words", potentially followed
by "justifiable homicide". Regardless, you can still obtain kudzu seeds
from several major seed companies who list it as a "hardy ornamental
perenial". If understatement was a crime they'd be history.

[pineywoods]

All the facts about kudzu in the previous post are absolutely true. Nother kudzu story....Several years ago, I worked for a while on a moderate sized U S government installation in the deep south. Lots of engineers, computer programers etc, most of whom were practical jokers. A bright young programmer transfered in from someplace up north. He quickly learned that just about everyone at work grew a vegetable garden. He began to ask questions about how to get started gardening and what kinds of veggies to plant. No sweat, the best thing to start with is some beans, easy to grow, we'll bring you some bean roots, just bury them in the backyard and keep watered. They gave him a bucket of kudzu roots. 

[easymoney]

i laughed till i cried about that one. :D i like to her tales like that about people from the north. they feel they are so smart but can act so dumb some times.

[SwampDonkey]

Well now, I'm here to tell you something. I'm just as dumb as the rest of ya's down there. ;D :D