What is Japanese Knotweed?
Japanese Knotweed is a large, herbaceous perennial, introduced as a garden plant by the Victorians. It is undisputedly the most troublesome weed on the planet, causing more damage to the environment, biodiversity and property than any other.
Aggressive and damaging
It is singularly aggressive and fast growing (up to 10cm a day), crowding out all other flora and breaking through seemingly impenetrable barriers such as tarmac, concrete and brickwork.
Like an iceberg, there is more happening out of sight, where the plant’s underground rhizome (root) system will penetrate 1.5 metres downwards and fan out 3 metres from the main knotweed source. This is why digging it out is a more expensive option. The consequences are severe. Apart from the damage it will cause, it devalues land and property.
Mortgage issues
All mortgage providers now refuse to lend on property that has knotweed present. Some mortgage lenders may refuse to lend if it is spotted on neighbouring land. This makes a non cash sale more difficult unless being dealt with by a professional contractor with an insurance backed guarantee.
Careful treatment
Japanese knotweed needs careful, expert treatment. One treatment is not usually enough – we recommend multiple treatments with different herbicides over many months to ensure complete eradication.
Do not believe in claims of “miracle cures”; you will find the knotweed re-growing within no time and will be back to square one if you opt for one of these.
If you need to return the infected area back to use the knotweed can be sent to special landfill or buried on-site. This is not very ecologically friendly as this involves moving live knotweed to a fresh location.
