Japanese Knotweed Aberdare Treatment and Control

Do you think you may have Japanese Knotweed Aberdare?

Have you read online how this is going to set you back £1,000’s?

Have you been told how it could impact your mortgage or ability to sell your house?

Please do not worry! Green Leaf Remediation offers solutions for the treatment method and control of Knotweed in Aberdare and the surrounding areas, and be assured it doesn’t cost as much as you might think.

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that grows and propagates rather quickly if not managed. The weed suppresses other plants growing around it from the crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below the ground. The shoots die off above ground in the winter and re-emerge above ground again at the end of spring, early summer.

Any well-established shoots can grow in excess of 9ft high and can colonize the soil within a few years or sometimes months. There are many articles that say you can eliminate the roots with chemicals yourself, however, you will need an NPTC qualified person to utilise any chemicals due to new legislation which covers the management, and removal of Knotweed.

There are plenty of common myths that say you can remove Knotweed manually, however, this is an extremely hard and intricate process and in most cases, not successful unless you employ a knotweed consultant.

In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plants roots are underground so removal is difficult and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed without having substantial knowledge has a very good probability of spreading the plant to other regions of the soil that have been previously unaffected.

How do you eradicate Knotweed Aberdare?

There are several methods of getting rid of Knotweed and a Knotweed Professional will be able to give you advice about the best and most effective procedure.

Knotweed Aberdare Stem-Injection

This is a low impact approach to removal and there is little potential for disturbing or killing the plants and flowers growing about it. The stem injection method is normally used for smaller sized areas of Knotweed where it has established itself amongst plants and vegetation that you would like to keep. It is also a method normally used when Knotweed is close to a watercourse. The stem-injection process must be used in dry or inclement weather conditions and the soil cannot be disturbed following a treatment.

Knotweed Aberdare Foliar Spray Application

This method is often used and is one of the most favourable control methods along with stem-injection. The method is used to treat the Knotweed over a number of growing seasons. Dependent upon how large the area of Knotweed is it is frequently sprayed 2-3 times in the first year and once in the subsequent year. The chemical used is an Environment Agency approved herbicide and requires dry weather conditions and the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years to be effective.

Knotweed Aberdare Weed Wiping Method

This method is where the leaves of the plant are wiped with a sponge which is soaked with the necessary herbicide. This is a low impact treatment and doesn’t kill or bother the foliage surrounding it, nonetheless, its use depends upon the size of the area of knotweed.

Knotweed Aberdare Bund/Stockpiling Method

This is a combined treatment using stem-injection or foliar application, followed by excavating the underground material and removing the soil and materials to a different location where the emergence of ‘new shoots’ can be subjected to further herbicide application. This method is used on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be quick and not done over several seasons so is specifically beneficial to building plots and development sites as work can carry on at once.

Knotweed Aberdare Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method

This treatment is used if you have enough space on site to create a cell burial or making use of a root barrier to prevent the considerable expenses of transporting the soil and waste to landfill. Cell burial buries the Knotweed waste to a minimum depth, or if encapsulated inside a geomembrane it can be closer to the surface of the ground. Root barriers can be installed both vertically and horizontally when there is a threat of cross-boundary contamination. Again, a method frequently suited for development sites when development work needs to start immediately.

Knotweed Aberdare Excavation & Removal Off-Site

This is a legitimate and swift control option that has its advantages for development sites if done correctly, nonetheless, a lot of Knotweeds Qualified Personnel are not advocates of it because it raises considerable logistical problems. The challenges being there is an extremely high chance of the Knotweed spreading in addition to the cost to safely transport the material to a designated landfill site. There is also a significant duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990. In summary Excavation & Removal must only be used as an absolute final option.

Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and People?

Essentially, Japanese Knotweed is not poisonous and harmful to dogs, cats, humans or any other animals like some other extremely invasive plants. It is not harmful to touch, nevertheless, always employ extreme caution when near it to prevent inadvertently allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed is often known as ‘poisonous’ by developers and property owners because of its extremely invasive growth, a capacity to spread from a tiny particle left and just how difficult it is to remove fully.

Some Knotweed Common Myths (a few of which are taken advantage of by a few contractors for financial gain)

• “It will grow through solid concrete”
• “It will destabilise foundations”
• “It will cause structural damage”
• Property affected by Japanese Knotweed is not mortgageable

Essentially, if the previous groundwork or construction has been performed to a sufficient standard then Knotweed is not going to grow ‘through solid concrete’. It does not destabilise solid foundations and it is highly unlikely to ‘cause’ architectural damage. The fact is, these claims are deceptive, to say the least, and untrue.

In a few instances, if the foundations or concrete are old, badly built and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will unquestionably take advantage of any weak spot in its search for light and water and can swiftly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the initial fracture and possibly cause the structure to disintegrate.

Green Leaf Remediation

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists cover the whole of South Wales (including Aberdare, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport), West Wales up to North Ceredigion & Powys and throughout South Glamorgan & Gwent. We also carry out contracts in the West Country, as far North as Shropshire and into the Midlands & Birmingham areas.

We are a fully qualified Japanese Knotweed Certificated Surveyor (JKCS) and a family run business. We specialise in managing Japanese Knotweed, other invasive plant varieties and ‘general nuisance weeds’ that are found in the United Kingdom for residential premises and property development sites.

We also offer tree services, such as pollarding, crowning, pruning, felling, through our NPTC chainsaw operators, all of whom possess a vast amount of practical experience within the forestry industry.

Our Qualifications& Accreditations incorporate:

• City & Guilds NPTC Level 2
• Principles of Safe Handling & Application of Pesticides (PA1/ PA6)
• Principles of Safe Handling & Application of Pesticides near water (PA6AW)
• Herbicide Stem Injection
• Property Care Association
• The Control & Eradication of Japanese Knotweed Surveyor’s Training Course
• Qualified Technician (PCAQT) in Japanese Knotweed
• Accredited Surveyor in Japanese Knotweed

There are plenty of companies who operate within the UK weed control industry that are legitimate, knowledgeable and thorough experts, however, there are regrettably plenty of companies who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/ ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at a low cost but they do not use the correct and legal methods or control and removal. We would advise anyone to exercise caution and to make sure that the service provider/ business you enlist to undertake the control programme are qualified and they comply with the industry codes of practice.

Contact us on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our experts can answer any questions you may have about Japanese Knotweed Aberdare and can arrange a free, no obligation site visit.