Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest discussed by – Green Leaf Remediation Professionals

• Do you think you may have Japanese Knotweed at your property or home?
• Have you read on the internet how this will set you back £1,000’s to remove?
• Have you read it could impact your mortgage or the potential to market your home or property?

Green Leaf Remediation provides services for the treatment and management of Japanese Knotweed in Haverfordwest and it won’t cost you as much as you might think.

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that will grow and spread quickly if not controlled. The weed suppresses other plant life growing around it from the crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively underground. The shoots die out above ground in the winter months and re-emerge above ground again in the late spring or early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow in excess of 9ft high and can colonize the soil within a few years. There are numerous articles that say you can kill the roots with chemicals, however, you need an NPTC qualified person to work with any chemicals as a result of new legislation which covers the management and removal of Knotweed. There are some common myths that say it is possible to remove Knotweed manually, however, it really is an extremely difficult and complicated procedure and frequently not successful unless you work with a knotweed expert. In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plants roots are below ground so removal is extremely challenging and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed waste without having considerable knowledge carries a very good chance of dispersing the plant to other parts of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How do you remove Knotweed?

There are several methods of removing Knotweed and a Knotweed Specialist like Green Leaf Remediation can give you advice about the best and most effective approach.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Stem-Injection is often a low impact approach to removal and there is little chance of disturbing or killing the plants and flowers growing around it. The stem-injection method is used for smaller sized areas of Knotweed where it has established itself among plants and vegetation that you would like to keep. It’s also a technique typically utilised when Knotweed is close to a watercourse. The stem-injection process can be used in dry or inclement weather conditions and the soil can’t be disturbed following a treatment.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Foliar Spray Application is often employed and is probably the most favourable control methods along with stem-injection. The process is used to treat the Knotweed over several growing seasons. Determined by the size of the area of Knotweed it is frequently sprayed 2-3 times in the first year and once in the subsequent years. The chemical used is an Environment Agency approved herbicide and needs dry weather as well as the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years to be effective.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Weed Wiping Method wipes the leaves of the plant with a sponge that is soaked with the necessary herbicide. It’s a low impact treatment method and doesn’t kill or bother the plants encircling it, however, its use depends upon the size of the area of knotweed.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Bund/Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment using stem injection or foliar application, followed by digging up the underground material and removing the soil and materials to a different location in which the emergence of ‘new shoots’ can be subjected to further herbicide application. This approach can be used on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be quick and not done over several seasons so is specifically good for building plots of land and development sites as work can proceed straight away.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment applied when there is sufficient space on site to create a cell burial or utilising a root barrier to prevent the significant costs of transporting the soil and waste to landfill. Cell burial buries the Knotweed waste to a minimum depth, or if encapsulated inside a geo-membrane it can be closer to the surface of the ground. Root barriers can be installed both vertically and horizontally when there is a risk of cross-boundary contamination. Again, an approach frequently used on development sites when development work needs to commence quickly.

Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and quick control option which has its advantages for development sites if performed correctly, nonetheless, a lot of Knotweeds Authorities are not advocates of it mainly because it raises significant logistical problems. The challenges being there is a higher than normal chance of the Knotweed spreading along with the cost to safely transport the material to a designated landfill site. There is also a substantial duty of care required under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990. To conclude Excavation & Removal must only be used as an absolute final option and if you have the required knotweed qualifications and accreditations.

Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and People?

In simple terms, Japanese Knotweed is not poisonous and harmful to dogs, cats, people or any other animals like some other very invasive plants. It is not harmful to touch, however, use extreme care when close to it to prevent unintentionally allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed can be referred to as ‘poisonous’ by developers and homeowners because of its highly invasive growth, ability to spread from a tiny particle left and how difficult it is to remove fully.

Some Japanese Knotweed Common Myths (a few of which are taken advantage of by a few companies 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 carried out to an acceptable standard then Knotweed is not going to grow ‘through solid concrete’, it doesn’t destabilise solid foundations and it is highly unlikely to ‘cause’ architectural damage. Actually, these claims are deceptive, to say the least, and in some cases, totally untrue.

In certain situations, if the foundations or concrete are old, badly constructed and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within them then Knotweed will certainly take advantage of any weak spots in its search for light and water and can rapidly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the initial fracture and potentially causing damage to structures.

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists covers the whole of South Wales (including Haverfordwest, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport), West Wales up to North Ceredigion & Powys and throughout South Glamorgan & Gwent. Additionally, we carry out contracts in the West Country, as far North as Shropshire and into the Midlands and 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 species and ‘general nuisance weeds’ which are found in the United Kingdom for residential premises and 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 in the forestry industry.

Our Qualifications & Accreditations include:

• 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

At Green Leaf Remediation we safely remove and control Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest, South Wales, West Wales up to North Ceredigion & Powys and throughout South Glamorgan & Gwent areas.

Although there are plenty of companies who operate within the United Kingdom in the weed control industry who are respectable, knowledgeable and thorough specialists, there are regrettably a lot of businesses who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/ ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at a low cost who don’t have the qualifications and knowledge to safely remove or control. We would advise anyone who thinks they may have Japanese Knotweed to exercise caution and to ensure the service provider/business you enlist to undertake the control programme are qualified to do it and that they adhere to the industry codes of practice.

If you think you may have Japanese Knotweed in Haverfordwest or any of the surrounding areas then contact us on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our Knotweed experts can answer any questions you might have and arrange a site visit.