Japanese Knotweed Removal Pembrokeshire

Treatment and Control in Pembrokeshire by Professionals- Green Leaf Remediation & Tree Services Ltd

Do you think you may have Japanese Knotweed and are you in Pembrokeshire?

Japanese Knotweed can sometimes be referred to as bamboo or peashooters and it is a perennial weed that will grow and advances fairly quickly if not controlled. The weed suppresses all the other plants and flowers growing close to it from its crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below ground. The shoots die off above ground during the winter and re-emerge above ground once more at the end of spring, early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow more than 9ft high and may colonize the soil within a few years. There are plenty of articles that say you can eliminate the roots with chemical substances, however, you’ll need an NPTC qualified person to make use of any chemicals and this is resulting from new legislation which covers the control, and removal of Knotweed. There are numerous misconceptions that say you are able to remove Knotweed yourself, however, this is an extremely hard and intricate procedure and frequently, not successful unless you employ a knotweed specialist. In the height of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant is its roots underground so removal is extremely challenging and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without substantial knowledge carries a very good probability of scattering the plant to other areas of the soil which were previously unaffected.

Do you think you may have knotweed at your property in Pembrokeshire?

Are you concerned as you have read on the internet how it will set you back £1,000’s?

Have you been told it could have an effect on your mortgage or the potential to market your home?

Please do not worry, Green Leaf Remediation & Tree Services Ltd can offer you expert services for the treatment method and control of Japanese Knotweed Pembrokeshire and the whole of South and West Wales, and be reassured it does not cost as much as you may think.

How can you Treat Japanese Knotweed Pembrokeshire?

There are various methods of eliminating Knotweed and a Knotweed Specialist like Green Leaf Remediation & Tree Services Ltd can give you advice about the best and most effective approach.

Stem-Injection is often a low impact method of removal and there is little chance of disturbing or killing the plants and flowers growing around it. The stem injection method is normally used for smaller areas of Knotweed where it has established itself amongst plants and vegetation that you want to keep. It’s also a method usually applied when Knotweed is close to a watercourse. The stem injection approach may be used in dry or inclement weather conditions and the soil can’t be disturbed following the treatment.

Foliar Spray Application is often employed and is amongst the most favourable control strategies as well as stem-injection. The method is used to treat the Knotweed over a number of growing seasons. Determined by how large the area of Knotweed is it is usually 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 conditions as well as the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years in order to work.

Weed Wiping Method is the leaves of the plant being wiped with a sponge which is soaked with the necessary herbicide. It’s a low impact treatment method and doesn’t kill or bother the foliage adjoining it, nevertheless, its use depends on the size of the area of knotweed.

Bund/Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment using stem-injection or foliar application, then 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 method is employed on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be quick and not done over several seasons so is consequently especially beneficial to building plots of land and development sites as work can proceed immediately.

Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment employed when there is enough space on site to make a cell burial or making use of a root barrier to avoid the significant costs of transporting the soil and waste to landfill. Cell burial buries the Knotweed waste to a minimum depth, or if encapsulated within 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 threat of cross-boundary contamination. Again, a method quite often used on development sites when construction work has to commence immediately.

Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and swift control alternative that has its advantages for development sites if performed correctly, having said that, a lot of qualified Knotweed specialists are not advocates of it as it raises significant logistical difficulties. The challenges being it comes with an extremely high chance of the Knotweed spreading as well as the cost to safely transport the material to a designated landfill site. There is also a strict duty of care required under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990. In summary Excavation & Removal should only be used as an absolute final option.

Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and Humans?

Essentially, Japanese Knotweed is not poisonous and harmful to dogs, cats, people or any other animals like some other extremely invasive plants. It is not harmful to touch, nevertheless, always employ extreme care when in close proximity to it to avoid unintentionally allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed could possibly be referred to as ‘poisonous’ by developers and homeowners due to the highly invasive growth, ability to spread from a tiny particle left and just how difficult it is to eliminate fully.

Some Knotweed Myths (some 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 completed to a satisfactory standard then Knotweed is not going to grow ‘through solid concrete’, it won’t destabilise solid foundations and it is highly, highly unlikely to ‘cause’ structural damage. In truth, these claims are deceptive, to say the least.

However, when the foundations or concrete are old, poorly built and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will unquestionably make use of any weak spot in its quest for light and water and will swiftly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the initial crack and perhaps cause the structure to disintegrate.

Green Leaf Remediation & Tree Service Specialists cover the whole of South Wales (including Swansea, Cardiff and Newport), West Wales up to North Ceredigion, Powys & Tenby 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 are a family run business. We specialise in controlling Japanese Knotweed, other invasive plant species and ‘general nuisance weeds’ that are found in the United Kingdom for residential premises and property development sites.

We provide professional 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

• 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

Although there are several companies who operate within the UK weed control industry who will be respectable, knowledgeable and thorough experts, there are also lots of companies who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at a low cost. We would recommend you exercise extreme caution if you think you may have Japanese Knotweed Pembrokeshire and make sure that the service provider/ business you use has the right qualifications and experience as well as adhering to the Knotweed industry codes of practice and legislation.

Give us a call on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our experts can answer any questions you might have and can arrange a site visit to assess if you have Japanese Knotweed Pembrokeshire.