Japanese Knotweed Rhondda Treatment and Control by Specialists- Green Leaf Remediation

Do you know of knotweed at your home or business? Have you read on the web how this is going to amount to £1,000’s? Have you read how it might affect your mortgage or ability to sell your property? Please don’t worry! Green Leaf Remediation can supply solutions for the treatment and management of Japanese Knotweed Rhondda, and be reassured it doesn’t cost as much as you might think.

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that will grow and advances quickly if not managed. The weed suppresses other plant life growing close to it from its crown and rhizomes root system that spread extensively below ground. The shoots die off above ground in the winter and re-emerge above ground again at the end of spring, early summer. Any effectively-established shoots can grow over 9ft high and may colonize the soil within a few years.

There are numerous articles that say you’ll be able to eliminate the roots with chemicals, however, you’ll need an NPTC qualified person to apply any chemicals resulting from new legislation which covers the management, and removal of Knotweed. There are several common myths that say you can remove Knotweed yourself, however, this is an extremely difficult and intricate process and usually, not successful unless you use a knotweed expert. In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plants roots are below ground so removal is incredibly challenging and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without having significant knowledge carries a high probability of distributing the plant to other areas of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How do I remove Knotweed Rhondda?

There are numerous methods of getting rid of Knotweed Rhondda and a Knotweed Specialist will be able to give you advice about the best and most effective method. Here are some of the methods of Knotweed Removal and Control.

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

Knotweed Rhondda Foliar Spray Application is frequently used and is among the most favourable control methods as well as stem-injection. The technique can be used to manage the Knotweed over several growing seasons. Determined by 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 as well as the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years to be effective.

Knotweed Rhondda Weed Wiping Method is the leaves of the plant being wiped with a sponge which is soaked with the required herbicide. It’s a low impact treatment method and does not kill or disturb the plants encircling it, however, its use depends on how big the area of knotweed is.

Knotweed Rhondda Bund/Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment method using stem-injection or foliar application, followed by excavating the underground material and removing the soil and material to a different location in which the emergence of ‘new shoots’ can be subjected to further herbicide application. This method can be used on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be fast and not done over several seasons so is therefore specifically good for building plots and development sites as work can continue immediately.

Knotweed Rhondda Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment applied if you have enough space on site to create a cell burial or making use of 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 danger of cross-boundary contamination. Again, a method quite often suited for development sites when development work has to commence immediately.

Knotweed Rhondda Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and swift control option which has its advantages for development sites if performed correctly, nonetheless, a great deal of Knotweeds Authorities are not advocates of it as it raises considerable logistical complications. 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’s also a significant duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act( EPA ) 1990. To conclude Excavation & Removal must only be used as an absolute final option.

Is Knotweed Harmful to Dogs, Cats and People?

In simple terms, Japanese Knotweed isn’t toxic and harmful to dogs, cats, people or any other animals like some other very invasive plants. It is not harmful to touch, nonetheless, always use extreme care when near it to prevent unintentionally allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed would probably be known 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 completely.

Some Knotweed Myths (several of which are exploited by some companies for financial gain)

1. “It will grow through solid concrete”
2. “It will destabilise foundations”
3. “It will cause structural damage”
4. Property affected by Japanese Knotweed is not mortgageable

Essentially, if the previous groundwork or construction has been completed to a satisfactory standard then Knotweed will not grow ‘through solid concrete’, it will not destabilise solid foundations and it is highly, highly unlikely to ‘cause’ structural damage. In fact, these claims are deceiving, to say the least, and completely untrue.

Nonetheless, in a few instances, if the foundations or concrete are old, inadequately constructed and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will unquestionably make use of any weakness in its search for light and water and can rapidly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the original crack and possibly cause the structure to disintegrate.

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists

Green Leaf Remediation cover the whole of South Wales (including Rhondda, Swansea, Cardiff and Newport), West Wales up to North Ceredigion and Powys and throughout South Glamorgan and 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), 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 land development sites.

We also provide 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

Although there are many contractors who operate within the UK weed control industry that are respectable, knowledgeable and thorough specialists, there are regrettably a lot of companies who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/ ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at low cost, however, they do not use the legal processes to remove and control knotweed. We would recommend anyone to exercise extreme caution and to ensure that the service provider/business you enlist to undertake the control programme are qualified to do this and they abide by the industry codes of practice.

Call us on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our experts will be able to answer any questions you might have about Japanese Knotweed Rhondda or the surrounding areas and will be happy to arrange a free no-obligation site assessment