Japanese Knotweed Treatment and Control in South Wales by Professionals – Green Leaf Remediations

Do you know of knotweed at your property? Read on the internet how this will probably amount to £1,000’s? May it have an effect on your mortgage or the potential to sell your own home? Please don’t fret! Green Leaf Remediation can supply expert services for the treatment and control of knotweed anywhere in South Wales, and be assured this doesn’t cost as much as you may think.

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that grows and advances rather quickly if not managed. The weed suppresses all other plants and flowers growing about it from its crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below the ground. The shoots die out above ground in the winter and re-emerge above ground again in late springtime, early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow more than 9ft high and may colonise the soil within a few years. There are various articles that say you are able to eliminate the roots with chemical substances, however, you will need an NPTC qualified person to use any chemicals resulting from new legislation which covers the management, and removal of Knotweed.

There are numerous misconceptions that say it is possible to remove Knotweed by hand, however, this is an extremely difficult and intricate procedure and in most cases, not successful unless you make use of a knotweed specialist. In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant is its roots underground so removal is incredibly challenging also it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without having extensive knowledge carries a very good probability of spreading the plant to other areas of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How do I get rid of Knotweed?

There are various methods of removing Knotweed and a Knotweed specialist will be able to advise you of the best and most effective procedure.

Foliar Spray Application is frequently employed and is probably the most favourable control methods along with stem injection. The process can be used to manage the Knotweed over numerous growing seasons. Dependent on how large the area of Knotweed is it is frequently sprayed 2-3 times in the first year and once in the following years. The chemical used is an Environment Agency approved herbicide and requires dry weather and the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years in order to work.

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

Weed Wiping Method is the leaves of the plant being wiped with a sponge that is soaked with the necessary herbicide. It is a low impact treatment and doesn’t kill or bother the plants surrounding it, even so, its use depends upon 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 material to a different location in which the emergence of ‘new shoots’ can be subjected to additional herbicide application. This process is employed on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be fast and not done over several seasons so is consequently particularly good for building plots and development sites as work can carry on immediately.

Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment used if you have enough space on-site to make a cell burial or utilising a root barrier to avoid the considerable costs of transporting the soil and waste to landfill. Cell burial buries the Knotweed waste to a minimum depth, or if encapsulated within 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 danger of cross-boundary contamination. Again, this approach quite often used on development sites when construction work has to commence quickly.

Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and quick control alternative that has its advantages for development sites if performed correctly, having said that, a lot of Knotweeds advisors are not advocates of it mainly because it raises substantial logistical obstacles. The challenges being there is a higher than normal risk of the Knotweed spreading and also the cost to securely transport the material to a designated landfill site. There’s also a significant duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act( EPA ) 1990. In conclusion, excavation and removal should only be used as an absolute final option.

Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and People?

Essentially, Japanese Knotweed is not toxic and harmful to dogs, cats, people or any other animals like some other highly invasive plants. It’s not harmful to touch, nonetheless, always employ extreme care when close to it to avoid inadvertently allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed may possibly be known as ‘poisonous’ by developers and homeowners because of its highly invasive growth, the capability to spread from a tiny particle left and just how difficult it is to remove completely.

Some 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”

In simple terms, if the previous groundwork or construction has been carried out to a satisfactory standard then Knotweed will not grow ‘through solid concrete’, it doesn’t destabilise solid foundations and it is highly, highly unlikely to ‘cause’ structural damage. Actually, these claims are deceptive, to say the least, and in some cases, totally bogus.

On the other hand, in certain situations, if your foundations or concrete are old, poorly built and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will certainly exploit any weak spot in its quest for light and water and can quickly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the original crack and possibly cause the structure to disintegrate.

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists covers the whole of South Wales (including Swansea, Cardiff and Newport), West Wales up to North Ceredigion & Powys and throughout South Glamorgan & Gwent. In addition, we 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), 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 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 Level2
• 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

Whilst there are plenty of contractors who operate within the United Kingdom weed control industry who are legitimate, knowledgeable and thorough professionals, there are regrettably lots of businesses who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’ or ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at a low cost. Nevertheless, we would advise anyone to exercise caution and to ensure the contractor/business you enlist to undertake the control programme are qualified to do so and abide by the industry codes of practice.

Call us on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our experts can answer any queries you may have and also arrange a site visit.