Japanese Knotweed Treatment and Control throughout Powys by Professionals – Green Leaf Remediations

Have you got knotweed at your property or home? Read on the internet how this will probably cost you £1,000’s? May it have an effect on your mortgage or potential to market your home? Please don’t fret! Green Leaf Remediation provides expert services for the treatment method and management of knotweed throughout Powys, and be assured it does not cost as much as you may think.

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that grows and spreads rather quickly, if not managed. The weed suppresses all other plants growing around it from its crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively underground. The shoots die out above ground in the winter months and re-emerge above ground once more at the end of spring, early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow in excess of 9ft high and can colonise the soil within a few years. There are numerous articles that say it is possible to kill the roots with chemical substances, however, you’ll need an NPTC qualified person to make use of any chemical substances due to new legislation which covers the control, and removal of Knotweed. There are plenty of myths that say you can remove Knotweed manually, however, it is really an extremely difficult and complicated process and usually, not successful unless you work with a knotweed specialist. In the height of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant is its roots below ground so removal is quite difficult also it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without substantial knowledge carries a high probability of spreading the plant to other areas of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How do you eliminate Knotweed?

There are numerous methods of removing Knotweed and a Knotweed Specialist will be able to give you advice on the best and most effective procedure.

Stem-Injection is usually a low impact method of removal and there is little chance of disturbing or killing the plants and flowers growing about it. The stem-injection technique is used for smaller sized areas of Knotweed where it has established itself among plants and vegetation that you want to keep. Additionally, it is a method often used when Knotweed is near a watercourse. The stem injection method works extremely well 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 methods as well as stem injection. The process is used to treat the Knotweed over numerous growing seasons. Dependent on how large the area of Knotweed is it is normally 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 and the soil to remain undisturbed in subsequent years to be effective.

Weed Wiping Method is the leaves of the plant being wiped with a sponge that is soaked with the required herbicide. It’s a low impact treatment and doesn’t kill or bother the plants encircling it, however, its use depends on the size of the area of knotweed.

Bund/Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment method using stem-injection or foliar application, followed by 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 method is employed on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be fast and not done over several seasons so is therefore especially good for building plots of land and development sites as work can carry on without delay.

Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment employed if you have enough space on site to make a cell burial or utilising a root barrier to avoid the substantial expenses 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, an approach frequently suited for development sites when development work has to commence quickly.

Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and fast control option that has its advantages for development sites if done correctly, having said that, a great deal of Knotweed qualified personnel are not advocates of it mainly because it raises significant logistical complications. 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 substantial duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990. In summary excavation and removal should only be used as an absolute final option.

Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and People?

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

Japanese Knotweed could possibly be referred to as ‘poisonous’ by developers and homeowners due to the very invasive growth, the capacity to spread from a tiny particle left and how difficult it is to remove completely.

Some Knotweed Myths (many of which are taken advantage of by some 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

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

Nonetheless, in a few instances, when the foundations or concrete are old, inadequately built and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will certainly make use of any weak spot in its pursuit of light and water and definitely will quickly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the initial 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), family run business We specialise in managing Japanese Knotweed, other invasive plant varieties and ‘general nuisance weeds’ which are found in the UK 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 incorporate:

• 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

Although there are numerous contractors who operate within the United Kingdom weed control industry who will be legitimate, knowledgeable and thorough experts, there is regrettably a lot of businesses who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to eradicate/eliminate Japanese Knotweed at low cost. Nevertheless, we would advise anyone to exercise caution and to ensure that the contractor/business you enlist to carry out the control programme are qualified to do so and they adhere to 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 and also to arrange a site visit. Green Leaf Remediation – Japanese knotweed control and removal in Powys