Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest from Green Leaf Remediation, Treatment & Control

Have you seen knotweed at your property or home?

Have you read on the internet how it is likely to amount to £1,000’s to remove?

Will it affect your mortgage or ability to sell your property?

Green Leaf Remediation can supply services for the treatment and control of knotweed Haverfordwest, and be assured it does not cost as much as you might think.

About Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that grows and propagates speedily if not managed. The weed suppresses all other plants and flowers growing about it from it’s crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below ground. The shoots die out above ground in winter and re-emerge above ground again in late springtime, early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow over 9ft high and can colonize the soil within a few years. There are many articles that say you could kill the roots with chemicals, however, you’ll need an NPTC qualified person to apply any chemicals as a result of new legislation which covers the management, and removal of Knotweed. There are numerous common myths that say you are able to remove Knotweed by hand, however, it is really an extremely difficult and complicated procedure and frequently, not successful unless you work with a knotweed consultant. In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant is its roots underground so removal is quite difficult and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without substantial knowledge has a very high risk of distributing the plant to other areas of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How to remove Knotweed?

There are many methods of eliminating Knotweed and a Knotweed Expert can advise you of the best and most efficient method.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Stem-Injection is usually a low impact approach to removal and there is little likelihood of disturbing or killing the plants and flowers growing close to it. The stem injection method is used for smaller areas of Knotweed where it has established itself amongst plants and vegetation that you might want to keep. Additionally, it is a method typically used when Knotweed is near a watercourse. The stem injection approach can be used in dry or inclement weather conditions and the soil cannot be disturbed following a treatment.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Foliar Spray Application is frequently employed and is one of the most favourable control methods as well as stem-injection. The process is used to treat the Knotweed over several growing seasons. Determined by 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 requires dry weather and also the soil to remain undisturbed in the following years in order to work.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Weed Wiping Method is the leaves of the plant being wiped with a sponge that’s soaked with the necessary herbicide. It’s a low impact treatment and does not kill or disturb the plants surrounding it, nevertheless, its use is dependent upon the size of the area of knotweed.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Bund/Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment method making use of 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 used 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.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment employed when there is enough space on site to make a cell burial or utilising a root barrier to avert the substantial expenses 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 threat of cross-boundary contamination. Again, a method most often used on development sites when construction work has to start quickly.

Knotweed Haverfordwest Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and fast control alternative which has its advantages for development sites if done correctly, nonetheless, a lot of Knotweeds Industry Experts are not advocates of it simply because it raises substantial logistical complications. The challenges being it comes with a higher than normal chance of the Knotweed spreading and also the cost to securely transport the material to a designated landfill site. There is also a considerable duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990. In summary Excavation & Removal should only be used as an absolute last resort.

Is Knotweed Harmful to Dogs, Cats and Humans?

In simple terms, Japanese Knotweed isn’t poisonous and harmful to dogs, cats, humans or any other animals like some other very invasive plants. It’s not harmful to touch, however, always employ extreme care when near it to avoid unintentionally allowing it to spread.

Japanese Knotweed could possibly be known as ‘poisonous’ by developers and property owners due to its highly invasive growth, ability to spread from a tiny particle left and just how difficult it is to remove entirely.

Knotweed Myths (some of which are exploited 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 sufficient standard then Knotweed is not going to grow ‘through solid concrete’, it does not 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, entirely untrue.

Nonetheless, in certain situations, if your foundations or concrete are old, poorly constructed and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will unquestionably manipulate any weak spot in its search for light and water and will rapidly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the initial fracture and potentially cause the structure to disintegrate.

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists covers Haverfordwest and the whole of South Wales (including 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 & Birmingham areas.

We are a fully qualified Japanese Knotweed Certificated Surveyor (JKCS) and we are a family run business. We specialise in managing 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 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

While there are many contractors who operate within the United Kingdom weed control industry who are respectable, knowledgeable and thorough specialists, unfortunately, there are still a lot of companies who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/ ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at a low cost. Nevertheless, we would recommend anyone to exercise caution and to ensure the service provider or business you enlist to undertake the control programme are qualified to do this and that they comply with the industry codes of practice.

Give us a call on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 if you think you have or may have Japanese Knotweed Haverfordwest and one of our experts can answer any queries you might have and arrange a full site visit.