Japanese Knotweed Treatment Neath by Specialists – Green Leaf Remediation

Knotweed Treatment Neath. Have you got knotweed at your property?

Have you read somewhere how this will cost you £1,000’s?

Have you been told that it might it have an impact on your mortgage or potential to sell your house?

Please do not worry, Green Leaf Remediation provide expert services for the treatment and management of Knotweed in Neath, and be reassured this doesn’t cost as much as you may be thinking.

What is Japanese Knotweed?

Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that will grow and advances speedily if not managed. The weed suppresses all the other plants growing close to it from the crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below the ground. The shoots die off above ground in the wintertime and re-emerge above ground once again in late springtime and the early summer season. Any well-established shoots can grow in excess of 9ft high and may colonize the soil within a few years. There are many articles that say you can eliminate the roots with chemical substances, however, you’ll need an NPTC qualified person to make use of any chemical substances which is as a result of new legislation which covers the management and removal of Knotweed. There are plenty of myths that say it is possible to remove Knotweed by hand, however, it is an extremely hard and complicated procedure and in most cases, not successful unless you use a knotweed specialist. In the peak of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant is its roots below ground, so removal is extremely difficult and it spreads wildly from one tiny fragment of crown or rhizome. Removing Knotweed material without significant knowledge carries a very good probability of distributing the plant to other parts of the soil which were previously unaffected.

How do you remove Knotweed?

There are many different methods of eliminating Knotweed and a Knotweed Specialist will be able to give you advice of the best and most effective method.

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

Foliar Spray Application is frequently used and is probably the most favourable control method along with stem-injection. The process is used to treat the Knotweed over several growing seasons. Determined by the size of the area of Knotweed, it is usually sprayed 2-3 times in the first year and once in the following year. The chemical used is an Environment Agency approved herbicide and needs dry weather as well as the soil to remain undisturbed in following years in order for it to work.

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 does not kill or disturb the foliage encircling it, nevertheless, its use depends upon how big the area of knotweed is covering.

Bund/Stockpiling Method is a blended treatment 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 further herbicide application. This technique 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 beneficial to building plots and development sites as work can proceed at once.

Cell Burial/Root Barrier Method is a treatment employed when there is sufficient space on site to create a cell burial or utilising a root barrier to avoid the substantial 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, it is a method quite often suited for development sites when building work needs to start immediately.

Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and quick control option that has its advantages for development sites if done correctly, however, a great deal of Knotweeds Specialists aren’t advocates of it as it raises considerable logistical problems. The challenges being are 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. 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, humans or any other animals like some other extremely invasive plants can be. It’s not harmful to touch, however, always employ extreme care when close to avoid unintentionally allowing it to spread.

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

Some Knotweed Common Myths (many of which are exploited 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 carried out to a satisfactory standard then Knotweed will not grow ‘through solid concrete’, it doesn’t destabilise solid foundations and it is highly unlikely to ‘cause’ structural damage. Actually, these claims are deceptive, to say the least, and in many cases, totally untrue.

Having said that, in a few instances, if your foundations or concrete are old, poorly built and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will certainly make use of any weakness in its quest for light and water and can swiftly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the original fracture and potentially cause the structure to disintegrate.

About South Wales Knotweed

Green Leaf Remediation Specialists covers the whole of South Wales (including Neath, 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), 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 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 within 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 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 UK Weed Control Industry that are respectable, knowledgeable and thorough professionals, you can regrettably find many businesses who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to safely remove Japanese Knotweed at a low cost. Nonetheless, we would advise anyone to exercise caution and to ensure that the contractor/company you enlist to carry out the control programme are qualified to do this and they abide by the industry codes of practice.

To find out more about our Japanese Knotweed Treatment in Neath or the surrounding areas contact us on 01269 591651 or 07531142316 and one of our experts can answer any queries you might have and to arrange a site visit.