Japanese Knotweed Radstock Treatment & Control by Specialists

– Green Leaf Remediation & Removal Services

Do you have knotweed at your property or home? Are you reading on the internet how this will probably cost you a lot of money? Are you worried it could have an effect on your mortgage or ability to sell your property? Please don’t worry! Green Leaf Remediation & Removal provides expert services for the treatment and control of Knotweed in Radstock and be rest assured it doesn’t cost as much as you might think.

Knotweed Radstock Facts

1. Japanese Knotweed is a perennial weed that will grow and spreads rather quickly if not controlled
2. The weed suppresses other plant life growing around it from its crown and rhizomes (root system) that spread extensively below the ground
3. The shoots die out above ground in the wintertime and re-emerge above ground once more at the end of springtime, early summer
4. Any established shoots can grow in excess of 9ft high and can often colonize the soil around it within a few years
5. There are plenty of articles that say you could eliminate the roots with chemicals, however, you will need an NPTC qualified person to make use of any chemicals resulting from new legislation which covers the management, and removal of Knotweed
6. There are numerous misconceptions that say you can remove Knotweed yourself, however, it is really an extremely hard and intricate process and usually, not successful unless you employ a knotweed specialist
7. In the height of the growing season, 60% of the Knotweed plant roots are below ground so removal is very difficult
8. It spreads wildly from one extremely tiny fragment of crown or rhizome
9. Removing Knotweed material without having extensive knowledge carries a very good risk of dispersing the plant to other regions of the soil that have been previously unaffected.
10. You can be prosecuted under UK law if you allow Knotweed to spread from your property, onto another or into the wild
11. There have been cases in the last 10 years and increasingly so where people have been fined £1000’s as a result of not managing the Knotweed on their property effectively and allowing it to spread

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How do you Control & Remove Knotweed?

There are several methods of removing Knotweed and a Knotweed Expert like Green Leaf Remediation & Removal will be able to advise you of the best and most effective method for your property or land.

Stem-Injection is a low impact approach to removal and there is little chance of disturbing or killing the plants growing close to it. The stem injection technique is normally used for smaller sized areas of Knotweed where it has established itself between plants and vegetation that you want to maintain. Additionally, it is a method typically applied when Knotweed is close to a watercourse. The stem injection technique may be used in dry or inclement weather conditions and the soil cannot be disturbed following a treatment.

Foliar Spray Application is frequently used and is one of the most favourable control strategies as well as stem injection. The process is used to treat the Knotweed over numerous growing seasons. Determined by the size of the area of Knotweed 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 needs dry weather conditions and the soil to remain undisturbed in the following years to be effective.

Weed Wiping Method is when the leaves of the plant are wiped with a sponge that is soaked with the required herbicide. It is a low impact treatment method and does not kill or disturb the foliage adjoining it, however, it can only be used on smaller areas of knotweed.

Bund / Stockpiling Method is a combined treatment method using stem injection or foliar application, the knotweed is then dug up and the underground material is removed and taken to a different location where the emergence of ‘new shoots’ can be subjected to further herbicide application. This method is used on sites where you need the removal of the knotweed to be quick and not done over several seasons so is consequently specifically good for building plots of land and development sites as work can proceed at once.

Cell Burial / Root Barrier Method is a treatment applied when there is 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 inside 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 threat of cross-boundary contamination. Again, an approach generally suited for development sites when construction work has to start promptly.

Excavation & Removal Off-Site is a legitimate and swift control alternative which has its advantages for development sites if done correctly, having said that, a lot of Knotweeds Industry Professionals are not advocates of it as it raises considerable logistical problems. The challenge being there is a higher than normal chance of the Knotweed spreading along with the cost of safely transporting the material to a designated landfill site. There is also a substantial duty of care requirements under the Environmental Protection Act( EPA) 1990. To conclude Excavation & Removal should only be used as an absolute final option.

We would advise that only a qualified expert like west Country Knotweed uses these methods of control and removal as they have the experience and know ho to effectively manage it and ensure the right legal processes are followed.

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Is Knotweed Poisonous to Dogs, Cats and People?

In simple terms, Japanese Knotweed is not poisonous and harmful to dogs, cats, humans or any other animals like some other highly invasive plants. It is not harmful to touch, however, always employ extreme care when in close proximity to it to prevent unintentionally allowing it to spread.

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Knotweed Myths

Japanese Knotweed would probably be referred to as ‘poisonous’ by developers and homeowners due to the extremely invasive growth, ability to spread from a tiny particle left and just how difficult it is to eliminate fully.

Some Knotweed Myths (several of which are taken advantage of by a few 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

In simple terms, 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 inaccurate, to say the least, and perhaps, entirely false.

However, in certain situations, if the foundations or concrete are old, inadequately constructed and have pre-existing cracks or fractures within, then Knotweed will unquestionably take advantage of any weak spot in its search for light and water and will definitely swiftly establish itself, whilst exacerbating the original fracture and possibly cause the structure to disintegrate.

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About Green Leaf Remediation & Removal

Green Leaf Remediation Radstock Removal Specialists cover the whole of Radstock, Bristol and the South West. 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) and a family run business that cares about our customers and the environment. We specialise in controlling Japanese Knotweed, other invasive plant varieties and ‘general nuisance weeds’ that are found in the UK for residential premises and land development sites.

We also offer tree services, such as pollarding, crowning, pruning, and felling, through our NPTC chainsaw operators, all of whom possess a vast amount of practical experience within the forestry industry.

Green Leaf Remediation Radstock Qualifications & Accreditations

1. City & Guilds NPTC Level 2
2. Principles of Safe Handling & Application of Pesticides (PA1/PA6)
3. Principles of Safe Handling & Application of Pesticides near water (PA6AW)
4. Herbicide Stem Injection
5. Members of the Property Care Association (PCA)
6. The Control & Eradication of Japanese Knotweed Surveyor’s Training Course
7. Qualified Technician (PCAQT) in Japanese Knotweed
8. Accredited Surveyor in Japanese Knotweed

There are many companies in the UK that operate effectively in the weed control industry who are respectable, knowledgeable and thorough professionals, however, there are regrettably lots of businesses who claim to have the experience, qualifications and accreditations to ‘eradicate’/ ‘eliminate’ Japanese Knotweed at low cost. We would recommend anyone to exercise caution and to make sure that the contractor/ business you enlist to undertake the control programme is qualified to do this and they comply with the industry codes of practice.

If you think you may have Japanese Knotweed Radstock, call us on 0117 321 7799 or 07531142316 and one of our experts can answer any queries you have and can arrange a free no-obligation site visit.