Get Plotted!

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

Do you live near a stand of Japanese Knotweed? Do any of your clients have Japanese Knotweed adjacent to their property?

Have you noticed how quickly it spreads?

Have you ever wondered what would happen if it grew through your boundary fence, came up on your drive or worst case scenario grew through your floor in your house or office!

In these difficult times, surveyors who note a Japanese Knotweed infestation when carrying out a valuation - may reduce the value of the property based on the cost implication of eradication and removal…often £££ thousands of pounds.

If you have to re-mortgage or use your property as a guarantee against borrowings it is essential that Japanese Knotweed problems do not reduce the value of your property.

The best way to fight back against the problem weeds is to have evidence!

Prove where the plant originated from and you can claim for damages and get your costs back.

The first question that is always asked in legal circles is ’where did the plant originate from?’ It is at this point that everyone points the finger at each other and blames the adjacent landowner.

So give Japanese Knotweed Solutions a call and get plotted! Have a detailed drawing produced which highlights where the infestation is - the drawing will be updated every year showing where your problems originated from giving clear undisputable evidence that will save you £££ and a serious headache!

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Domestic Bliss at Last?!

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Struggling with Japanese Knotweed on your property? Don’t know who do you turn to?

Check out www.Japaneseknotweeddomestic.com It doesn’t have all the answers but will certainly point you in the right direction.

Domestic issues are going to become more of an issue as people struggle to sell their property, astute buyers will use any excuse to beat down the price. If you have an established stand of Japanese Knotweed on your property it is going to cause you a problem.

Home Information Packs completed by any competent surveyor will advise buyers of issues relating to invasive weeds which will be enough to deter already nervous mortgage providers.

Act now and resolve the problems before they cause a headache.

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Natural Enemies to be introduced to halt spread of Japanese Knotweed

Monday, October 13th, 2008

Hold on, hold on; lets just think about this!

Latest news report issued by the BBC suggests that ‘Predators could be superweed fix’ (BBC News Science and Environment 13^th October) highlighting the potential release of natural predators from Japan to control the spread of Japanese Knotweed.

Hang on though…do they kill Japanese Knotweed? - NO
Do they defoliate Japanese Knotweed (remove the leaves of the plant) - YES
What’s the best way to kill Japanese Knotweed - foliar applied herbicides - so if the plant hasn’t got any leaves how are you going to kill it!!!! 

The answer is - you cant!

Therefore… if you are trying to develop land your only option would be to physically remove the plant by excavation. And thanks to Gordon Brown having removed Landfill Tax exemption - your current estimated cost for 1 square metre of Japanese Knotweed surface growth (by the time you have removed its roots which extend 7 metres beyond surface growth and 2/3 metres deep) is £50,000.00.

Hmmm maybe this isn’t such a good idea!!

If you want to deal with Japanese Knotweeds most effective natural enemy - call Japanese Knotweed Solutions 0161 723 2000

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Hot, Wet and Wild

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

If any of you are wondering what loves this weather, you’ve guessed it; Japanese Knotweed!

If its warm and wet, or even hot and wet - it just goes wild! (sorry those of you expecting something more raunchy!)

Japanese Knotweed thrives in our current UK climate and continues to spread at a rapid rate. Ten years ago the Environment Agency thought they could kill Japanese Knotweed in the UK now they say they can’t even manage to control its spread.

Every time you see floods on the television (or in your back garden) check for fragments of Japanese Knotweed. Latest photographs of flooding in Yorkshire had huge blocks of JK floating in the river margins - which will simply root and re-grow next season.

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about in the current economic climate!

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So invasive weeds? Getting a little ‘old hat’ a little ‘last years news’?

Monday, September 1st, 2008

I have been writing and talking about invasive weeds for seventeen years now and quite honestly at times I feel like a broken record!

Since its introduction to the UK in 1820 JK has proven time and again its ability to massively challenge the British Countryside – I often drive through scenic Derbyshire or Cheshire and make note of new Knotweed infestations, photograph them and send a letter to the local authority (Mr Angry!) – pointing out that it is far easier to kill newly established knotweed than to allow it to establish…

I am yet to get any response as my letters fall on deaf ears…(latest letters have gone to Bakewell, Glossop and Knutsford)

We have looked toward the EA for guidance and leadership with regards invasive weeds, unfortunately this has proved sadly lacking..even on their own projects they still deal with JK and other invasives in a piecemeal fashion.

If you look at the current Code of Practice the EA states that it is: ‘their job to look after your environment and make it a better place – for you, and for future generations’

With reference invasive weeds I would charge them with a massive failure to perform!

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Japanese Knotweed – We Can Kill it Instantly!

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

So what do you believe?

Is it three to five years as quoted in the Environment Agency guidelines…? Or three years…or 12 months…or could it be 3 months or is it three weeks or could it be INSTANT DESTRUCTION!!

The truth is, it is NONE of the above! It depends on so many factors that it is impossible to predict with any degree of accuracy…THAT’S WHY IT’S SUCH A PROBLEM…!

Anybody that tells you any different is wrong.

There are companies out there who are making some very time specific promises as to what can and can’t be achieved in set timescales. They are lying. Sorry; it’s as simple as that. How can anyone promise to deliver a clean site within weeks of chemical spraying when it could rain for each of those weeks? How can anyone promise a clean site in weeks when they haven’t even seen the site…! Tiny fragments of Japanese Knotweed can lay dormant in the ground for months and even years only to re-grow when climate conditions change or they are subject to disturbance…(or due to factors that we are yet to understand!)

Think of it this way…Japanese Knotweed can survive an active volcano. An active volcano is the most powerful force on earth. Do you really think a couple of blokes with a sprayer will kill it in a matter of weeks.

For expert advice and accurate timescales for eradication call Japanese Knotweed Solutions.

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Japanese Knotweed Kills UK Countryside

Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

I recently attended a sponsor’s day organised by the Wild Trout Trust on the Haddon Estate. The day was arranged to launch the Trout in the Town Initiative see www.wildtrout.org. One of the guest speakers made a bold statement that … ‘Himalayan balsam kills trout’ which I initially dismissed as  provocative words meant to get a reaction from the audience.

He then went on to explain that Himalayan balsam grows to the detrement of our native species, spreads unchecked along river banks and crowds out our native plants. Over winter the balsam dies back and with only shallow roots does not retain the river banks on which it thrives. Thus during times of flood river banks are eroded, silt blocks the flow of the river and ruins spawning beds – hence … ‘Himalayan balsam kills trout’.

This got me to thinking maybe a way to get people to sit up and take notice would be to describe the effects of Japanese Knotweed (JK) in a similar way … ‘Japanese Knotweed kills the British Countryside’.

Japanese Knotweed grows to the preclusion of all of our native species, nothing predates on Japanese Knotweed, nothing lives within Japanese Knotweed, nothing lives on Japanese Knotweed. Huge monoculture stands spreading at a phenomenal rate are already engulfing our beloved countryside.

Look in your garden, look in your road, look on your local river, look in any waste ground….get to know what it looks like…be a JK Spotter!

Stand up and be counted…do something…fight back…are you lost and don’t know what to do….?

Contact Japanese Knotweed Solutions for directions!

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Fighting Alien Species!

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

It may sound dramatic but its war out there!

A recent site description by a client included the following introduction: ‘…where there isn’t Japanese Knotweed there is Giant Hogweed, where there isn’t Giant Hogweed there is Himalayan balsam and anything that’s left is covered with Ragwort…’ . This wasn’t a site in the middle neglected countryside this was brown field land in the centre of London!

When describing ‘alien’ plants to clients one often jokingly describes Japanese Knotweed as being like a ‘triffid’ (for those of you too young to remember this was a 1951 John Wyndham horror book/TV show - about a man eating plant). The joky reference belies the serious nature of a Japanese Knotweed infestation which can have devastating effects on both development sites and on native flora and fauna.

Japanese Knotweed grows to the preclusion of all native species and causes serious damage to hard surfaces and building foundations. The fight is taken up by teams of qualified sprayers and environmentalists who armed with toxic chemicals spray and inject poisons into the alien plants.

It may not be star wars or even rocket science but unless the aliens are stopped dead in their tracks there will be little of our native countryside left to enjoy.

For a battle plan – speak to Mike Clough Commander in Chief – Alien busters – on 0161 723 2000

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Tough times, Creative solutions!

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

When you first come across a Japanese Knotweed infestation on a site that you have bought most clients are horrified at the potential cost implication and delays that can be caused.

We have often seen people turn a sickly shade of grey when told that a three year delay is inevitable or an off site removal bill running into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Chemical treatment is the most cost effective treatment option however this can take between three and five years of repeat spraying to achieve total eradication. The shortest timescales can be offered by off site removal of waste to a licensed facility however it is this option which is the most prohibitively expensive.

Some of the more recent additions to the ever growing list of Japanese Knotweed eradication companies offer untried solutions with tempting timescales, silly acronyms and cheap prices. However before accepting the lowest price, remember Japanese Knotweed would not be such a problem – if quick cheap solutions were available!

Strict legislation is in place to try and halt the spread of Japanese Knotweed and is the threat of legal action and heavy fines that ensures that developers must comply with the Environment Agency (EA) Code of Practice for Management and Eradication of Japanese Knotweed.

Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (JKSL) are more than aware of the current market conditions and have come up with a series of practical tried and tested solutions to keep projects on budget and timescales for development on track.

Keeping strictly within the EA Code of Practice JKSL will provide the most economic solution at the most competitive price to ensure that problem weeds do not put a stop to your development plans.

We have ways of making even the most difficult sites work and want you to benefit from our unmatched experience in this field.

Please speak to Mike Clough or Alex Dayes on 0161 723 2000

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How does Japanese Knotweed spread so rapidly?

Wednesday, June 25th, 2008

Japanese Knotweed doesn’t spread by seed – so how has it managed to get throughout the UK so readily and so rapidly?

Japanese Knotweed spreads by what are called ‘propagules’ this means that any part of the plant, whilst still alive, has the ability to generate new growth. The often repeated phrase … ‘a piece as small as a fingernail can re-grow into a new plant’ is an accurate description of the ability of JK to regenerate. The problems in the UK are mainly down to cross contamination – small fragments of the plant being transferred form site to site by unknowing users – tree removal, surface scrapes, trial boreholes, contaminated plant and machinery all have contributed to the massive spread of the plant.

For a simple method to ensure Japanese Knotweed doesn’t spread on to your property ring Japanese Knotweed Solutions and as about our ‘Clean Site Policy document’.

And just for fun, here’s a beaver damn made out of Japanese Knotweed:

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