Mike Clough's Japanese Knotweed blog

Where there’s blame – there’s a claim…

November 9th, 2011 by Mike Clough

Isn’t it funny how not everybody actually wants to get rid of their Japanese Knotweed?!

I have come across several examples recently where not only did our client not want their Knotweed treating – they seemed to want it to grow more vigorously…!

This appears to be a symptom of today’s society…people seem just to want a fast ‘buck’.

They aren’t interested in the growth of Japanese Knotweed or where it’s originated from – they just want to know – ‘who is to blame’ and ‘how much can I sue them for’.

Well it’s wrong, dammit.

I’m pretty sure that - as yet - nobody has planted Japanese Knotweed on purpose in a housing development. I’m also pretty sure that when problems appear it isn’t down to malpractice or bad construction – it’s down to ignorance.

House builders aren’t sat thinking that they will ‘get away’ with ignoring the Japanese Knotweed.

They have no bloody idea that Knotweed exists…

Now I’m not saying that this is good practice – but what I am saying is that if a builder holds up his hands and says – ‘sorry.. but we will sort the problem out’ – this should be acceptable…

…but no …in today’s litigious society this is not enough.

WE WANT COMPENSATION….is the cry…

For what exactly?

Let us sort the problem – your house ISN’T going to fall down.

Mike C

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Cedric Barton Clough

November 2nd, 2011 by Mike Clough

This is a quick blog to remember my dad.

Cedric passed away on the 13^th of October after a short illness, but his influence on me will carry on for the rest of my life.

My dad first introduced me to nature and environmental issues, we collected frogspawn and listened for the first cuckoo together. We looked out for cowslips and orchids and threw stones at magpies as well as chasing cats that were damaging nests.

We climbed Snowdon and Helvellyn and walked all over Kinder Scout together. He taught me the sounds of various birds and the identification of all of our native trees.

I’m pretty sure this is where my interest in invasive plants first came from and he shall be remembered every time I hear the weather forecast.

Thanks dad.

Cedric Barton Clough 06-02-1931 to 13-10-2011

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Sorry…

November 1st, 2011 by Mike Clough

Occasionally I have a go at one or two companies in the invasive weed control market, I don’t really mean anything by it – it’s just a bit of banter. Occasionally I go on about warranties and occasionally I go on about some of the wheeling and dealing that goes on.

And occasionally I go too far.

So in this instance I apologise to the parties I upset.

Mike C

Posted in JKSL, Warranty
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Let’s all stop Paying the Inland Revenue – it makes sense and ££££££££££

October 26th, 2011 by Mike Clough

I have just been reading about one of our competitors who owed the Inland Revenue over a million pounds.

A million pounds.

A…million…pounds

So you’re thinking that they would be forced into Liquidation?….. Naah.

They managed to get a CVA (Creditors Voluntary Arrangement) – some sort of deal whereby they were allowed to carry on trading to allow them to try and pay back a percentage of the money owed.

They didn’t stick to this agreement.

So you’re thinking they would be forced into Liquidation?….. Naah.

They managed to get another arrangement.

…and then they just get to carry on trading as if nothing ever happened.

Oh and by the way – the owner is away on holiday for a two week break – he’s a bit stressed.

So dear reader – how come I get hassled and threatened by the Revenue if I am a day late with the PAYE?

How come I get threatened with having my possessions impounded if Im late with the VAT…?

I’m beginning to think maybe I’m the bigger idiot.

So well done to the company in question…

Little question for him though…

Surely if we all did this – wouldn’t the Country just stop running?

Mike C

Posted in Miscellaneous
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Coming to America….

October 19th, 2011 by Mike Clough

In an effort to take over the world… Mike Clough will be Keynote speaker at two conferences in America next year!

Yes really – America – USA

It appears that the problems we have in the UK are issues which other countries have also been experiencing. It also appears that the UK are seen as being creative in the field of eradicating some of these problem plants – and are obviously ahead of other countries when it comes to bio-control….

So I shall be hitting the road/sky/Greyhound in March of 2012 with my trusty laptop and memory sticks…and my cue cards.

As I am writing this I’m wondering whether I actually have become an invasive species? Turning up where I’m not wanted and out staying my welcome…?

If anyone would like to see the ‘America 2012 Tour’ we will be producing a video/DVD with footage of the highlights - sales are expected to be non-existent …so don’t bother pre ordering!

Mike C

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Frankfurt Motor Show

October 12th, 2011 by Mike Clough

For those of you that think Mike Cloughs life is easy – let me put you straight – going to the Frankfurt Motor Show and back in a day was hard work.

I have a love of cars. I don’t hide it – I currently drive a Porsche GT3 RS – it’s something I have always wanted, I work hard, I bought one.

I have always lived my life along the lines that when you are on your death bed – it won’t be the things that you did …that you regret – it will be the things that you DIDN’T.

So…what the hell does this have to do with Japanese Knotweed.

Well….it comes back to my blog of a few weeks ago comparing Porsche cars with Ford cars.

At the Frankfurt show there were lots of different car makers showing their best vehicles and their most extravagant models. There were companies that had dancing girls. There were companies that had so many give always that you needed a trolley to carry them all in…. (Skoda actually gave you a trolley as well)

But Porsche gave nothing away.

Porsche hadn’t got any dancing girls.

Porsche had a great product simply displayed…

I’m thinking maybe the companies that shout and make a fuss are generally the ones that have a weak product.

The product should be able to stand on its own merits and its history.

Check our history, check the projects successfully completed, check our testimonials.

We may not have won Le Mans – but as far as performance goes – we are the Porsche of the Japanese Knotweed Industry.

Mike C

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My God, I’ve never seen one so BIG

October 5th, 2011 by Mike Clough

Obviously I’m used to hearing this phrase – being a ‘man of the world’….but I actually found myself SAYING the phrase myself yesterday. I was of course talking about a stand of Japanese Knotweed in Swansea.

I had been invited down to Wales by a surveying company to give a CPD presentation on the wonderful weed and had stayed overnight in the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff. I then travelled from Cardiff to Swansea along the motorway.

My God.

I have been dealing with JK for some time now (circa 20 years) but have never seen so much of the stuff.

On the motorway central reservation, on the slip roads, in gardens, in schools, in the hospital, in the leisure centre, in the verges….bloody everywhere… Including the car park of the surveying company!

I started to worry that the surveyors would be a team of experts with highly technical questions – but no – the first person I spoke to had no idea what JK even looked like …let alone that the car park was full of it!

…and this dear reader is the problem we all face.

If surveyors don’t know what it looks like and the Local Authority don’t know what it looks like – then how the hell are we ever going to get it under control?

Mike C

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Invasive Non Native – what the hell does that mean…?

September 28th, 2011 by Mike Clough

What is an Invasive Non Native plant you may well ask? Well, an invasive plant can be described as a non-native plant (i.e. it doesn’t naturally occur within the area it is now growing) that has been introduced either intentionally or accidentally from other areas and is harmful to the environment, economy, animal or human health.

They will reproduce aggressively and displace the naturally occurring plant life.

This may not sound particularly problematic – what’s the big deal?

These plants can affect human and animal health and harm other plants that are important to the local ecosystem – can harm crops – and can have a devastating effect on property values.

Steps need to be taken to keep these plants form causing problems so that local ecosystems can start to flourish once again – without the danger of these aggressive plants.

This requires you – yes you - dear reader….to spot and report these plants to your local council. Our native species cannot speak for themselves they need a voice in the local community to look out for their wellbeing.

Learn to know what’s ‘native’.

Learn to know what’s ‘not’.

Complain – report it.

Mike C

Posted in Invasive Weeds Info
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Have you left it too late?

September 21st, 2011 by Mike Clough

We here at Japanese Knotweed Solutions spend all year dealing with awkward plants, so we always say… ‘whatever the time of year – it’s always a good time to deal with your Invasive Weed problems’.

However – if pushed for the most ‘effective’ time of year to deal with these plants yourselves then late Summer and early Autumn are the best times of year to control Japanese Knotweed.

To have the most effective control, apply herbicides when the plants are not under stress. If the plants are already stressed they will not absorb the herbicide quite as well and you may not get the results that you are looking for. Believe it or not, many stands of Japanese Knotweed this year have suffered from drought stress – therefore applying herbicides after a good afternoon shower can be an ideal time to achieve maximum uptake of poison.

Japanese Knotweed starts to use more of its energy stored in its rhizome in late Summer and early Autumn so the herbicides are transported to the roots quicker – giving better results for your application. Apply the herbicide before the leaves start to show any colour change. If the plants are turning yellow or brown and are displaying Autumn colours then the uptake will be less effective.

For Japanese Knotweed herbicides with the active ingredient Glyphosate are the most effective. Glyphosate is a non-selective herbicide – killing or damaging all plants that it comes into contact with. It is absorbed by the leaves and freshly cut plant stems but has no soil activity – so it is not absorbed by the roots.

Ready to use products requiring no mixing are available form garden centres – these have lower percentage ‘active’ ingredients than professional products – but can be effective if you persevere.

Mike C

Posted in Invasive Weeds Info, JKSL
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We have a www.web site – www.we must be experts then…

September 14th, 2011 by Mike Clough

Yeah right. Most of them are just www.w***ers.

If you are talking to one of our competitors – ask them where they first came across Japanese Knotweed. Most of them – if they are honest –should tell you that they went on our website. Most of them copied the text from our website, half of them copied the photographs – and some of them even copied the testimonials (nice one Dan and Dave – you know who you are)…

So really you are talking to one of these people – they haven’t got a clue…unless it’s a borrowed/copied clue.

I will be honest here – when I first came across Japanese Knotweed some fifteen years ago – I didn’t know what it was either.

The difference between me and our competitors is that I didn’t then go and look at someone else’s website (there weren’t any for a start!). I had to do some genuine research. I had to look at plant taxonomy, I had to look at dust covered books and talk to various ‘experts’ in the field of plant identification. I then began to do my own research and set up my own little greenhouse of unusual plants that I couldn’t recognise.

I created a website.

I started to write articles.

I started a company called Japanese Knotweed Solutions.

I travelled the country talking about Japanese Knotweed.

I held seminars.

I talked to more experts.

I’m a bloody expert.

I didn’t copy anything.

If you want the genuine article – speak to us. …speak to the experts.

If you just want a cheap photocopy….then ring someone else …

Mike C

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