Mike Clough's Japanese Knotweed blog

Family Run & Owned, Daughter on reception!

July 31st, 2008 by Mike Clough

As the continued demand for the services of Japanese Knotweed Solutions continues to rise (even in these difficult times) a new voice is heard answering the phones!

Japanese Knotweed Solutions is wholly owned by Mike Clough with support form co-director Pam Clough and in true family tradition Jamie my eldest daughter will be on reception during Summer 2008 taking a break from studies at Manchester doing a Degree in Fine Art.

Anyone calling during this period please take pity on her…. the boss makes her work hard for very little money!…(and she has to brew up)

Posted in JKSL
1 Comment »

Science not Sales

July 15th, 2008 by Mike Clough

Japanese Knotweed Solutions Ltd (JKSL) does not employ salesmen, we don’t have a sales team and we don’t have sales meetings or even sales targets…

I set up Japanese Knotweed Solutions as a stand alone business having come from a background as a landscape architect. I had often come across Japanese Knotweed on site and been amazed at its ability to spread and survive standard weed control. Japanese Knotweed can lay dormant on site for years then suddenly re-grow through tarmac, concrete and often building foundations! Japanese Knotweed is extremely difficult to control – that is why there is such strict legislation in place and such heavy fines for those that ignore current legislation.

As demand for our services has grown I have expanded the business from the point of providing quality of service and a huge amount of experience in invasive weed management. Nobody at JKSL goes on a ‘sales course’, but everybody has to work in the field and get hands on experience in control and eradication of invasive weeds. Nobody gets to talk to our customers unless they have the experience to do so, and nobody will tell you something that isn’t true – just to get an order!

As such we come at this from the point of view of giving our customers the best and most viable answers to dealing with Japanese Knotweed without the need for salesmen or sales tactics.

Japanese Knotweed doesn’t conform to sales targets and doesn’t perform the same way on each and every job – that’s why we offer a ten year insurance backed warranty for peace of mind – and thats why we are the number one service provider for Japanese Knotweed eradication.

Don’t believe the sales hype – this is a complex and difficult plant to eradicate – not double glazing!

Posted in JKSL
No Comments »

Fighting Alien Species!

July 9th, 2008 by Mike Clough

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

Posted in Japanese Knotweed Info
No Comments »

Tough times, Creative solutions!

July 2nd, 2008 by Mike Clough

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

Posted in Japanese Knotweed Info
3 Comments »

How does Japanese Knotweed spread so rapidly?

June 25th, 2008 by Mike Clough

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:

Posted in Japanese Knotweed Info
1 Comment »

The Kill Point - Japanese Knotweed in the movies

June 12th, 2008 by Mike Clough

Finally Japanese Knotweed has made it to Hollywood. I am often asked is Japanese Knotweed a big problem in America?… well we now have the answer.

‘The Kill Point’ has recently been released on DVD having been a box office hit in America telling the story of a group of combat veterans carrying out a bank robbery. The plot covers out over 12 episodes and is reasonably suspenseful, managing to keep the tension through a series of unexpected twists and turns. However the most exciting scenes by far (for me anyway)…are played out in the finale which is set in a disused railway siding with gunplay amongst masses of Japanese Knotweed!!

Anybody wishing to borrow the DVD contact Mike Clough.

Posted in Miscellaneous
No Comments »

World’s most boring man?

June 6th, 2008 by Mike Clough

Having traveled the country holidaying with my family I have gained the nickname of ‘Worlds Most Boring Man…!’ How can this be you must be asking?

Whilst holidaying in Scotland with family we stayed on the banks of Loch Lomond in a small country park – full of Japanese Knotweed! I ended up spending the week advising local land owners how to deal with the problem.

Whilst holidaying in Portmeirion in Wales I noticed Japanese Knotweed growing in the ornamental flower beds and flagged the problem up to the gardening team.

When staying at the Hotel du Vin in Winchester recently I noticed that the car park had a serious Japanese Knotweed infestation – again I ended up advising the garden team how to eradicate the plant…

Wherever I travel through the UK Japanese Knotweed continues to spread unchecked. It would appear that ignorance is the plants greatest friend with the general public still appearing unconcerned by this alien invader in their midst.

I have taken the step of contacting land owners whenever I spot a newly established stand of japanese knotweed and am hoping that others will follow this example.

PS My family no longer holiday with me!

Posted in Japanese Knotweed Info, Miscellaneous
1 Comment »

Invasive Weeds – Why should I care?

May 29th, 2008 by Mike Clough

Ever been for a river side walk and enjoyed the flowing water, the scenery, the bluebells, the insect and bird life? Well make the most of it, if Japanese Knotweed carries on spreading at its current rate you wont be able to enjoy the experience for much longer!

JK spreads at a phenomenal rate spreading 7m in all directions per growing season. On local rivers adjacent to our Manchester office you can watch as native flora and fauna disappear under the onslaught of Japanese Knotweed and Giant Hogweed. See Japanese Knotweed on the River Irlam in and around central Manchester, the Giant Hogweed in the frontage of The Lowry Hotel, Giant Hogweed in the Asda car park in Radcliffe!

Please log on and advise of any local infestations and the damage they are causing.

Posted in Invasive Weeds Info, Japanese Knotweed Info
4 Comments »

Invasive weeds - who is in control?

May 22nd, 2008 by Mike Clough

Who should you look to for advice about invasive weed problems? A fairly simple question but without straightforward answers:

The obvious answer to who should you look to for advice must be the Environment Agency (EA) – however the Agency’s main remit is flood control and water management: they do not have the funding to allocate huge resource to Invasive Weed Control.

It is a common misconception that if you spot or have Japanese Knotweed (JK) on site you must report it to the EA, this is incorrect. Yes the EA will give you a copy of their Code of Practice and yes they will give advice if you get hold of the right person BUT there is no centralised reporting strategy which gives clear coherent advice on exactly what you should do.

Currently it is not an offence to have JK within your site boundary and nobody can make you do anything about it. It is only when the japanese knotweed grows beyond a site boundary in to adjacent property that the law becomes an issue.

Changes need to be made if ever we are going to control the on going spread of Invasive weeds – those changes need to be lead by the EA who need additional funding and additional power, and supported by established and experienced companies such as Japanese Knotweed Solutions.

Posted in Invasive Weeds Info, Japanese Knotweed Info
No Comments »

The budget has changed a lot

May 8th, 2008 by Mike Clough

The Government published a consultation paper early in 2008 announcing changes to be made in the 2008 Budget regarding land remediation and in particular to Japanese Knotweed.

More information on this can be found in the news article but here are my thoughts on what it means to you:

• No longer will you have a landfill tax exemption for Japanese Knotweed – the deadline for this is the 30th November for applications…but
• Any work carried out by JKSL will now benefit from 150% land remediation tax relief!
• Anybody wishing to take JK contaminated material to Landfill needs to take careful note of the above and discuss with Mike Clough at JKSL.

Posted in Japanese Knotweed Tax
1 Comment »