My dream garden
I have always felt really lucky and rather blessed to have a garden I can call my own. Growing up we had a just a teeny tiny concrete backyard with a little tiny area of the garden. Mum filled it with flowers and we had hanging baskets and window boxes juts everywhere. But oh, how envious was I of friends who had grass, big gardens to play and hide in and an abundance of flowers. Some even had room for a swing. how fabulous.
One of the main criteria when choosing our first home in which to raise a family was that I wanted a garden for me to relax in and for my children to play in. I dreamt of homegrown veg and that elusive swing.
I never anticipated for a minute quite how much work a garden could be.
I was in for a bit of a shock. Especially when it came to managing weeds! I had no clue!
Pesky weeds
What do you know about Japanese knotweed? Is this something that you have run into?
It is one really problematic weed.
I don’t know about you but I have done major battles with bindweed in the past which winds its nasty self around my flowers and is so tricky to get rid of. Japanese knotweed, however, is in a different league. Here is what you need to know about what it is and about how to get rid of it?
What is Japanese knotweed
It’s a bit of a nightmare that’s what it is!
As you may know, Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive non-native species and it’s been causing havoc all around the UK, and wiping billions of pounds off the value of properties. If it’s in a garden and allowed to spread to neighbouring properties, you can be given an ASBO. And there are stiff penalties for improperly disposing of it in the wild. It’s incredibly difficult to get rid of on your own, though, due to its extensive root system, and usually, a specialist Japanese knotweed eradication firm is required to remove it completely from an infected site. Also, it’s almost impossible to sell a house, or get a mortgage for one, if the weed is growing on the property.
Japanese knotweed removal is essential and you have 2 different options. You can look into chemical removal or you can consider physical removal. If you are going to go own the chemical route than you will need time to be on your side- at least one growing seasons with for the impact of the chemical to fully work. It can take up to 3 years to complete chemical removal
If time is not on your side you will need to go down the physical removal route, this involves the excavation of all infested soil under expert supervision and then very careful disposal of it.
Many people try DIY treatments and think they have nailed it but ultimately it comes back and is subsequently even harder for specialists to get rid of. It is best left to the experts from the beginning before it takes even further hold of your property and spreads even more.
What if we don’t treat it?
If you don’t treat it then mortgage lenders can refuse lending on your property. If not treated Japanese knotweed can cause damage to buildings, underground services and landscaped surface. In fact not treating it is just a huge headache and can lead to some serious and significant problems.
So now you know how to remove Japanese Knotweed – good luck with it!
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