Please don’t panic if you think you’ve got knotweed but... ‘who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters!’, well not quite, but Japanese Knotweed Ltd will help you solve all your knotweed problems!
As the evenings are drawing in and days and nights get colder it’s the time of Halloween. The loved or loathed tradition of trick-or-treating may come-a-knocking at your door but you will already have been dealt a trick of nature if you have Japanese knotweed on or near your property. The presence of knotweed can restrict the use of your garden, possibly present structural risk and will devalue your property.
The first most important step is to accurately identify if you are affected by Japanese knotweed. Your garden is going through a change with many shrubs dying off and trees losing their leaves as these plants go into winter dormancy. Japanese knotweed is doing the same and its leaves will be going from the summer green to yellow and brown before falling off leaving drying brown stems.
What do you need to know about Japanese knotweed?
- Is Japanese knotweed reportable?
No, you don’t need to report it to your local council.
- Is it illegal to have Japanese knotweed on my property?
No it’s not. There is an evolving use of Criminal Prosecution Notices (CPN) under the Criminal Justice Act (ASBO) 2014, which is forcing landowners to deal with invasive plants within their ownership. Find out more about Japanese Knotweed & the Law, here
- Why is Japanese knotweed a problem?
If Japanese knotweed grows close to a property building, retaining/garden wall, fence or garden building, the underground roots and rhizomes can damage these structures as they exploit the cracks/mortar joints and weaknesses. The pressure exerted by the expanding rhizomes will result in damage. It will push up through tarmac car parks and drives and paved areas.
In their search for moisture, Japanese knotweed roots and rhizomes can interfere with drainage pipes and other structures, blocking and sometimes lifting pipework and clogging sumps and drainage pits. Other underground infrastructures are at risk, such as cabling and water pipes.
There are cases where the presence of Japanese knotweed within a property boundary or close to it has caused a decrease in value of the property as the presence of knotweed can make the property less attractive to prospective buyers and diminishing its likelihood of being accepted by lenders as security.
- Will mortgage lenders lend on properties affected by Japanese Knotweed?
This very much depends on the lender but most of them will lend if the property affected by Japanese knotweed has a Knotweed Management Plan (KMP) in place provided by a PCA accredited Japanese knotweed eradication company or that the knotweed has been excavated with provision of a guarantee.
- Can I treat Japanese knotweed myself?
Although it is possible to treat or excavate the knotweed yourself you have to bear in mind that if you are looking to sell or re-mortgage your property then the mortgage lender will want a recognised Japanese knotweed contractor to document the work and have appropriate guarantees in place. Therefore DIY knotweed treatment or excavation is probably not recognized by mortgage lenders so they will not lend or re-mortgage the property until a specialist company is involved.
- I’m not re-mortgaging or buying a house. Can I just dig Japanese knotweed out?
Yes you can. However, Japanese knotweed is classed as “controlled waste” and the plant material or soils containing the plants roots and rhizome if removed from site need to be taken away to a specialist licensed landfill site. We offer a service where we dispose of your Japanese knotweed waste in accordance to the law. Find out more about this service here.
- Can I put it in my garden waste for collection or take it to the tip?
No you can’t. By doing so, you will be breaking the law. All Japanese knotweed waste must be disposed by transferring to a disposal facility that’s permitted (a landfill site that has the right environmental permit). We offer a service where we dispose of your Japanese knotweed waste in accordance to the law. Find out more about this service here.
Japanese Knotweed Ltd is a leading Japanese knotweed removal company in the UK with a proven track record in working successfully for local authorities, developers, construction companies and private landowners.
Our highly knowledgeable and skilled staff provide a comprehensive service and are committed to providing the highest level of customer care.
We provide Surveys and Knotweed Management Plans, including for long term chemical treatment, guarantees and immediate excavation options. Our remedial methods are tailored to each site and provide sensible and efficient eradication solutions to meet all requirements.