Many of us at this time of the year are keeping a keen eye on our gardens. We are  monitoring the growth of our plants, inspecting the glory of our colourful blooms – and keeping a lookout for any unsightly weeds that might decide to take root and spoil our wonderful garden splendour.

One such unwanted plant, one that people around the country have been trying to keep out of their gardens for quite a while now, is Japanese knotweed. This tough yet attractive species was brought into the UK in the 1800s as something of a curiosity, but nowadays, no-one wants it and it has become roundly despised.

Japanese Knotweed

Why? Because Japanese knotweed is an incredibly fast grower. During peak growing season, in the summer, it can shoot up by as much as 20 centimetres in a day. That’s a lot of plant to deal with over the course of a summer. Soon, your entire garden and even property could be overwhelmed if it’s not properly dealt with. There’s even the risk of structural damage to homes. Who knew a humble plant could be so voracious and destructive?

A DIY Botch Job?

Lots of avid gardeners will naturally try and get rid of encroaching Japanese knotweed themselves, if they can. The problem is: it’s incredibly hard to eradicate and many people end up having to call in Japanese knotweed specialists to remove it from a site. This is because Japanese knotweed grows from what are known as rhizomes, which is a large network of roots that go deep into the ground. Even if you try dig it all out yourself, there’s a good chance you will leave some in the soil and they will start send out shoots all over again.

So what is the best way to deal with Japanese knotweed, to finally eradicate it from a garden and ensure it doesn’t come back? When Japanese knotweed specialists are called in, they will first appraise the scale of the problem and then work out what the best solution is. This can be just a treatment with herbicides, a full dig-out, or a combination of the two.

The best Japanese knotweed specialists operating in the UK today will provide a guarantee — usually lasting around a decade — that once the weed is removed from a site, it will not come back, but if it does, further work will be covered. This is especially important for homeowners who are considering selling their house, or those looking to buy one and get a mortgage.

Japanese Knotweed Specialists: Not a Hard Sell

The presence of Japanese knotweed on a property or even nearby may make it hard to sell. In fact, mortgage providers will not approve a loan unless Japanese knotweed specialists are brought in and carry out removal and eradication work that is guaranteed to last at least 10 years.

Additionally, it’s worth bearing in mind that while it is not illegal to have Japanese knotweed on your property, it is against the law to let it spread, including to neighbours’ land and homes and there are some serious legal implications if Knotweed from your property spreads to another legal implications if Knotweed from your property spreads to another. This is also the case when dealing with infested soil that you may have dug up from your property and dumped elsewhere. It could well start to grow again wherever it ends up.

So the main message is: if you suspect you may have Japanese knotweed on your property, take immediate action before it becomes a headache. Call Japanese knotweed specialists and get rid of it the right way. The value of your home will be optimised and you’ll have the peace of mind you need to get back to enjoying the grandeur of your garden once more.