Dos and don’ts for Japanese knotweed removal in Birmingham.
Birmingham is a hotspot for Japanese knotweed infestations. This problematic weed brought into the UK in the 1800s as a decorative plant is creeping into all kinds of properties and causing mayhem. It’s particularly difficult to deal with, but when left to grow out of control, it can threaten the structural integrity of properties.
It’s not surprising, then, that Japanese knotweed removal in Birmingham has become a big issue in recent times. The Environment Agency says this non-native species is “indisputably the UK’s most aggressive, destructive and invasive plant” and people all over the city have been engaged in battles with trying to get it off their properties — many times losing the war as the weed keeps on growing.
One Birmingham couple found last year that Japanese knotweed had encroached onto their council-owned property and grown so rapidly that it had swamped their sizeable garden, to such an extent that they weren’t able to enter it. Unfortunately, the couple were told by the council to cut down the weed and burn it, but this is advice that is not going to solve any Japanese knotweed infestation, as the roots will just send up new shoots.
Here’s what (and what not) to do with Japanese knotweed removal in Birmingham:
DO recognise that you’re dealing with the right weed. It can often be hard to figure out what kind of weeds you have in your garden, and this can be the case with Japanese knotweed. If at the start of the growing season, in spring, you see strangle little shoots that are red in colour pop out of the ground, you may be in trouble. Later, they will turn green and really shoot up. The weed’s leaves are almost heart-shaped and the plant has white flowers that appear during the summer. Another hint will be if you have a weed in the garden that’s growing incredibly fast, as Japanese knotweed can grow by as much as 20cm in a day.
DO realise that trying to kill off Japanese knotweed will not be an easy task. Many people try and fail to contain Japanese knotweed, and this can be after long periods spent battling the weed — cutting it down, spraying it with costly weed-killers and even trying to dig the entire plant structure out of the ground. Ultimately, all these efforts can come to nothing and the problem persists. So, if you’re going to carry out Japanese knotweed removal in Birmingham yourself, prepare for one almighty war.
DON’T use herbicides other than those you can get at your local garden centre. Any unlicensed weed-killers could cause harm or damage to other plants in your garden. They may not be permitted anyway, due to the risk of contamination of nearby water sources, so always use approved pesticides.
DON’T dispose of Japanese knotweed incorrectly if you’re planning on digging it out of the ground, as doing so can attract stiff penalties. The government only allows Japanese knotweed to be buried on people’s own land if it’s buried at a depth of at least five metres, is covered with a material that prevents that plant from growing up through it (such as a root barrier membrane layer) and if no other waste is buried with it.
If, after all of this, you still find yourself with the same old Japanese knotweed problems, it’s time to turn to the experts for help. Japanese knotweed eradication firms such as ourselves have access to powerful herbicides not available to the public, and these will stop the weed in its tracks. We can also carry out comprehensive dig-outs of infected sites so that nothing is left to start re-growing. That’s all your Japanese knotweed dilemmas solved at once.
Get the best assistance with Japanese knotweed removal in Birmingham today by contacting the professionals at Environet — the UK leader in Japanese knotweed extermination. You’ll benefit from the most modern methods of getting rid of this scourge of a weed and we’ll give you a solid, insurance-backed guarantee. Get in touch today and find out more.
