Your Local Japanese Knotweed Specialists
Leeds, Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Sheffield, Barnsley, Doncaster & Across Yorkshire!
What is Japanese Knotweed?
Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a non-native invasive species of plant. Since it was introduced into the UK as an ornamental garden plant in the mid-nineteenth century it has spread across the UK, particularly along watercourses, transport routes and infested waste areas.
The plant can grow up three metres in one growing season, usually April to September. The stems are similar to bamboo and form dense thickets that persist when dead long in to winter. The plant has small white flowers that bloom in late summer and produce small triangular seeds that are dark brown in colour. The extensive underground rhizomes produce the new shoots the following spring, this is the main reason why Japanese Knotweed spreads, and as such, any soil that is contaminated with its rhizomes must be disposed of appropriately and is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to not to do so.
The Problems Japanese Knotweed Causes?
Specific problems caused by Japanese knotweed are:
Damage to paving and tarmac areas
Damage to flood defence structures
Damage to archaeological sites
Reduction of biodiversity through out-shading native vegetation
Restriction of access to riverbanks for anglers, bank inspection and amenity use
Reduction in land values
Increased risk of flooding through dead stems washed into river and stream channels
Increased risk of soil erosion and bank instability following removal of established stands in riparian areas
Accumulation of litter in well established stands
Aesthetically displeasing
Expensive to treat
How do you get rid of Japanese Knotweed?
Once you find Japanese knotweed on a site, it is essential that you set up some form of Japanese Knotweed management plan (KMP). Ashtrees eradication methods use the most modern, proven effective herbicide currently available, applied by trained NPTC qualified personnel to ensure compliance with Environment Agency and DEFRA guidelines and BASIS recommendations.
Why use Ashtrees Ltd for your Japanese Knotweed Removal?
Ashtrees have extensive knowledge of identifying and eliminating Japanese Knotweed and can help at any stage of the growth stage by:
- Identification and site survey
- Devising a KMP
- Liaising with the relevant statutory bodies
- Eradication procedure
- Viability tests
