Japanese Knotweed

What is Japanese knotweed?

Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) is a weed that spreads quickly.

In winter the plant dies back to ground level but by early summer the bamboo-like stems emerge from deep underground to shoot to over 2m (7ft).

 

How do we deal with knotweed?

We will add most reports of Knotweed to our spraying list.

Sites are sprayed 2-3 times a year throughout the growing season (April – September).

We do not remove it from site. It must not be disposed of using your wheelie bins or at your local recycling centre. There is strict legislation in place regarding the disposal of Knotweed

It can take years to eradicate Knotweed from a site and we will treat for as long as necessary.

Identifying Knotweed

Spring

Early growth – red shoots

Summer

Bamboo- like stalks

In late summer early autumn small clusters of white flowers will appear.

Autumn

In Autumn the dense covering of leaves will remain, however, they start to turn yellow and wilt as we move into September and October. The knotweed plants are still about 2-3 metres tall and the hollow stems start to turn brown.

Winter

During late autumn and the beginning of winter the knotweed canes die off and the weed becomes dormant. The leaves turn yellow, then brown and fall off. The canes are hollow, dark brown and brittle.