Japanese Knotweed Control and Japanese Knotweed Eradication - By: Andre Issey

Japanese knotweed is a vigorous plant that has the ability to push through hard surfaces. It can grow through asphalt and can creep through cracks in concrete requiring Japanese knotweed control followed by renewing the damaged surface, all leading to considerable cost and delays in development programs. The dense stands of the invasive knotweed of aboveground vegetation die annually, leaving many dead, hollow Japanese knotweed bamboo-like canes, which impede water flow in water courses when the channel has high water levels and this can cause flooding. The problem can be exacerbated by the erosion of bare soil exposed due to the lack of any ground vegetation under the Japanese knotweed. Legislation governs the spread of the weed and legislation governs its management. Careful Japanese knotweed control and Japanese knotweed eradication management is required to avoid breaking the law during Japanese knotweed removal.

The knotweed is widespread across the United Kingdom. It strongly favours urban areas and is largely absent from agricultural land. It is also absent from some parts of the Scottish Highlands. Areas notable for heavy infestations of Japanese knotweed are south-west England, south Wales and cities such as London and Swansea.

The invasive weed is unlikely to be present in relatively natural habitats undisturbed by human interference beyond the edges of urban settlements, roads and railways. The plant is not aquatic and will not grow in water, but it does favour the banks of watercourses.
The habitat preference for Japanese knotweed is brown field sites. It will prefer sites with regular or intermittent disturbance and likes sites that are not subjected to regular Japanese knotweed management. It is happy in urban sites and likes locations where fly-tipping occurs.

Japanese knotweed control is particularly difficult as the weed can spread easily by water and grows easily alongside railways lines and by the road.
It grows on fly-tipping sites and will also grow on land adjacent to brown field sites etc.
A detailed Japanese knotweed survey should be used, before Japanese knotweed eradication, to assess and map the distribution of Japanese knotweed, both Japanese knotweed aboveground and underground, and any implications for land-use or Japanese knotweed control management. Also, the detailed survey should identify potential and current sources of knotweed reinvasion onto the landholding.

An ecologist or Japanese knotweed invasive species specialist would usually be required to undertake a detailed survey. No special methods are used to survey this kind of knotweed. However it is important that the surveyor takes into account factors that may interfere with potential management of Japanese knotweed eradication, e.g. site features relevant to Japanese knotweed eradication management including water bodies, underground services, and desirable vegetation. The surveys usually involve visual inspection of the invasive plant and mapping areas. There are particular advantages in mapping an accurate distribution of Japanese knotweed stands using a GPS. In some instances the surveyor may wish to explore the potential extent of the rhizome of the plant by carrying out shallow digging by fork of the Japanese knotweed before deciding on the method of Japanese knotweed eradication.

About the Author

The author works for an environmental agency specialised in Japanese Knotweed removal and Japanese Knotweed Eradication in the UK. A great way for Japanese Knotweed Control.

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