japanese knotweed

dewdrop · 15-06-2017 7:28am #1

Several websites have alarming comments in that this pest can damage your home; prevent you getting a mortgage and that removal can be costly etc. There is the odd report that all this somewhat exagerated and that vested .interests paint the worst scenarios. What is the real situation and why has it become such a major problem in that it has been around for a long time.

king size mars bar · 15-06-2017 8:00am

I know millions were spent in London in the run up to the olympics during building works to get rid of knotweed. I think an area of it can be control with regular spraying but it's a hard one to kill off completely.

monty_python · 15-06-2017 8:03am

Goats eat it and kill it. I've seen it happen in a friend's small holding

It's edible for people too. Tastes similar to rubard

Outkast_IRE · 15-06-2017 8:04am

dewdrop wrote: »

Several websites have alarming comments in that this pest can damage your home; prevent you getting a mortgage and that removal can be costly etc. There is the odd report that all this somewhat exagerated and that vested .interests paint the worst scenarios. What is the real situation and why has it become such a major problem in that it has been around for a long time.

It is a noticeable problem in this country. The plant can burst through concrete paths in no time once established and if you try to cut it back you end up spreading it even more.

The main problem with it are its massive growth rate during the summer months and its very hard to control or wipe out in an area once established. I know of a few old cottages where it became established and they cant be sold now as the sites are overrun in a matter of a few years.

There have been plenty of incidents around Ireland where it has burst up through tarmac roads.

king size mars bar · 15-06-2017 8:05am

I read that about tasting like rubard.

dball · 15-06-2017 8:38am

king size mars bar wrote: »

regular spraying

Should only be sprayed around end of August or September when it start to flower.

Spraying it prior to this strengthens its hold and will only surface kill.

homer911 · 15-06-2017 8:51am

king size mars bar wrote: »

I read that about tasting like rubard.

Whats Rubard? Is it anything like rhubarb?

king size mars bar · 15-06-2017 8:29pm

A lot of smart ****s here today me thinks.

Day Lewin · 16-06-2017 12:20am

Its easier to get rid of a small patch than a big infestation (that takes professionals)
and even then, it's still not easy.

I got rid of two small patches in a local parish grounds by spraying glyphosate (against my principles generally but needs must when the devil drives) removing visible growth, and every time it grew back, spray again. About 5 goes over 2 seasons but was gone by second summer.

blackhound · 16-06-2017 8:10am

Like has been already said you need to wait until August/September to treat by spraying or if by a river/watersource injecting weedkiller into the stem. Do not be tempted to cut back as it only will encourage the underground rhizomes to spread and will mean an even bigger area infested next year.

The reason for spraying in August/September is at this stage the plant is starting to dieback for the winter and it will actually draw the weedkiller down into the roots any earlier in the season and you will kill whats on the surface but not effect the roots at all.

dball · 16-06-2017 8:33am

Day Lewin wrote: »

Its easier to get rid of a small patch than a big infestation (that takes professionals)
and even then, it's still not easy.

I got rid of two small patches in a local parish grounds by spraying glyphosate (against my principles generally but needs must when the devil drives) removing visible growth, and every time it grew back, spray again. About 5 goes over 2 seasons but was gone by second summer.

Day Lewin, what did you do with all the cuttings and how long ago did you do this?

Day Lewin · 16-06-2017 11:38am

About 6 years ago.
I took the cuttings home and soaked them in a bucket of salty water until rotting. Then binned in strong refuse bag in the landfill waste.

mikeecho · 19-06-2017 3:52pm

Day Lewin wrote: »

Its easier to get rid of a small patch than a big infestation (that takes professionals)
and even then, it's still not easy.

I got rid of two small patches in a local parish grounds by spraying glyphosate (against my principles generally but needs must when the devil drives) removing visible growth, and every time it grew back, spray again. About 5 goes over 2 seasons but was gone by second summer.

Roundup, round-up, round-up..

Your only man

my3cents · 20-06-2017 11:12pm

When its established spraying anytime is good, but any spraying should be timed so there is still growth in late August to September.

In many cases if you don't spray early in the season any established infestations will be so tall that you can't spray them fully later in the year anyway.

Shefwedfan · 21-06-2017 10:02pm

To answer main question. I bought a house, after I bought house I had gardener in. He spotted a small plant of it growing about 3m from house. I rang a friend and he brought over a surveyor. More or less the surveyor said I could hand the house back to the seller. If they wouldn't accept I could go after the estate agent for not telling me it was on property.....the seller would have to take back the house according to him. End of story.

It roots grow deep, if it gets a strong hold the root can grow under house and cause damage to the foundations. If you are selling a house you have to make the buyer aware of it.

If spotted you are supposed to report to Invasive Species Ireland, then contact local council to get it taken care of

I done all of the above but Co Co had no idea. So I took it upon myself. It was not very big so a healthy dose of round up was given. That killed it off and I watch like a hawk the area it was. I have not touched the area and it is just left as standalone.

A small shoot appeared this year, I blasted it straight away with round up. It died again. Just waiting now to see if potentially it is dead. Will wait at least 1-2 years of it not showing before I will touch area it was in.....

Please note this is the info I was given.

magicbastarder · 21-06-2017 10:05pm

i have never once heard of a situation where someone handed the house back and got their money refunded. that advice smells a bit to me; caveat emptor rules the day.

Shefwedfan · 21-06-2017 10:36pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

i have never once heard of a situation where someone handed the house back and got their money refunded. that advice smells a bit to me; caveat emptor rules the day.

Very helpful reply....so if you haven't heard than it must not have happened? Do you work in housing industry or involved in the sale of houses?

I talked to a professional. That was advice he gave me.

I know a person who is building a housing estate at the moment and he is sure to check any soil at all coming on site is supplied by himself or by a company he knows to make sure this stuff does not come anywhere near the site. Again he is a professional and says it is very serious anywhere near houses.

magicbastarder · 21-06-2017 10:49pm

Shefwedfan wrote: »

Very helpful reply....so if you haven't heard than it must not have happened? Do you work in housing industry or involved in the sale of houses?

i have been privy to issues i'm not going to go into here, and handing the property back for a refund was not an option. suing the solicitor and seller was something investigated.

Shefwedfan · 22-06-2017 8:46am

magicbastarder wrote: »

i have been privy to issues i'm not going to go into here, and handing the property back for a refund was not an option. suing the solicitor and seller was something investigated.

So you go from very vague statement to now been privy to situation? Something smells alright.....:P

If you don't want to talk about it don't see what the point is posting on thread then.

From my understanding(I dont work in law so would need actual solicitor to confirm and that is why I put statement at end of last post).

When you buy a house you sign a load of contracts. I know from selling and buying houses that if you sell house, 2 days later it falls down the buyer can come back to the seller and get a refund.

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive plant that "can" damage a property. If the seller is aware of the plant and does not disclose it then this is going against the T&C's in those contracts you sign.

Also the estate agent as part of due diligence should check the property for plants like this and again make the buyer aware of them.

The reason for all this. A bank can rejected giving you a mortgage on a property with Japanese Knotweed on the site.

If you are currently dealing with a bank and trying to buy a house you will be aware of how difficult it is for them to sign off on properties etc. They will use any excuse. If you do find a property with Japanese knotweed on it and are thinking of buying it. Be upfront and talk to Bank will save you a lot of money in meantime.

_Brian · 22-06-2017 8:57am

Came across the largest stand yesterday I've ever seen, probably 1/4 to 1/2 acre all in one, probably 12ft tall, I'd say it's been growing in this location for maybe 30 years undisturbed.
Anyway, we refused to cut it and recommend they contact the council as it's along a rural roadside.

It's encroaching on the side of an old stone building and I reckon it will knock it over the next few years.

magicbastarder · 22-06-2017 9:02am

Shefwedfan wrote: »

From my understanding(I dont work in law so would need actual solicitor to confirm and that is why I put statement at end of last post).

i don't understand - i said i was sceptical about some advice which you were given and which you admit you can't stand over, and you thought i was being rude?
happy to change my mind if there is evidence of this having happened.

Shefwedfan · 22-06-2017 9:16am

magicbastarder wrote: »

i don't understand - i said i was sceptical about some advice which you were given and which you admit you can't stand over, and you thought i was being rude?
happy to change my mind if there is evidence of this having happened.

Didn't say skeptical, you said

magicbastarder wrote: »

that advice smells a bit to me; caveat emptor rules the day.

As I mentioned I talked to professionals on this and they gave a professional opinion. So that statement is saying a professional is not doing his job?

magicbastarder · 22-06-2017 9:30am

if you're asking me if i am going to take the word of an unnamed professional cited third hand to me, as i mention, i am happy to suspend my scepticism if the evidence is there.

anyway, back OT - i was recently talking to someone who eliminated a 'not very large' patch of knotweed by repeatedly running a lawnmower over it. that was a bit of an 'uhh...' moment; hopefully they got lucky and didn't spread it.

pawdee · 22-06-2017 10:08am

I have what can only be described as a plantation of this stuff in my back garden. I haven't measured it but I'd estimate it's approx 40 metres long by 7 metres wide. It didn't put me off buying the house last year. I'll make a start on eradicating it this September or whenever the experts say is the best time to spray. I'll try the stem injection method on a patch too just to see how that compares.

I'm not one bit worried about it tbh. It starts about 20 metres away from the back of my house so it's not going to damage my foundations any time soon. There are no drainage pipes to damage either. I was worried that it might prevent me from getting a mortgage but the bank are obviously less concerned about it than I am. I guess the valuer doesn't look at things like that? I notice a patch at the end of my neighbour's garden too and they haven't expressed any concern so far.

I don't doubt that JK is easily spread and potentially damaging but again, I'm just not that worried about it.

Hocus Focus · 23-06-2017 3:18pm

Day Lewin wrote: »

Its easier to get rid of a small patch than a big infestation (that takes professionals)
and even then, it's still not easy.

I got rid of two small patches in a local parish grounds by spraying glyphosate (against my principles generally but needs must when the devil drives) removing visible growth, and every time it grew back, spray again. About 5 goes over 2 seasons but was gone by second summer.

Nothing wrong with carefully spraying glyphosate as a garden weedkiller, per se, it's the idea of genetically modifying crops, so that they can be immune to being doused in the stuff, that's not acceptable. Sorry about the thread-creep.

CaraK · 23-06-2017 4:15pm

pawdee wrote: »

I have what can only be described as a plantation of this stuff in my back garden. I haven't measured it but I'd estimate it's approx 40 metres long by 7 metres wide. It didn't put me off buying the house last year. I'll make a start on eradicating it this September or whenever the experts say is the best time to spray. I'll try the stem injection method on a patch too just to see how that compares.

I'm not one bit worried about it tbh. It starts about 20 metres away from the back of my house so it's not going to damage my foundations any time soon. There are no drainage pipes to damage either. I was worried that it might prevent me from getting a mortgage but the bank are obviously less concerned about it than I am. I guess the valuer doesn't look at things like that? I notice a patch at the end of my neighbour's garden too and they haven't expressed any concern so far.

I don't doubt that JK is easily spread and potentially damaging but again, I'm just not that worried about it.

You seem to be very complacent about this I can assure you if the banks get wind of it before issuing mortgage they would quickly pull out of the deal.

If it was me I would first of try to cordon off both areas. If you haven't approached your neighbour already do so now.

Try to determine how far it has spread I would dig a hole as deep as you can and put the the clay from this into an area cover the ground with plastic membrane. If you spot brown roots with orange coloured flesh inside it that's knotweed if you don't spot any dig another hole a little further away just to be sure.

To be doublesure sift through all the soil you have dug out also.

Backfill these holes with sand it will be easier to have an inspection point later on

Be especially vigilant around this area in the coming weeks as you may have disturbed some roots and they will send up shoots

my3cents · 23-06-2017 4:46pm

CaraK wrote: »

You seem to be very complacent about this I can assure you if the banks get wind of it before issuing mortgage they would quickly pull out of the deal.

If it was me I would first of try to cordon off both areas. If you haven't approached your neighbour already do so now.

Try to determine how far it has spread I would dig a hole as deep as you can and put the the clay from this into an area cover the ground with plastic membrane. If you spot brown roots with orange coloured flesh inside it that's knotweed if you don't spot any dig another hole a little further away just to be sure.

To be doublesure sift through all the soil you have dug out also.

Backfill these holes with sand it will be easier to have an inspection point later on

Be especially vigilant around this area in the coming weeks as you may have disturbed some roots and they will send up shoots

No banks in Ireland have refused mortgages on the bases of JK on or near the property but that has certainly happened in NI and the UK.

SouthernBelle · 25-07-2017 9:17pm

Anyone know if this is JK?
File 25-07-2017, 21 14 06.jpeg

mikeybrennan · 25-07-2017 9:35pm

Know a lad that had his car engine wrecked by the stuff

Mechanic only spotted the problem when car went in for a service,shoots were coming out through the front grille

Shefwedfan · 25-07-2017 9:38pm

mikeybrennan wrote: »

Know a lad that had his car engine wrecked by the stuff

Mechanic only spotted the problem when car went in for a service,shoots were coming out through the front grille

That is the best one I have heard in a long time, how the hell did he manage that?

pawdee · 25-07-2017 9:39pm

SouthernBelle wrote: »

Anyone know if this is JK?
File 25-07-2017, 21 14 06.jpeg

I'm pretty sure that's not Japanese Knotweed.

japanese knotweed

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