Knotweed Neighbour Advice

freddykrueger · 25 May 2013 at 10:51AM

Hope this is the right forum....if not please tell me

Our neighbour has a large piece of land adjoining our garden in which there is a fairly sized knotweed infestation. A few plants over the past couple of years have made it over our boundary and I have treated them as and when they appear and they don't seem to be increasing but I would rather have it all gone to be honest.

Their infestation also spread onto the side of a public road which the council have been treating but it will just keep coming back so I approached the council but they said they have no enforcement powers.

Last year I had spoken to the neighbour and even offered to share the cost to deal with the problem but they are not the most approachable and flatly refused....it's far enough away from their house in my opinion that they don't care about it.

So my question is what next apart from going down the legal route as I have had no help from the neighbour or the council...?

Ash_McCloud · 25 May 2013 at 11:13AM

Do they fully understand the damage it can do?

Is it too big an area for you to offer to treat for them, at your own expense if they're unwilling to split the cost? It's a shame they aren't willing to accept your generous offer of splitting the cost, since it's their land, but doing it yourself might be the best option.

zaax · 25 May 2013 at 11:16AM

Its down to the landowner to get it removed.
http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=19756

freddykrueger · 26 May 2013 at 11:25PM

I think all communication has broken down with the neighbour....they are the type of people that if I treated it they would charge me with trespassing....it's that sad really.

I'm really disappointed in the council to be honest. I don't want to go down legal route but I can't really see any alternative at the moment. Thanks to you both for replying.

geoffky · 28 May 2013 at 11:15PM

Dont forget to use the legal services on most household insurance to do it,,

demystified · 30 May 2013 at 12:57AM

I'd do a bit of guerilla gardening myself - a bottle of glysophate and and a large sprayer, when the neighbour isn't around of course - if asked I'd shrug my shoulders and say the plants "just died".... the thing about glyphosate is its slow acting so they won't die overnight, just makes it look more, er, natural...

freddykrueger · 23 June 2013 at 2:19PM

demystified wrote: »

I'd do a bit of guerilla gardening myself - a bottle of glysophate and and a large sprayer, when the neighbour isn't around of course - if asked I'd shrug my shoulders and say the plants "just died".... the thing about glyphosate is its slow acting so they won't die overnight, just makes it look more, er, natural...

I didn't actually know that it was slow acting and thought when I used some of it previously that it was a "bad batch" :rotfl:

forgotmyname · 23 June 2013 at 5:10PM

I sprayed a weed that had started to root in my drain with glyphosate.
2 days later i thought it needs doing again. But the next day it had started to wilt.

I would spray it when they are not looking also.

I would say maybe the weedkiller you used on your side got into the roots.

Leif · 23 June 2013 at 5:51PM

I sprayed my lawn (weeds) with glyphosate. It took 2 full weeks for slight yellowing to appear. Even then some weeds to need more than one application. Bramble laughs it off. Bindweed if well established will stop growing for a while, then bounce back. I think JKW needs spcial treatment e.g. injection with glyphosate or whatever they use.

I think the only option is to do it yourself, incurring all costs yourself (sprayer, weedkiller), with the agreement of your neighbour.

Ash_McCloud · 23 June 2013 at 7:43PM

Leif wrote: »

I think JKW needs spcial treatment e.g. injection with glyphosate or whatever they use.

Spraying both the top and the underside of the leaf with glyphosate kills it

Leif · 23 June 2013 at 8:58PM

Ash_McCloud wrote: »

Spraying both the top and the underside of the leaf with glyphosate kills it

I did a Google, and there are several ways to control it including simply spraying leaves, as you say, but also cutting it down, and applying to the cut stems. The sources I saw do say it is hard to kill and requires multiple applications.

Luckily I have not had to test the online advice. But Himalayan Balsam, another invasive weed, is quite common in the local countryside down here.

Knotweed Neighbour Advice

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