Help required - Japanese knotweed issues after purchase

stufai

We bought our house in Dec-10 and have recently discovered Japanese knotweed in our back garden (about 3 stalks each a metre or so high). Obviously this has caused us some concern.

Having discussed the issue with our neighbours, the said that a housing company bought the land at the back of our house a couple of years back and 'introduced' the plant to the area. Having been made aware of this, they returned to remove it in 2009 and again in early 2010.

Obviously getting in touch with the housing company is my first port of call, but what are my rights after that? Obviously we bought the house after the company caused the problem, but can we still get them to sort it out? And this is the first time it has been noted in any of the residents' garden, as previously it was only on the company's land, so does that affect whose responsibility it is?

Any help would be very much appreciated as we are very concerned about the issue!

pimento

How did they introduce the plant? Did they plant it?

daveyjp

It doesn't need planting. A piece of root the size of a fingernail will grow into a plant in a year. These roots can be found in contaminated soil if not disposed of properly, spread from neighbouring land on vehicles and even spread in horse manure.

It needs getting rid of properly and with weedkiller can take 2-3 years. Now is a good time to inject the stems. Spraying will need to wait until next April.

Yorkie1

Actually I'd wait until spring to inject the stems. The plant won't be actively growing so will not translocate the chemical to the roots effectively.

You will need industrial strength glyphosate, neat, and mark the stems you've injected with spray paint or something or you'll forget (they all look the same!).

We got rid of knotweed on our allotment site by a professional injecting the stems twice, I think, with neat glyphos. No spraying needed.

pimento

daveyjp wrote: »

It doesn't need planting. A piece of root the size of a fingernail will grow into a plant in a year. These roots can be found in contaminated soil if not disposed of properly, spread from neighbouring land on vehicles and even spread in horse manure.

Well quite. In which case, I don't think the OP can blame the neighbours.

ruggedtoast

This is a knotty problem.

simon_Wreford

stufai wrote: »

We bought our house in Dec-10 and have recently discovered Japanese knotweed in our back garden (about 3 stalks each a metre or so high). Obviously this has caused us some concern.

Having discussed the issue with our neighbours, the said that a housing company bought the land at the back of our house a couple of years back and 'introduced' the plant to the area. Having been made aware of this, they returned to remove it in 2009 and again in early 2010.

Obviously getting in touch with the housing company is my first port of call, but what are my rights after that? Obviously we bought the house after the company caused the problem, but can we still get them to sort it out? And this is the first time it has been noted in any of the residents' garden, as previously it was only on the company's land, so does that affect whose responsibility it is?

Any help would be very much appreciated as we are very concerned about the issue!

Japanese knotweed is very easily spread, and it could have been introduced to the site at the rear garden in the topsoil.The plant can send underground rhizomes as far as 8 metres away from the visible plant, but this would mean the mother plant was very well established and probably 5 years old or more. There is no law about knotweed spreading from one private property to another-yet-but this is now a serious matter as some lenders will not lend on property with knotweed or in some cases on a property where there is knotweed on an adjacent property. Professional knotweed companies (I am a Director of one) can be found easily on the web site and they will either provide a three to five year spray programme often supported with a 10 year warranty or an instant removal option which will be at least £2,000 upwards, £500-£1000 per m2 of visible knotweed for instant removal is a GOOD GUIDE. I hope this helps.Simon Wreford.

bernithebiker

After buying our chateau in Finistere, Brittany, we found 2 patches of about 50m2 each. About 3 to 4m high, very well developed.

Seven years later, after constant treatment, it has almost all gone, but you have to be very persistent.

stufai

pimento wrote: »

How did they introduce the plant? Did they plant it?

The are behind our house was a pond and grassy area before the developers came, and then the Japanese knotweed started growing in their mounds of top soil that they bought in. They came back and treated that for the past 2 years, and although it is now removed from their site it has appeared in our garden.

stufai

pimento wrote: »

Well quite. In which case, I don't think the OP can blame the neighbours.

I guess that with no law currently in place I will clearly struggle to identify any form of liability. But it is fairly obvious that they introduced the problem to the area.

vax2002

It is not such a problem in japan as they have a very greedy caterpillar that can eat before as quick grows.