Friend has found she has Japanese Knotweed

moneyistooshorttomention

Thanks Reen for trying. I will keep an eye on that, in case it becomes available so to say.

Am having Internet problems at the moment, that I hope will resolve soon and "normal service resumes" and then I will be able to have a listen-in if that link starts working.

Some of my research on this that I think it worth sharing at this point (ie in case of future readers of this thread) is that people who have JK on their land and allow it to spread to other peoples land are at risk of pretty high penalties for doing so. I have read quoted that they are at risk of £5,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail. So that is one incentive for neighbours to keep an eye on their property, even if they don't wish to do so themselves. Negligence is not an option:):T

The thought never even crossed my (or my friends) mind about JK until we moved here, but have been helping my friend out with research into it because I'm keeping a weather-eye out for it myself to ensure I'm safe. We are both well "on the case" here as to all ramifications re this and are lobbying hard for this problem to be solved all round.

REEN

Apparently something about Japanese knotweed on You and Yours, radio 4 tomorrow.

evie451

One of the biggest problems with JK is that it can go dormant for many years if its aggressively attacked with too much weedkiller....no more appears for ages then bits start randomly popping up 5yrs later.
The mortgage lenders have been getting increasingly strict with the surveyors who are told to look out for it and a lot of claims are arising against surveyors for not spotting it......its quite hard to spot when it has died back though and I have seen local knotweed experts getting confused between clumps of Rhubarb and knotweed!
Is there no chance the occupiers of the affected house would get local knotweed contractors in to take a look? they do an action plan and treat/safely remove and destroy the knotweed over a prolonged period to address the dormancy problem......

REEN

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p020v5sr
First item on here.

moneyistooshorttomention

I have found out who the main local contractor here is who deals with JK the conventional course of treatment way and passed details on to her and the likely cost levels of dealing with it that way.

She is a bit handicapped at the moment from starting in on it, due to other workmen being "camped out" in her garden at the moment doing other work on her house.

So, at the moment between us I think we have covered a lot of ground on how to deal with this.

Must admit, having got up close and personal with it in several locations now, I don't know how on earth anyone could confuse it with rhubarb. Okay the stems are that sort of colour and mottled-y, but leaves are nothing like, thickness of stem is very different, generally cant see how on earth they could be doing so.

There is a name "pea shooters" for it in a part of Wales I believe and that told me instantly that sometimes children play with it:eek: and will admit to being curious as to whether they are taught not to at school (in case the parents aren't doing so). I certainly wonder how on earth it managed to get into some locations I've spotted it in....

moneyistooshorttomention

Well...my friend listened to that programme and tells me it was basically all seriously depressing stuff about people with homes alongside some railway lines (ie one of the locations where this stuff tends to run riot) finding that they have problems selling their houses. One woman apparently had an estate agent in about putting her house up for sale and the EA went to the end of the garden, saw a railway line down there and the stuff running riot just outside her back fence and told her the place is unsaleable. Apparently Network Rail aren't being very efficient at dealing with the stuff, as in they come along in the spring and spray rather ineffectively and then it all pops back up again.

Happychappy

antrobus wrote: »

What's worse, dismembered body parts or japanese knotweed?

:eek: Definitely the Japanese Knotweed :eek: I dont think dismembered body parts grow back with the same vigor

The other benefit is you can eat the Japanese Knotweed, but the other......no give it a miss

Arthog

I grew up in Wales, and we had a large area of JK alongside a stream. It couldn't spread via roots because of the rocky terrain - it was just part of the flora. It didn't spread by seed either.
A friend in Lincs has one JK plant in the garden which is causing no problems at all - it has been there for decades and hasn't spread at all.
I sometimes wonder whether it is a great money-making issue!
If I wanted to get rid of it, I'd break off the hollow stems and fill the cavity with strong weedkiller.
We used to make great peashooters from the stems!

wannahouse

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Since those trials were successful, then I dont understand why the bug cant be available this year and it seems more than a little "inefficient" for there to be such a delay between conclusion of successful trial and the bug gets marketed.:cool:. Does anyone know the cause of this delay in marketing this bug?

I would assume they have to satisfy all sorts of tests to make sure it won't cause other havoc in the environment once released, as that would be a 2nd nightmare, and also, largely, because having enough bacteria for a trial is one thing, but to produce enough bacteria to sell on a huge commercial basis would require some time (like when they make vaccines- you can't just pump them out).

Davesnave

wannahouse wrote: »

I would assume they have to satisfy all sorts of tests to make sure it won't cause other havoc in the environment once released, as that would be a 2nd nightmare, and also, largely, because having enough bacteria for a trial is one thing, but to produce enough bacteria to sell on a huge commercial basis would require some time (like when they make vaccines- you can't just pump them out).

Your first supposition is correct. However, it's not a bacterium, but an insect related to aphids.