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Domestic Japanese Knotweed

Japanese Knotweed shoot through concrete

Japanese knotweed can be a serious problem for home owners. There are no quick-fix herbicide treatments to ensure almost immediate Japanese knotweed eradication. There are chemicals, such as RoundUp™ with the active ingredient glyphosate, which are available at good garden centres and equivalent stores, but these are weaker than the products available to licensed herbicide sprayers.

Stem injection, using syringes or specially designed "guns", is another method of applying herbicide in a very focused area in order to prevent herbicides affecting plants close to the Japanese knotweed being treated. Exeter University has carried out research on this method and has found it less effective than foliar applications using a spray. Stem injection should not, therefore, be a standard method for treating all Japanese knotweed infestations.

Mortgage Lenders

Many lenders will not offer a mortgage for a property if Japanese knotweed has been identified on it or on land adjacent to it. Many valuing surveyors are now trained to identify Japanese knotweed for this purpose. However, the presence of Japanese knotweed on or close to a property should not automatically mean that it is unsellable.

If advice is sought from a professional knotweed consultancy and an effective eradication programme can be adhered to then a valuer should be able to advise a lender that it is safe to lend. This is usually sufficient to satisfy the lender; although they may want to subtract the cost of the treatment from the value to be loaned on the property.

At Phlorum we have significant experience in successfully helping people who are seeking a mortgage on properties affected by Japanese knotweed.

If you are trying to purchase a property that is affected by Japanese knotweed, then please get in touch as we can probably help. The issue of being refused a mortgage due to Japanese knotweed is becoming a major problem for many home buyers.

Domestic Japanese Knotweed Services

Japanese Knotweed spring growth through concrete

Phlorum can assist with the identification and subsequent eradication of domestic Japanese knotweed problems. Send us your photos and we will, at no charge, let you know if there is knotweed identifiable in your photos.

Most domestic Japanese knotweed infestations can be eradicated by herbicide spraying. This is the cheapest option but will usually take several years (2-4 years, or occasionally longer, depending on the maturity and area covered by knotweed).

Phlorum offers a specialist Japanese knotweed eradication service for home owners in the United Kingdom. For further information please call us. We are also experienced in acting as Expert Witnesses and providing Proofs of Evidence for situations where legal support on knotweed issues are needed.

Doing It Yourself

If you decide to attempt eradicating Japanese knotweed yourself, then we offer the following advice:

Carefully follow and adhere to the instructions on the container of the herbicide you are going to use;
Only use a herbicide that is appropriate for domestic use (licenses are required for professional applications);
Allow the knotweed to grow to at least 0.5m to 1m high;
Apply systemic herbicides to the green tissues (this is because glyphosate-based herbicides quickly degrade when they contact the ground);
Repeat the process during the growing season;
Repeat the process each growing season until you have had two years of no regrowth (likely to be several years);
Do not dispose of any Japanese knotweed material, or soils where the knotweed was growing, with your household rubbish (this could lead to the knotweed being spread, and your being prosecuted);
Do not compost any knotweed material (as there is always the danger of spreading it);
Ensure that you clean any equipment/tools/shoes that have come into contact with Japanese knotweed material and associated soils (as there is a danger that growth could be spread).

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