What is Japanese Knotweed and why is it harmful to your garden or home? This herbaceous perennial plant is probably one of the most aggressive and invasive weeds in the world. While it is not harmful to humans or some animals, because it is aggressive, it can pass through your house’s foundation and even the plumbing. It would be near to impossible to grow grass, much less plant a garden in soil that contains Japanese Knotweed.
In fact, the value of land can decrease once the weed has been discovered in the area. To help you get rid of Japanese Knotweed, check out the tips below so that you can rid your lot of it as soon as possible.
Once discovered, get rid of it right away
When you discover a Japanese Knotweed near your home, it’s important it be dealt with as soon as possible. It is a fast growing weed that can spread to other areas right away. If you don’t take care of it right away and it gets to the point that it spreads to lots that are not yours, you will not only be fined because of negligence but you may have to pay for damages that the weed caused.
Dig it out
One of the easiest things to do is to dig out the weed. But you need to know that this plant has an extensive root system that can reach up to 22 feet so if you do not have the patience or endurance to do this, you may want to find another method to help you get rid of the weed.
Make sure you eradicate the roots
If you do decide to do the digging method, it is important that you eradicate the roots. Japanese Knotweed rarely produces seeds, and even rarer that those seeds germinate. They are spread mostly through the stem, crowd and underground stems. So it’s important that all these are disposed of properly. Even the soil that has been contaminated must be thrown away. All these must be placed in a landfill and not disposed of normally as it is a contaminant.
Use chemicals to kill the plant
Even though there are people who discourage the use of chemicals to treat weeds, with the aggressiveness of this weed, it is really considered an option. Make sure that the chemical you will use has been approved. Do your research on the tools you must use to handle the chemicals so as not to cause further damage or injury. If you decided to go with the chemicals then we recommend Japanese Knotweed injector. The injector is specially designed for Japanese Knotweed and you don’t spray it around like regular insecticide but instead you inject the chemical into the plant you want to remove.
Call the help of professionals
If you are not sure that you have the ability to kill the plant yourself, the most logical choice would be to call the help of professionals. They would not only know the perfect method to use for the Japanese Knotweed in your property but you will not have to think about how to dispose of it since these professionals would have the ways and means to do that themselves.
