Question 1

How do I know it's actually Japanese knotweed?

Accepted Answer

Three reliable tells — and a free photo ID service if you're still unsure.
What to look for
- Hollow, bamboo-like stems with reddish-purple speckles
- Alternate heart or shovel-shaped leaves in a zig-zag along the stem
- Creamy-white tassel flowers in late summer
Common look-alikes
- Bindweed
- Russian vine
- Dogwood
- Lilac
- Ornamental bamboo
Send us a photo and we'll confirm it in writing — no fee.
Send a photo for ID

Question 2

Do I have to declare it when I sell my house?

Accepted Answer

Yes — the TA6 form requires it. Here's the clean way to do it. The legal position: • TA6 sellers in England and Wales must disclose any knowledge of knotweed • "I didn't know" is only defensible if it's actually true • Misrepresentation claims after completion are increasingly common How to sell cleanly: • Commission a professional survey • Put a documented management plan in place • Sell with an insurance-backed guarantee in hand

Question 3

Will a lender give me a mortgage on a property with knotweed?

Accepted Answer

Almost always — provided you have a proper plan and IBG. Lenders that accept a managed plan: • Halifax • Nationwide • Santander • Barclays • NatWest • HSBC • Principality What they need to see: • Survey from a recognised contractor • Written management plan • 5 or 10-year insurance-backed guarantee A handful of specialist or short-term lenders are stricter — we'll flag it up front if yours is one.

Question 4

How long does treatment actually take?

Accepted Answer

Three to five seasons for herbicide; days for excavation. Herbicide programme: • Year 1: knock the plant back hard above ground • Years 2–5: exhaust the rhizome network below • Typical duration: 3–5 growing seasons Excavation: • Days rather than years • More disruptive • More expensive up front

Question 5

How much will it cost?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-fee after a site visit — no day-rates, no creeping extras. Typical price guide: • Domestic herbicide programme (incl. IBG): £1,500–£4,500 + VAT • Fixed-fee survey: from £295 + VAT • Excavation projects: from £4,000 + VAT Excavation scales with volume, access and disposal route. Every quote is fixed-fee after a site visit.

Question 6

Can it actually damage my house?

Accepted Answer

It exploits weakness — it doesn't crack sound foundations. What it can damage: • Cracked drains • Lifting tarmac • Lightweight outbuildings • Perished mortar Why RICS surveyors flag it: Lenders care about value and saleability. Knotweed is mortgage-blocking where it impacts amenity space or causes damage to structures such as tarmac, sheds or fencelines — not just because of a fixed distance to the wall.

Question 7

Is it illegal to have it growing on my land?

Accepted Answer

No — but spreading it or dumping waste is. Key legislation: • Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 — offence to plant or allow it to spread • Environmental Protection Act 1990 — soil and plant material are controlled waste • Disposal must go through a licensed route This is why DIY clearance is rarely a good idea.

Question 8

Can I just dig it up myself?

Accepted Answer

We strongly suggest not. Here's why. The practical risks: • Rhizome can run 2–3 metres deep and several metres laterally • A fragment the size of a fingernail will regrow • Mishandled spoil becomes contaminated controlled waste The legal risks: • EA / NRW duty of care on disposal • Civil liability if any crosses a boundary Treatment or licensed excavation are the two safe routes.

Question 9

Which areas do you cover?

Accepted Answer

The full M4 corridor, West Midlands and Thames Valley. Core coverage: • South Wales, Bristol, Bath • Swindon, Reading, Slough • Thames Valley and Greater London • Birmingham and the West Midlands • Gloucester, Cheltenham, Oxford Larger projects further afield are quoted on request.

Question 10

What's the difference between you and a generalist landscaper?

Accepted Answer

Knotweed is all we do. What that means in practice: • Every survey signed off by qualified PA1/PA6 operatives • Hundreds of UK sites under our belt • Paperwork lenders and solicitors actually accept

Question 11

What is an insurance-backed guarantee (IBG) and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

Third-party cover that sits behind our workmanship warranty. How it works: • Underwritten by an independent insurer • If we cease trading, the underwriter funds further treatment • Transfers the long-tail risk away from you Our terms: • 5 or 10-year cover • Fully transferable on sale • Accepted by mainstream lenders

Question 12

Will the guarantee transfer to the new owner when I sell?

Accepted Answer

Yes — assignable for the remainder of the term, no extra cost. What goes in the conveyancing pack: • The IBG assignment paperwork • The original management plan • The treatment record Exactly what the buyer's lender wants to see.

Question 13

What time of year is best to start treatment?

Accepted Answer

Late June to September for herbicide; winter is great for everything else. Why late summer for herbicide: The plant is in full leaf and actively translocating sugars — and therefore the chemical — down to the rhizome. What we do off-season: • Surveys and quotes • Excavation works • Paperwork ready for the first treatment of the season

Question 14

What happens if knotweed has spread from a neighbour's garden?

Accepted Answer

It's a statutory nuisance. Start with a paper trail. Your legal position: • Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 • Community Protection Notices have been issued to negligent neighbours • Civil claims for diminution in value are well-established What to do first: • Written notification to the neighbour • Photographic evidence with dates • Independent survey report to back a formal complaint

Question 15

Do you offer commercial, development and public-sector contracts?

Accepted Answer

Yes — single plots up to multi-hectare brownfield regeneration. Who we work with: • Main contractors and housebuilders • Local authorities • Network Rail principal contractors • Engineering and environmental consultancies What's included as standard: • CPP and RAMS • EA / NRW liaison • On-site burial cells • Screened soil reuse • Licensed off-site disposal

Question 16

Will herbicide harm my pets, children or the rest of the garden?

Accepted Answer

No — applied correctly under PA1/PA6 certification. How we apply it: • Targeted stem-injection • Low-pressure foliar application • Glyphosate-based, PA1/PA6 certified operatives Re-entry: Safe to re-enter once the spray has dried — typically within an hour. Surrounding planting, lawns and pollinators are unaffected.

Question 17

Can I build, extend or landscape over a treated area?

Accepted Answer

Not until the rhizome is verifiably dead or removed. Why it matters: • Live rhizome will regrow through new foundations and slabs • Building over invalidates most warranties • Knotweed will exploit any service penetration If the timeline is tight: We excavate, screen and either remove or bury under a root-barrier membrane to a validated depth — and document the lot.

Question 18

How quickly can you get on site?

Accepted Answer

5–10 working days typically. 72 hours for urgent. Standard turnaround: • Survey visits: 5–10 working days across the M4 corridor and West Midlands • Urgent pre-exchange or pre-planning: usually inside 72 hours • Written report, plan and quote: within a week of the visit

Question 19

Do you treat invasive species other than Japanese knotweed?

Accepted Answer

Yes — Giant Hogweed, Himalayan Balsam, Rhododendron ponticum, Buddleia and running Bamboo. Species we routinely manage: • Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum) — PPE-led cut, dig and stem-injection • Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) — hand-pull and catchment co-ordination • Rhododendron ponticum — mechanical clearance and stump treatment • Buddleia (Buddleja davidii) — masonry-aware drill-and-fill • Running Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.) — root-barrier or full rhizome excavation Surveys, written method statements and IBGs are available for each.

Question 20

Is Giant Hogweed actually dangerous?

Accepted Answer

Yes — sap causes severe chemical burns that can flare for years. What the sap does: • Phytophotodermatitis — UV-triggered blistering on contact skin • Burns can recur seasonally for up to seven years • Eye contact can cause temporary or permanent blindness What to do if you spot it: • Do not strim or cut — that aerosolises the sap • Keep children and pets well clear • Send us a photo for confirmation, then we'll attend in full PPE

Question 21

My neighbour's bamboo is coming through into my garden — what can I do?

Accepted Answer

Running bamboo encroachment now sits alongside knotweed in civil nuisance claims. The legal position: • Running Phyllostachys is not on Schedule 9, but it can support a private nuisance claim • Surveyors and lenders increasingly flag it during pre-purchase inspections • A documented boundary-dispute report carries weight with solicitors Practical options: • Install an HDPE root-barrier along the boundary line • Excavate the rhizome network on your side • Stage a cut-and-treat programme on stems crossing the line

Question 22

When is the right time to pull Himalayan Balsam?

Accepted Answer

Late May to early July — before the seed pods explode. Why timing matters: • Each plant fires 800+ seeds up to 7 metres when ripe • Seeds remain viable for 18–24 months in the bank • One missed season undoes two years of catchment work How we run a programme: • Whole-catchment co-ordination upstream to downstream • Hand-pull or strim before flowering • Repeat sweep in late July to catch laggards

Question 23

Will Buddleia really damage my building?

Accepted Answer

On masonry, gutters and lintels — yes. The roots wedge into mortar joints and lift coping stones. Where it causes trouble: • Victorian and industrial brickwork with soft lime mortar • Parapets, chimney stacks and behind cast-iron gutters • Railway retaining walls and bridge abutments Our approach: • Cut to base and drill-and-fill the stump with approved herbicide • Repoint and patch masonry where roots have penetrated • Re-inspect at 6 and 12 months to catch any regrowth

Question 24

Why is Rhododendron a problem when it looks so ornamental?

Accepted Answer

Rhododendron ponticum shades out woodland floor and harbours pathogens fatal to larch and oak. The ecological damage: • Acidifies soil and blocks light to the woodland understorey • Hosts Phytophthora ramorum — a Forestry Commission notifiable pathogen • Listed under Schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 Clearance programme: • Mechanical or hand clearance with biosecure tooling • Stump treatment with approved herbicide • Follow-up regrowth control over 3–5 seasons

Knotweed,
answered.

What to look for

Common look-alikes

Send a photo.
Get a real answer.

Knotweed,answered.

What to look for

Common look-alikes

Send a photo.Get a real answer.

Knotweed,
answered.

Send a photo.
Get a real answer.