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The Irish Sun
02-06-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Major warning over ‘beast' invasive plant as gardens across the UK set to see ‘super growth' this month
HOMEOWNERS across the UK are warned to be on the lookout for an invasive plant in their gardens. Advertisement 2 Homeowners across the UK are warned to be on the lookout for an invasive plant in their gardens. Credit: Alamy 2 Finding it on your property can quickly turn into a costly nightmare that can stop you being able to sell your home or get a mortgage Credit: Getty Japanese Knotweed grows quickly and can cause damage to buildings, plus it's extremely difficult to eradicate. Finding it on your property can quickly turn into a costly nightmare that can stop you being able to sell your home or get a mortgage. Rain has returned to the UK recently after a prolonged dry spell, resulting in a combination of warm soil and wet weather . Sold property expert Terry Fisher warned: "These conditions can result in "growth spurts" for the invasive plant which can cause a plethora of problems for homeowners. Advertisement Garden News Mr Fisher continued: 'We've been basking in the glorious sunshine, but now the rain has made an epic return. 'This combination of wet and warm creates the ideal conditions for Japanese knotweed to thrive and even go into a super growth. "Meaning homeowners might unearth a beast in their gardens this spring," reported What does Japanese Knotweed look like? Japanese Knotweed can grow at up to 10cm a day in the summer and reach up to 7ft high. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Gardening expert, Kendal Platt, who runs 'It causes severe damage and can be as bad a Japanese knotweed,' gardeners warned over plant that can devalue your home "They are hollow and coloured red in the Spring and turn green in the summer . "Their leaves which appear in Spring are shield or heart-shaped with a pointed tip and grow at staggered intervals along the length of the shoots. "They can grow up to 20cm long and die back in winter leaving just the brown dead looking canes above ground. Advertisement They further explained that the flowers appear in late summer as bunches of creamy white flowers growing in amongst the leaves. HOW TO SPOT A JAPANESE KNOTWEED HOW to spot Japanese Knotweed and what to do if you find it. GARDENING expert, Kendal Platt, who runs Adventures with Flowers, said: "Japanese knotweed shoots look similar to bamboo shoots growing 2- 3metres tall". They are hollow and coloured red in the Spring and turn green in the summer. Their leaves which appear in Spring are shield or heart-shaped with a pointed tip and grow at staggered intervals along the length of the shoots. They can grow up to 20cm long and die back in winter leaving just the brown dead looking canes above ground. The flowers appear in late summer as bunches of creamy white flowers growing in amongst the leaves. It spreads through its rhizomes (underground root system) which are dark brown on the outside and orange on the inside. They can burrow up to 3 metres under ground causing damage to buildings and break easily, so can be hard to remove completely. If you find it in your garden it's important to call in a specialist Japanese Knotweed removal company. They use a glyphosate based herbicide which when injected into the plant at the right time of year can kill it. It may take a few years of repeated application to eradicate the plant completely from your property which is why many removal companies recommend a glyphosate treatment programme over a number of years. How to remove Japanese knotweed Japanese knotweed, which was introduced to the UK as an ornamental plant in the nineteenth century, can only be removed with costly specialist treatment. Mr Fisher said: 'Avoid attempting a DIY removal as you could accidentally spread it further. "It requires a multi-pronged approach, often involving herbicides and potentially excavation, depending on the extent of the infestation. Advertisement "This is all best left to the professionals." Mr Fisher continued: "Your neighbours can seek compensation if it breaches onto their land, and you can be fined if it starts to grow in the wild. 'Whatever the case, homeowners need to act quickly if any signs of Japanese knotweed appear.' Legal Issues When selling a home, vendors are legally required to disclose if a property is, or ever has been, affected by Japanese knotweed. Advertisement Surveyors also have a legal obligation to look for it as part of their report. Mr Fisher added: 'If you're buying a house and a survey flags that a property has Japanese knotweed, you could negotiate the price or ensure the seller treats the plant before the sale goes through. "But after that, it's your job to keep an eye on your garden for any signs of the plant returning. The warmer weather can also bring a feeling of mild panic to gardeners. Advertisement Whether it is worry about having planted enough seeds or what do to with all the overgrown bits. But we have lots of This month is also the ideal time to plant certain plants, vegetables and fruits. That's why Sean Lade, a gardening expert has revealed some of the Advertisement And if you have weeds on your patio here's a Also, The Range is selling a
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Alan Titchmarsh's simple gardening hack will banish weeds for good
Weeds can be a major headache for many gardeners, but Alan Titchmarsh has shared a simple trick that will keep them at bay - and you probably already have the tool needed Alan Titchmarsh, one of Britain's most loved gardening experts, has shared a nifty trick for those of us who are waging a never-ending war against pesky garden invaders – weeds. If you've got weeds coming up through your patio slabs or sneakily growing in your prized veggie patch, Alan reckons he's got the just the tool for the job. In a video talk with Waitrose and Partners on YouTube, Alan let slip his garden secret for maintaining a pristine flowerbed border while holding the line against those unwanted green gatecrashers. "Once your border plants have fattened up and covered the ground there's hardly any room for weeds to grow but until they have, you've got to keep that bare soil clean," he advised keen gardeners. He then revealed the genius behind the common garden hoe: "A little hoe like this skimmed across the surface will chop up annual weeds, separate the roots from the shoots and they'll fry in the sun. "So, with a bit of dead-heading and pruning, supporting those plants that need it and weeding your bare patches, you can have a border that looks brilliant right the way through the summer." Fancy that, no more dandelions, herb bennet, or couch grass turning your garden into their personal playground. Ruth Hayes, the green-thumbed expert at Homes and Gardens, agrees with Alan, citing the trusty hoe as a top-notch weed executioner for almost all common British weeds, barring a few stubborn holdouts. "This is better than forking and digging as it doesn't activate buried weed seeds," she shared with the publication. "I make an exception for perennial weeds such as dandelions, which need digging up root and all." However, other gardening aficionados suggest utilising salt to parch the weeds, by stopping them from soaking up the nutrients essential for their survival. Harry Bodell from PriceYourJob previously revealed to The Mirror: "Salt interferes with the weed's ability to absorb essential nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium. The disruption in nutrient uptake weakens the plant's overall health, leading it to wither due to dehydration and die." According to Harry, a straightforward concoction of one part salt to two parts water should do the trick. But there's a warning for the green thumbs - this approach can also spell doom for your favourite blooms, unlike the gentler hoe or digging techniques. And adding to the cautionary advice, Kendall Marie Platt from Adventures with Flowers has also weighed in, warning: "Salt can be used to kill weeds but it damages the soil so badly that nothing else will grow not even plants you want to grow there. "It's much better to dig up weeds by hand."
