As winter approaches, Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) enters the dormant phase of its annual growth cycle. During this period, the clusters of cream-coloured flowers will disappear and the bamboo-like canes will die away, but don't be fooled - the plant itself lives on beneath the soil.
If you've done your research, you may be aware that Japanese knotweed rhizomes can stay in the ground for a long time, dormant but not dead. This can lead to some real headaches when attempting to buy or sell a property that was affected by knotweed in the past; the plant may no longer be visible above ground, but it's difficult to know for sure that it will never reappear.
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If you're looking at purchasing your own property, Japanese knotweed might be a concern - and rightly so. Japanese knotweed is an invasive species that can cause a whole host of problems with neighbours and with your new property. Sadly, few people know what Japanese knotweed looks like or how to identify it, and even if they do, it might go unnoticed when you're viewing potential properties. In this blog, we'll explore the duty of care that estate agents have when it comes to Japanese knotweed.
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A full English breakfast is a thing of beauty, but eating lots of processed meats can increase our risk of developing cancer. Researchers are constantly on the hunt for ways to reduce the risks of processed meat, and have recently had a breakthrough with a Japanese knotweed extract! So, could Japanese knotweed (a plant we've all come to fear) be the secret to enjoying a fry up without fear?
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Have you noticed that more and more people are talking about Japanese knotweed lately? Well, there may be a good reason for the British public's growing interest in this invasive plant - the results of a recent study by Horticulture.co.uk suggest that the number of live Japanese knotweed cases in the UK has increased significantly in recent years.
The study states that confirmed UK cases have grown by 27.91% in the last five years, but that's just a national average - the increase is actually far higher than that in certain regions. South Yorkshire tops the list with a five-year increase of 77.19%, just ahead of Hampshire (+73.24%) and West Sussex (+72.22%).
And Japanese knotweed isn't just spreading fast in England. The top ten list also includes two Welsh regions: Powys (+61.93%) and Cardiff (+53.01%). There are currently hundreds of confirmed cases in both areas.
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