When it comes to identifying Japanese knotweed, it really is important that you get it right! Being able to spot Japanese knotweed and seek help as soon as possible, can help prevent further problems and complications further down the line. While someone with a trained eye might be able to spot Japanese knotweed with no problems, identifying Japanese knotweed is not so easy for everyone.

One reason that Japanese knotweed is hard to identify, is because there are so many plants that look like it! Today we're going to take a look at one of the plants that's commonly mistaken for Japanese knotweed... Bindweed. So, if you want to know what the difference between bindweed and Japanese knotweed is, just keep reading.

What does bindweed look like?

Much like Japanese knotweed, bindweed has large, heart-shaped leaves - which is the main reason why these two plants often get mixed up. Bindweed (shown above) has a tendency to climb and has strong stems. One of the most notable features of bindweed is its large white trumpet flowers, which we're sure you've seen before in hedgerows or even in your own garden.

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When you've spent a lot of money having a stylish patio installed in your garden, the last thing you want is for it to be spoiled by weeds. Sadly, weeds have a way of appearing in the strangest of places & can often be found in the gaps between paving tiles.

When a seed is deposited in the space between your tiles, these warm, wet conditions can cause the seeds to germinate. Once you've got weeds growing between your paving slabs, it can be quite difficult to get rid of them. We're going to talk you through a few different solutions so you can learn how to stop weeds growing between paving slabs.

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If local councils or police are made aware of someone who's "acting unreasonably and persistently or continually acting in a way that has a detrimental effect on the quality of life of those in the locality" they can issue a community protection notice. These notices can be issued for a range of reasons including, noise nuisance, rubbish tipping and antisocial behaviour, however, they can also be issued for problems relating to invasive species like Japanese knotweed.

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We've spoken extensively about the problems Japanese knotweed can cause if you're applying for a mortgage, so it comes as no surprise that RICS has recorded over 1.45 million property sales that have been aborted when mortgage lenders found out the properties are located near the invasive weed.

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The line between 'good plants' and 'weeds' is often very blurred. Some plants may be considered weeds in some gardens, and welcome guests in others; it all depends on whose garden you're looking at. Of course, while there are no hard and fast rules, there are plants that are (more or less) universally considered 'pests' or 'problematic' - take Japanese knotweed for example. These tend to be the weeds we look out for when we do a survey of your garden! If you'd like to find out what makes a plant a weed, just keep reading.

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