Japanese knotweed can cause a lot of problems on your property so it's important you can identify it all year round! Now that we're moving into spring, you'll probably notice a lot of different plants emerging in your garden, so it's important to keep your eye out for Japanese knotweed. Left untreated, Japanese knotweed can damage your property and can even prevent you from selling your home. 

Image source: Scottish Invasive Species Initiative (Flickr)

Knowing what Japanese knotweed looks like in the spring can help you save money on treatment, repairs, and lawsuits! That's right, people have been known to sue their neighbors if Japanese knotweed has been allowed to invade their property, so spotting and treating it early is a must!

Read More: What to do if your neighbour has knotweed

Japanese knotweed appears in spring

Most people see Japanese knotweed appear in the garden for the first time during spring. Like all plants, Japanese knotweed grows new shoots that grow up through the soil when the weather starts to get warmer. 

Initially, Japanese knotweed spears will appear. They're red/purple in colour and look very similar to asparagus, with a woody stem and a pointed tip. During spring, the leaves of the Japanese knotweed plant are curled up (they're still very young at this point). 

By the end of spring, these small canes can be up to 3 metres high! Japanese knotweed grows quickly, which is another reason why you should keep your eye out for it during spring. 

Japanese knotweed in summer

If by chance, you don't notice the Japanese knotweed in your garden in summer, you might have a chance to spot it in summer before it spreads too far!

During summer, Japanese knotweed has a lot more foliage, it appears green and leafy with only a few speckles of red/purple left on the stem.

When Japanese knotweed eventually flowers, it has small creamy white flowers, which ironically, are quite pretty. Unfortunately, these little white flowers are a sign of an underlying problem that needs to be dealt with quickly. 

Head to our Japanese knotweed Identification page for more information!

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Remember to check the plants in your garden regularly during spring and summer. If you spot anything that looks like Japanese knotweed, you should get it checked by Japanese knotweed specialists immediately. Contact us for a Japanese knotweed survey now!

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There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't let weeds get out of control on your commercial property. Weeds that have grown wild will make your business look unprofessional and, in some circumstances, can even give the impression that you're no longer in business. That being said, the appearance of overgrown weeds is the least of your problems. Overgrown weeds can become a health and safety risk for employees and customers, so it's important that you tackle them as soon as they start to appear. 

Overgrown weeds are a trip hazard

One of the biggest health and safety concerns associated with overgrown weeds is the possibility of a trip or fall. Some weeds, like brambles, have long branches that can quickly tangle and become a trip hazard. Other weeds that grow thick and close to the ground, like moss, can become slippery and cause people to fall and injure themselves. 

These types of weeds can crop up anywhere around your commercial premises but are most likely to pose a health and safety risk in car parks and on walkways where footfall is the highest. 

We are aware that some commercial properties have been left empty for several months now due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. If you're planning to have employees and customers return to the workplace over the next few months, we'd highly recommend enquiring about our weed, shrub, and bramble clearing services.

Dead/dry weeds are a fire hazard

During the summer months, overgrown weeds can die back and dry out completely. This dry vegetation can be a fire hazard if it's left untreated. Thankfully, here in the UK, we don't suffer from wildfires like other countries in the world, but that doesn't mean that there's absolutely no risk of an outdoor fire on your premises.

A carelessly dropped cigarette, faulty electrical equipment or flammable liquids spilt in the area can all turn into a fire on your premises in a split second. The best way to eliminate the possibility of a fire is to remove the dried weeds as quickly as possible!

Thick patches of weeds attract pests

Overgrown weeds also become a health and safety concern when they start to attract pests like mice, rats and insects. Many of the pests that usually live amongst overgrown weeds carry diseases. This can become a serious problem, especially if your business serves food to the public. 

If you do notice that weeds on your property are getting out of hand and starting to attract pests, we'd urge you to get in touch right away. You don't want to be left with a lawn suit on your hands because you didn't take reasonable steps to deal with the overgrown weeds on your property.

So, to answer the question - are overgrown weeds a health and safety risk? The answer is yes! It's clear to see how overgrown weeds can pose a range of different health and safety risks. If you feel that the weeds on your property are getting out of hand, it's important you take steps to deal with them before a serious incident occurs. Request a FREE Survey.

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Almost every workplace has had to make adjustments to continue trading during the COVID-19 pandemic, including us. As you know, we're still offering our wide range of Japanese knotweed and ground maintenance services so that you can keep your premises free of invasive weeds. In order to carry out our services safely, we've had to put a few new procedures in place. Here you can read all about them!

Testing Staff

All of the staff that we send out to work outside your homes are COVID-19 tested on a regular basis. This helps us to make sure they're not bringing the virus into our offices or to your doorstep. 

Observing Safety Guidelines

Much like the rest of the country, we constantly have one eye on the ever-changing government guidelines. This helps us to make sure that our practices and procedures are always up to date. We've made lots of different tweaks and changes to the way we work so that we can provide you with the safest possible services. All of our staff members are wearing masks when they're around people, sticking to social distancing guidelines, and keeping their hands, vans, and equipment clean.

Telephone/Email Arrangements

To limit our contact with you as much as possible, we're contacting a lot of our customers over the phone or via email to arrange their treatments. Our friendly team of staff is on hand to answer any questions you may have, rather than arranging face-to-face visits. 

Contact-Free Visits

One of the great things about Japanese knotweed treatments, grounds maintenance, and tree/shrub removal is that all of these services take place outside. This means we can attend your property and get the job done without even knocking on your door. Of course, we have missed catching up with you over a cup of tea, but we'll have plenty of time for that in the future when things go back to normal. For now, we'll do our bit to keep your garden looking its best while you put your feet up indoors.

Staff Separation

Another way that we're keeping you and our staff safe is by insisting that our staff travel to your homes in separate vehicles. Where this isn't possible, we've set up vans with safety screens, separating the front and back portions. Don't worry, we've kitted them up with walkie-talkies so they can still chat amongst each other on the longer journeys. Keeping our staff physically separated on journeys is just another way that we're implementing safe COVID-19 practices while we work.

So there you have it, a little insight into some of the different ways that we're working safely during lockdown. If you'd like us to treat Japanese knotweed, unwanted shrubs, or vegetation on your property, please get in touch!

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Today we're going to look at the problems that moss can cause for your lawn in detail. With this knowledge under your belt, you can take action quickly and keep your lawn looking its absolute best!

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While the terms ‘shrub’ and ‘tree’ are commonly used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing! If you’ve found your way to this blog, you’re likely wondering what exactly sets trees and shrubs apart. Most gardeners will tell you that they know the difference between a tree and a shrub, but it's not always easy to put into words. Shrubs and trees are very similar in a lot of ways, but they also have some distinct differences that we're going to explore today. 

To best answer the question ‘what is the difference between shrubs and trees’, lets first identify exactly what a shrub and what a tree is, then we can look into what makes them similar and different!

What is a shrub? 

By definition, a shrub is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant with woody stems above ground. In comparison to trees, shrubs tend to have lots of perennial stems that can grow upright or lay close to the ground. Shrubs are less than 4 metres high and usually boast denser, thicker foliage. 

What is a tree? 

A tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem or trunk, usually supporting branches or leaves. In some more narrow definitions, a perennial plant can only be defined as a tree if it has distinct secondary growth, is usable as lumber, or is above a specified height. If you really want to know the technical differences between trees and shrubs, you have to look more closely at the physiological characteristics of trees. 

Trees are tall plants that have woody tissue on their exterior. The trunk is not made of living tissue, in fact, its main purpose is to support the weight of the tree and the leaves above. Each year, trees acquire two new rings which make it easy to determine the age of a well-established tree, if and when it's cut down. 

Similarities between trees and shrubs

While trees and shrubs aren’t the same thing, it’s easy to see where people get their wires crossed. It's true that trees and shrubs are both woody plants with leaves, flowers, sometimes fruits or berries. Some species of plants can actually be grown as shrubs or trees depending on how you prune them.

There are even some plants that blur the lines between tree and shrub so much that they've been charmingly named 'trubs'.

Difference between shrubs and trees

When you consider how a tree is different from a shrub, the first thing you'll notice is a difference in size. Shrubs tend to be smaller and rounder in shape, with lots of densely-packed stems coming off a main central trunk. 

In comparison, trees are generally much larger and boast a thicker main trunk and fewer stems.

How do trees and shrubs fit into our gardens?

Shrubs are often found around the borders of gardens, providing cover for birds to hide and framing your lawn, patio, or deck. They aren't usually the main attraction but they're ideal for filling blank space in your garden design.

Trees, on the other hand, tend to be a more prominent feature in the garden, often bearing fruits. We tend to consider trees as a more permanent feature of our gardens while shrubs have a tendency of becoming unruly and disrupting the growth of other plants by shadowing your garden borders. If you find yourself wishing you could get rid of your garden shrubs, we do have a solution for you!

Our weed, shrub, and bramble removal services

Garden clearances can be tricky, but if you're ready for a fresh start, our experts can do a lot of the hard work for you. Get in touch and we can attend your property, assess your shrubs and give you a quote for removal. 

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If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call on 029 2039 7554. We can't wait to help you rid your garden of unwanted shrubs.