When selling a property in this country, you have to fill out a TA6 form, which includes this question:

Is the property affected by Japanese knotweed?

☐  Yes

☐  No

☐  Not known

It's important for sellers to answer this question truthfully, because Japanese knotweed is an invasive species that can grow very rapidly and may cause structural damage if it grows through cracks in a wall or foundation. Homes with Japanese knotweed are notoriously difficult to sell, and getting rid of the plant can be an long and costly process.

READ MORE: Selling a House with Japanese Knotweed

Unfortunately, there are some dishonest people out there, and sellers will occasionally feign ignorance of their Japanese knotweed problem for fear that it will complicate the sale. So what should you do if you've discovered Japanese knotweed on your property...and the seller didn't tell you about it?

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Spring was warmer than usual this year - as you no doubt noticed if you spent it cooped up at home due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Unfortunately, a warmer-than-average spring means that there'll probably be a lot of Japanese knotweed this summer.

READ MORE: When Does Japanese Knotweed Grow?

Summer is peak growing season for Japanese knotweed, although its first shoots start to appear around April. The first half of this year may have been a chaotic and disruptive period from our human point of view, but spring 2020 brought ideal growing conditions for Japanese knotweed, with plenty of warm weather and sunshine.

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Japanese knotweed causes a lot of problems in the UK, but you might be surprised to learn that this invasive species is NOT notifiable.

This means that, if you find Japanese knotweed in your garden, you are NOT legally required to notify the authorities. It is not an offence to have Japanese knotweed on your property as long as you are not allowing it to spread.

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Bleach is a household cleaning product that's great for killing germs in the bathroom - but it shouldn't be used to kill weeds.

If you've got Japanese knotweed on your property, you probably don't need us to tell you how difficult this invasive species is to get rid of. Knotweed is infuriatingly resilient; supermarket weedkillers tend to be ineffective, so your only real options are excavation or long-term control with specialist herbicides.

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Japanese knotweed causes a lot of problems here in the UK. It grows very quickly, it's difficult to get rid of, and it can cause structural damage by growing through small cracks in buildings. Properties with Japanese knotweed are difficult to sell, and worst of all, if you allow this invasive species to spread, you can be fined or sent to prison.

Still, if Japanese knotweed is capable of making life so difficult for us Brits, just think of how much chaos the plant must cause back home in its native Japan! Right?

Well, actually, no - Japanese knotweed isn't a big problem in Japan at all. Over there, it's just another plant.

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