Over 50,000 Japanese knotweed infestations have been recorded in the UK, and Bristol is now battling with significant infestations. The Victorians introduced the quickly spreading weed to Britain as a beautiful garden plant and to line railroad tracks to stabilise the soil.
In Asia, fungi and insects control it, but in the UK, it has no natural enemies and is therefore causing chaos in gardens. Specialists in invasive plants at Environet keep tabs on the parts of the UK where Japanese knotweed infestations are most severe.
Users can track how many known infestations there are in a specific location using the data that is published on an interactive map. With hotspots highlighted in yellow, orange, and, in the worst circumstances, red. Bristol is currently predominately covered in red on the map.
READ NEXT: Student flats plan for building that was protected 'in error'
The map shows the worst impacted area across our city is St George, with 414 occurrences within 4 km. While the city centre has 382 within 4 km.
If left unchecked, Japanese knotweed can harm buildings and construction sites. It deprives other plants of essential nutrients and water and it can grow eight inches in a day.
The Royal Horticultural Society said: "In winter the plant dies back to ground level but by early summer the bamboo-like stems emerge from rhizomes deep underground to shoot to over 2.1m (7ft), suppressing all other plant growth."
Digging the plant out of the ground or removing all the leaves to prevent photosynthesis are two organic removal techniques. However, it may take years for these techniques to work, and you'll need to examine the plant frequently to cut off any new leaf buds you spot. The alternative option is a chemical procedure, which requires the assistance of a professional.
A new, £3,000 thermoelectric gadget that zaps the invasive plant at its roots could be the solution for getting rid of the troublesome weed in gardens. English Heritage, Transport for London (TfL), and the Arsenal football club have all tested the RootWave Pro device, which efficiently boils the plant's roots without the use of hazardous weed pesticides.
Craig Ward, a project manager at TfL, said the use of two Rootwave machines has been 'highly effective', replacing the work of 12 employees with just three. As many as four per cent of British homes are affected by the invasive plant, either on the property itself or on a neighbouring property.
The invasive plant makes homes significantly more difficult to sell as buyers can struggle to secure a mortgage on a property where it is found. Japanese knotweed on a property reduces its value by an average of 5 per cent, according to the figures from Environet.
READ NEXT:
- Price of renting in Bristol as city named third most expensive
- Seven fire crews race to tower block fire
- 'Healthy' dad dies after waiting nearly two hours for ambulance
- Bristol's best independent florists for Valentine's Day flowers
- Strictly Come Dancing's Hamza Yassin's company falls £55,000 into debt
