Is this Japanese Knotweed?

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Primrose
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I have just spotted this plant growing out the corner of the brickwork at the base of a cottage wall abutting the pavement a few hundred yards from where I live.

I have no personal experience of the horrors of this plant but if it is knotweed I'm wondering whether I should alert the owners of the fact and the possible problems it could cause . There doesn't appear to be any other similar growth in the nearby viccinity .

Coincidentally I spotted a photograph of Japanese Knotweed in the Letters page of the Telegraph today under the topic of the difficulties of elimnating this plant and the leaves do look rather similar. Are there similar plants with which it could be mistaken?

Any thoughts?
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peter
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Yes it is JKW.
Do not put off thanking people when they have helped you, as they may not be there to thank later.

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Primrose
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Thanks for the diagnosis. That's what I suspected?
What would you do folks? Keep quiet or tell the owners who you don't know and who probably have no idea of the new guidance recently issued on how Knotweed has to be handled ?
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I'd tell them. Their cottage is at risk as is the whole street the way this thing takes over.

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Isn't the council responsible for getting rid of it if it is on the edge of the pavement?
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Johnboy
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I think it was Chris from Elgin who managed to get rid of Japanese Knot Weed with glyphosate.
Japanese Knot Weed having a segmented stem he cut the stem just above a segment and then put glyphosate into what is effectively a little cup and it worked wonders.
I wish Chris was still contributing because he was a man full of good remedies.
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Pawty
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Hi,

This link takes you to the gov.uk pages on who's responsible for invasive species. It's a case of talk Nicely at first if it's impacting your propertym. As this isn't on your land and is going on to a pavement I would let the local authority know and they can have a word. (Maybe environmental health??) Key is to get to it quickly to stop it spreading. Unfortunately it's very costly to deal with.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prevent-the ... ive-plants

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KG Steve
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Looks like it to me too Primrose. There is a £5,000 fine for the householder if they fail to take action, so you would be doing them a favour to have a quiet word! If they are 'lucky' it may be down to the local council to eradicate it if it is deemed to be growing on their land.
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Primrose
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Well I dropped a letter through the cottage letterbox but noted on looking through the front window which abuts immediately onto the pavement that the room was not furnished so it appeared to be between owners/tenants.

New occupants are now in residence. I don't know who picked up and opened the letter (if anybody) but the small clump of knotweed is still there! I don't know whether anybody read my letter or not. If the plant is still there in Spring I may flag it up to the Council's Environment Dept.
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Primrose wrote:I have just spotted this plant growing out the corner of the brickwork at the base of a cottage wall abutting the pavement a few hundred yards from where I live.


If it's that nearby, and abutting the pavement, can't you spill some glyphosate on it in passing ?
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