Japanese knotweed

As knotweed can regenerate from small fragments of itself, avoid any practice that will break up and spread knotweed material around the site of origin. If removing knotweed material from its site of origin, be mindful of duty of care legislation and dispose of the material correctly. The most important thing to remember is do not disturb knotweed in any way unless you know what you are doing. Call in a specialist to advise you. Incorrect treatment causes more problems (and ultimately costs more money) than no treatment at all.

Do not:

• flail, strim or chip live knotweed;
• scrape a development site until it has been verified that it is free of knotweed;
• cut, pull or compost live knotweed stems (see FAQs);
• add knotweed material - however small - to standard green waste or take to a local amenity tip (see FAQs);
• allow knotweed material to leave site unless it is properly bagged or sheeted to prevent the risk of any spillage en route to landfill;
• fly tip material containing knotweed; or
• leave knotweed unchecked and allow it to spread into someone else's property.

Do:

• verify if your property contains knotweed - particularly if you plan to conduct any kind of construction/development works;
• cordon off the knotweed areas if they are likely to be disturbed by members of the public, site staff, site vehicles, etc.;
• begin treating knotweed as soon as it is identified;
• treat knotweed on-site if possible - otherwise ensure all off-site disposal takes place to a licensed landfill facility; and
• consult an expert if in doubt.

If it is a development site, implement a knotweed management plan (KMP) and ensure it is followed closely by all personnel connected with the site. For more information see the Environment Agency's Knotweed Code of Practice.