Infographic Transcript:

Invasive Weeds You Might Find in Your Garden

While a lot of the plants in your garden are completely harmless, there are a few invasive species that you should keep an eye out for. Left to grow wild, invasive weeds can cause a range of problems, from growing in unwanted places, to outcompeting other species and even causing structural damage.

What makes a weed “invasive”?

Typical garden weeds are native plants that appear in unwanted places, for example in your garden’s borders. Weeds that are considered “invasive” are usually non-native species that grow in abundance, smothering native plants and creating a range of problems. If you want to eradicate invasive species from your garden, you’ll need to seek professional treatment.

Japanese Knotweed
Fallopia japonica

As far as invasive species go, Japanese knotweed is one of the most feared. It has a bad reputation for being incredibly stubborn, fast-growing, and difficult to get rid of.

What should I look out for?

• White flowers that grow in clusters
• Bamboo-like red or purple stems
• Large heart-shaped leaves

How do I get rid of it?

Since Japanese knotweed is one of the more aggressive invasive weeds, you should seek professional help immediately! Taylor Total Weed Control offer a range of treatment plans to help you get it under control.

Call 029 2039 7554 or email sales@taylortwc.co.uk now.

Himalayan Balsam
Impatiens glandulifera

Himalayan balsam may look like a pretty flower, but it tends to pop up in lots of unwanted places. Each Himalayan balsam plant can disperse up to 1000 seeds from its explosive pods in the spring / summer months. This makes it a very common invasive plant in the UK.

What should I look out for?

• Clusters of purple or pink, helmet-shaped flowers
• Explosive seed pods
• Stems up to 2.5m high

How do I get rid of it?

To treat Himalayan balsam, we would recommend pulling it up, spraying the area with an effective herbicide and disposing of the plant waste. Do not compost Himalayan balsam in your garden, or you could encourage the spread. Taylor Total Weed Control offer a range of invasive plant treatment programmes.

Call 029 2039 7554 or email sales@taylortwc.co.uk now.

Horsetail
Equisetum arvense

Horsetail is a non-flowering, evergreen invasive weed that thrives in damp conditions. It has tall green stems that make it look like a waterside grass. However, horsetail isn't a grass species at all. Rather than spreading seeds to reproduce, it spreads spores – much like ferns.

What should I look out for?

• Long, narrow stems with siliceous ridges
• Small, non-photosynthetic leaves
• Bristles on each stem segment

How do I get rid of it?

While it’s true that horsetail is an invasive weed species, it’s not very good at competing with other plants. One of the quickest ways to eradicate horsetail is to plant lots of other plants around it. Eventually the horsetail will be smothered. Contact Taylor Total Weed Control for professional help if you’re struggling to treat horsetail in your garden.

Call 029 2039 7554 or email sales@taylortwc.co.uk now.

Giant Hogweed
Heracleum mantegazzianum

Giant hogweed is an invasive plant that originated in Southern Russia. The sap that giant hogweed produces contains chemicals that can cause the skin to blister, so great care needs to be taken when handling giant hogweed in your garden.

What should I look out for?

• Thick, green stems with purple blotches
• Small flower heads in large clusters that face upwards
• Leaves with sharp, jagged edges and a hairy underside

How do I get rid of it?

As mentioned above, giant hogweed is dangerous to touch. If you suspect you have it in your garden, it’s best to seek professional help. If you do need to touch it, be sure to wear protective gloves. Contact Taylor Total Weed Control to learn about our giant hogweed treatment plans.

Call 029 2039 7554 or email sales@taylortwc.co.uk now.

Hedge Bindweed
Calystegia sepium

Hedge bindweed is a problematic species because it has deep penetrating roots that can grow up to 6ft underground. Much like Japanese knotweed, a hedge bindweed infestation can grow from small rhizome fragments in the soil. This makes it incredibly hard to get rid of once it’s established itself in your garden.

What should I look out for?

• Pure white trumpet flowers
• Thick, strong, climbing stems
• Often found choking out existing plants in hedges

How do I get rid of it?

The most effective way to get rid of hedge bindweed is to excavate the ground and remove all traces of the plant. If you don’t want to dig up your garden, you should reach out to a professional weed removal company like Taylor Total Weed Control. They can treat the plant using specialist herbicides that you won’t find in the supermarket.

Call 029 2039 7554 or email sales@taylortwc.co.uk now.

So, if you’ve been wondering which invasive plants you should keep an eye out for in your garden, we hope you’ve found this useful. If you suspect you have an invasive weed in your garden, contact Taylor Total Weed Control now!

Contact Taylor Total Weed Control >

You may be aware of the headaches that Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) can cause for homeowners unlucky enough to find it growing on their property. This pesky plant is notoriously hard to get rid of, and you can find yourself on the wrong side of the law if you help it to spread into the wild.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

But even if you already knew all that, the true scale of the UK's Japanese knotweed problem may stun you. This isn't a niche issue that only affects a handful of unfortunate landowners - according to a recent study led by Dr Ross Cuthbert of Queen's University Belfast, Japanese knotweed costs the UK economy a whopping £41 million every year. And that's a conservative estimate.

More...

There are many benefits to a garden that's teeming with plant life. Not only can a beautiful garden make your property more appealing to buyers, some research suggests that tending plants is great for your mental health, plus your local bees will certainly appreciate all those flowers.

But there are some plants that no gardener wants to find in their flowerbeds. Certain species are renowned for their uncontrollable growing rate, or for the damage they're capable of causing. Some plants - such as Japanese knotweed - can even lead to legal trouble if you allow them to spread.

Come with us as we examine five problematic plants that you definitely don't want anywhere near your garden...

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Last year, we received an enquiry from the Llanharan Miners Hall in Rhondda Cynon Taf. They were concerned because Japanese knotweed had spread onto their land from a neighbouring property - quite a common problem, unfortunately - and they wanted to make sure the plant didn't get out of control.

Taylor Total Weed Control carried out a survey of the affected site and recommended a treatment programme, which is now in progress.

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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!

Japanese Knotweed Identification >

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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