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To truly understand the impact of Japanese knotweed on development and construction sites, it is first important to understand the nature of this plant. What is Japanese knotweed and why is it causing so much trouble for homeowners and land developers? Japanese knotweed is a common type of plant that is spreading throughout the US, UK and Europe. When it grows above surface, it is easily recognizable. This plant has an amazing growth rate and can be very difficult to eradicate completely. Even if the surface weeds have been taken care of, it's no guarantee the the problem has been removed completely. This is because it is possible that Japanese knotweed remains dormant underground. The underground portion of the plant is known as rhizome, and can contain huge reserves of energy. During growing season, shoots then grow out of rhizomes and the problem occurs once again. Unlike many other weeds, the Japanese knotweed has no natural predators. For this reason, it can easily grow out of control when left unattended. This can cause all sorts of problems and damages to both homeowners and land developers. Here are a few possible scenarios. 1) Small area infested with Japanese knotweed. The plant has been seen growing in a small plot of land. This plot of land is very close to the development site. And if the plant is allowed to spread, it may cause possible delays to the project. 2) Dormant rhizome in the soil. When the soil is tampered with, the rhizome may be triggered to grow again. The infestation problem then becomes more visible and more difficult to handle. 3) Moderately infested property. Japanese knotweed has infested the building and can be seen causing cracks in the walls or on the floor. This can cause serious damage to the property as removing the weed can be costly if the problem is left untrested. 4) Heavy infestation. This usually happens to a site or property that has been neglected for a very long time. The plant has been allowed to spread and grow with zero outside interference. The extend of the damage becomes hard to measure due to the degree of infestation. One can easily see that such infestations can cause a serious dent in a development project's time line. The problem needs to be dealt with before proper construction work can commence. The above are all possible scenarios and the most glaring impact is that Japanese knotweed can cause serious delays to development projects. This has adverse implications on the cost of the project. Fortunately, there are solutions for all the scenarios mentioned above. Don't take the problem too lightly and hire an unqualified contractor to remove the Japanese knotweed. You may run into other problems later on. Consult a Japanese knotweed specialist to take care of the problem once and for all.
Knotweed is a serious problem and Japanese knotweed removal is not to be taken lightly - Find out more on managing Japanese Knotweed on development sites.
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