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Is this the dreaded JKW

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  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718
    An aquilegia is a pretty wild/cultivated plant that flowers in early summer. It’s called aquilegia because its petals resemble the talons of an eagle, or some call it columbine as its petals resemble a flock of doves, or there’s granny’s bonnet ... you’ve got the idea by now.
    Rutland, England
  • Ask your surveyor why he thinks there might be JKW or is it just a precautionary statement because of the time of year.
  • Walking said:
    Ask your surveyor why he thinks there might be JKW or is it just a precautionary statement because of the time of year.
    The exact wording is.

    This property suffers from the exceptional disadvantage in that there is what appears to be Japanese Knotweed growth throughout the rear garden. The growth should be inspected by a specialist to confirm whether this is in fact Japanese Knotweed.

    obviously, this person has far more experience than me hence my post 
  • That's a fairly unequivocal statement ... I would want the surveyor to show me what he/she believes to be JKW ... particularly because it usually disappears over winter and doesn't usually start into growth yet.

    Is there any 'dead' shrubby growth you could show us?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    edited February 2022
    @johnellison410CS0YZsfu
    All the green shoots look like Spanish bluebells - a bit of a nuisance but nothing to worry about.
    I suspect the stuff the surveyor is worried about is the asparagus type shoots I've ringed in red from one of your pics. One of those shoots in the second picture could be an ash sapling. Not great but not disastrous.

    I'm not so sure about the ones I've highlighted from your third picture:



    They could still be ash or other tree saplings or suckers (you mention large trees nearby) but (if it were me) I'd want to be sure what I was taking on.

    Sorry John.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • TopbirdTopbird Posts: 8,355
    Just to add a bit of reassurance - at the moment those shoots do look more like tree suckers / saplings than the pictures of JKW new growth you can find on the internet. However, I would want somebody who knows what they're talking about to visit and give a definitive answer. 

    As @Dovefromabove asked - were there any dead stems lying around to indicate JKW or did you think the garden might have been cleared a bit before your visit?

    If the garden is completely full of tree suckers that would also give me pause for thought about whether I wanted to proceed.
    Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
  • Are there ash trees near the property? I have to say I cannot give you any advice on knotweed other than you must not take it of your property.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • It could also be that your surveyor has previous knowledge of JKW in the locality ?  As with many professional services, there is a tendency to warn of "possibilities" simply to cover themselves against any future disputes/legal action taken by their clients.
    As already suggested, asking around various neighbouring properties if possible and asking your surveyor to clarify his/her suspicions would be a good idea.
  • Below are some pics to show you what Japanese knot weed looks like as it emerges.

    Should be evidence of old canes I would suspect if it is in the garden.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • I didn’t see anything like that at All 
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