Author Topic: On line again - at last! (Read 3228 times)

mab · « **on:** April 12, 2012, 11:06:36 pm »

Hello everyone,

Having moved to Wales on the 18th March, I've finally been connected (I made the mistake of going with a certain telecoms co whose name is a 4 letter word starting with 'T', repeated - though I'm tempted to use a word that ends in T). They originally said it would be a couple of weeks.

Move went more-or-less OK (didn't lose any animals on the way; the ancient horse box performed beautifully; only left a few things in E anglia) and I've spent the last few weeks making the 'house' (actually a static caravan) almost habitable

(well habitable by the standards of someone who's not too picky).

Started planting veg; discovered Japanese knotweed (Aaarrrgh!!

) in the veg garden (do pigs eat it?? - I was planning on getting a couple for land clearance anyway), and have started hedgelaying and fence repairs - albeit rather amateurishly.

Will have plenty of idiot questions in the near future, but need to get caught up on other stuff I haven't been able to do without a phoneline (200 odd emails for a start).

mab

doganjo · « **Reply #1 on:** April 12, 2012, 11:40:06 pm »

Welcome back, glad the move went reasonably smoothly. Isn't Jap knotweed notifiable and needs specialist removal? I seem to remember one of these Grand Designs programmes having a problem with it. Or maybe that was Giant hogweed now i think about it

CameronS · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2012, 12:20:13 am »

hello! glad the move went well!! - i do think as annie says Jap Knotweed has special requirements for removal

tizaala · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2012, 08:04:30 am »

Yes , pigs will only spread it , I has to have a specialist systemic spray ,or is it injections into every stem, don't the roots or rhizomes go down about 40 ft or something daft like that.??

Bionic · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2012, 08:12:22 am »

Hi MAB, glad your move went relatively ok.

We only got here on 16th Feb. It took us 3 weeks to get our phone line and internet up and running too.

In the local Carmarthenshire paper there was a full page 'advert' about Japanese knotweed and about it being notifiable. Unfortunately I have thrown the paper out and can't remember any of the details.

We are hedging and fence repairing at the moment too. Hoping to pick up a couple of weaners in May so we have to crack on with things.

Sally

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2012, 09:42:43 am »

Welcome back

mab · « **Reply #6 on:** April 13, 2012, 04:53:15 pm »

Thanks everyone,

Sorry if this is a silly question but whom do you notify about Japanese knotweed? the council? And what do they do then?

m

mab · « **Reply #7 on:** April 13, 2012, 05:19:41 pm »

Just looked in carmarthenshire news - that arrived the other day - nothing in there - and not found much on the council website yet.

I've started digging it out - following advice I got from somewhere (I then place it on iron sheet to dry, then I'll burn it - all on the site it is/was growing) - I think I then inject glyphosphate (SP?) into any new shoots (but obviously can't let pigs eat it then).

I was hoping pigs might be an easy way of finishing it off after digging it out. Oh well.

henchard · « **Reply #8 on:** April 13, 2012, 05:22:09 pm »

Quote from: mab on April 13, 2012, 04:53:15 pm

Thanks everyone,

Sorry if this is a silly question but whom do you notify about Japanese knotweed? the council? And what do they do then?

m

According to Shropshire Council

http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/environmentalhealth.nsf/open/CE7E3A0BCFA72B49802576F000389CE9

It is not an offence to have Japanese knotweed on your land and it is not a notifiable weed. It is an offence to cause the spread of Japanese Knotweed under Section 14(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA 1981) which states that 'if any person plants or otherwise causes to grow in the wild any plant which is included in Part II of Schedule 9, he shall be guilty of an offence.' Japanese knotweed is one of the plants listed in the Schedule

mab · « **Reply #9 on:** April 13, 2012, 09:46:46 pm »

Quote from: henchard on April 13, 2012, 05:22:09 pm

Quote from: mab on April 13, 2012, 04:53:15 pm
Thanks everyone,

Sorry if this is a silly question but whom do you notify about Japanese knotweed? the council? And what do they do then?

m

According to Shropshire Council

http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/environmentalhealth.nsf/open/CE7E3A0BCFA72B49802576F000389CE9

It is not an offence to have Japanese knotweed on your land and it is not a notifiable weed. It is an offence to cause the spread of Japanese Knotweed under Section 14(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA 1981) which states that 'if any person plants or otherwise causes to grow in the wild any plant which is included in Part II of Schedule 9, he shall be guilty of an offence.' Japanese knotweed is one of the plants listed in the Schedule

Good - I was beginning to worry that they might insist I pay a professional company to remove it if I told them.

Interesting that shropshire dc say it can be grazed - I may send the sheep & pony in before getting the glyphosate in...

first things first - dig out & burn the big bits.

Thanks

m