16/04/2025
Japanese knotweed (well what else should I talk about?) is actively growing at the moment. I came across this beauty in Lincolnshire earlier this week, 1.2m tall already and still growing fast! This represents a growth rate of well over 1 foot a week... For the time of year, Japanese knotweed is indeed making fast growth, however it is still quite possible for a late frost to kill off (or at least damage) all this new growth. It is of course far too early to start herbicide treatment, and this cannot be effectively started until June (at the earliest!). As usual at this time of year, I speak about monitoring sites post treatment. I have (again) heard about contractors doing their monitoring of treated sites in April - it is far too early for treated sites to be monitored, & these visits are meaningless. The PCA has issued new guidance for monitoring & this stipulates that monitoring must only take place for Japanese knotweed in late summer.
26/03/2025
Plant identification... Last week I went to a development site in Cardiff to look at some Cotoneaster.
The site had considerable quantities of Cotoneaster plants, & a concern had been raised that these might be Schedule 9 species & therefore controlled waste.
I carefully examined the plants, confirmed that they were all of the same species (it is quite possible for several Cotoneaster species to exist on site) and was able to identify the plants as being Cotoneaster conspicuus & that this species is not included within Schedule 9.
Identifying plants down to species is a real skill, & I must thank my tutors at Writtle College from the 1980s for training me. A good text book (Clive Stace, New Flora of the British Isles) is of course required, as is a small kit to take on site (hand lens (x10), rulers, secateurs, etc.). The hand lens & Felco secateurs have been by my side for my entire career, as I purchased them as a fresher at Writtle College in 1986.
Does anyone else use tools that they purchased nearly 40 years ago?
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