Japanese knotweed was first introduced in the Netherlands by the German botanist Philip Frank Balthasar von Siebold who became famous for his research on Japanese flora and fauna. He first brought Japanese knotweed to the Netherlands between 1829 and 1841. The newly introduced species was then cultivated in Leiden and sold as an ornamental plant. Since the 1950s Japanese knotweed has begun to spread outdoors on a large scale due to the dumping of garden waste and ground excavations, amongst other sources. Well.. We have been aware of this. Meanwhile this exotic plant has spread extensively all over the Netherlands where it has taken over any space it could reach. Municipalities, water authorities, provinces and site managers are at a loss. The Japanese knotweed overgrows everything and damages foundations, roads and dikes.This ferocious plant is almost impossible to eradicate since even when a miniscule part of the plant or root remains in the soil it once again returns in full force.

The solution HMVT has come up with for this obstinate problem is the use of heat. When the soil reaches a temperature of above 55 ^oC the knotweed dies and with it the extensive network of underground roots. We have already successfully implemented this technique at a first project in Rotterdam and our next project is bound to be launched in Amsterdam.

This project is in collaboration with the University of Wageningen. A team of researchers determined that throughout the treated area all remains of the plant were successfully killed off. To validate this further, the soil has been spread out at the location to be monitored by Wageningen University until the end of the season. Afterwards we can be one hundred percent certain that we have defeated this harmful invasive species.

Want to know more?

Would you like to know more about our method for eradication of Japanese knotweed? In just a few weeks we will receive the control results of the last monitoring period by Wageningen University. Once all results are in we will be glad to share an update and give you a good idea of the functioning of this method. Just leave us your email via the link. We will get in touch with further information after the summer once we have received all the new results. Then we can say with 100 % certainty that with our method every last part of the plant was eradicated.

Click here to leave us your email address so we can keep you updated on the progress of Japanese knotweed eradication. It is worth it, even if all tried methods so far have failed.

For more information please contact our expert Ted Vendrig