Gardeners in the South West are being urged to help stop the spread of invasive plants.
The Property Care Association (PCA) has issued a warning about the risks posed by invasive non-native plants (INNPs), such as Japanese knotweed, which can damage driveways, overrun gardens, and spread to neighbouring properties.
The PCA’s Invasive Weed Control Group offers advice to homeowners and sets best practice standards for surveyors, construction professionals, and landscapers.
Daniel Docking, technical manager of the PCA’s Invasive Weed Control Group, said: “While experienced gardeners have a keen eye for plant species, there are many plant families, such as gunnera, rhododendron and bamboo, that have ornamental and invasive varieties which can be confusing.
“As part of a recent government consultation, we’ve called for better plant labelling to help householders understand what they are buying and for nurseries and suppliers to adopt biosecurity management plans to help ensure businesses are working to reduce the risk of invasive plants spreading through horticultural pathways.”
The PCA recommends three key actions to help gardeners reduce the risk of spreading invasive plants.
First, gardeners are encouraged to speak with staff at their local nursery or garden centre about their labelling systems and any steps they take to highlight invasive species.
Many popular ornamental plants such as montbretia and Virgina creeper are regulated by Schedule Nine of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which prohibits the release of any animal or plant species into the wild.
Second, the PCA advises gardeners to be vigilant and seek expert help if they spot invasive plants.
While some species can be managed independently, others, such as Japanese knotweed, should only be handled by professionals.
Lastly, the association stresses the importance of careful waste management.
Even small fragments, seeds, or rhizomes left in soil can allow invasive species to re-establish.
In some cases, contaminated soil will need to be disposed of and has limited scope for reuse or recycling.
The PCA also calls for greater government action, including incentives for low environmental impact remediation methods that avoid landfill and help prevent the environmental and economic harms caused by the spread of INNPs.
Sarah Garry, chief executive of the PCA, said: “We are seeing increasing evidence that waste soil containing invasive plant material is being diverted to quarry infill or land reclamation schemes rather than landfill.
“We believe there are solutions that combine environmental ambition with real-world deliverability and we’re asking the government to consider creating incentives to promote innovation and investment in research and development.
“Gardeners and homeowners have a key role to play in asking contractors about the responsible and compliant disposal of contaminated soil as well as demonstrating demand for improved plant labelling to help remove horticultural pathways for INNPs.”
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