Knotweed can be turned into garden friend

SCIENTISTS have found, for the first time, a way to make use of the nightmare Japanese knotweed plant which invades gardens and damages homes.

The plant is native to Asia and was initially brought to the UK for its pretty flowers, but homeowners soon learnt that the roots of the plant grow relentlessly outward and are strong enough to pierce concrete, bricks and mortar.

Environet is an invasive plant specialist based in Woking, Surrey, which professionally excavates and removes knotweed infestations.

It has now patented a groundbreaking method where the roots are turned into biochar, a form of charcoal that has a honeycomb-like structure which can be infused with liquid fertiliser and ploughed back into the soil.

Nic Seal, Environet managing director, who fine tuned the process, said: “Japanese knotweed may be the villain of the plant world, but for the first time it has the potential to do some good.”