One of the good things to come out of the current lockdown is that we’re rapidly turning into a nation of composters, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.

They have reported a surge in interest in home composting advice since the lockdown as councils curb garden waste collections, with a 500% increase in views of the page ‘how to compost’ in the first nine days of lockdown compared to the same dates last year.

Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen and garden waste such as fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, teabags, hedge clippings and cardboard, thereby reducing the need for a garden waste bin and freeing up space in the normal waste bin too. It’s environmentally friendly and produces beautiful nutrient-packed compost that can be used around the garden to give plants a boost.

So, what shouldn’t you put in the bin? Well, number one on the list is Japanese knotweed waste of any kind. We’ve seen knotweed growing happily on “compost heaps” which aren’t properly composting or reaching suitable temperatures to destroy the rhizome. Regrettably, gardeners will quickly realise its extraordinary powers of regrowth when knotweed sprouts from compost materials carefully placed in their prized flower beds or vegetable gardens.

Japanese knotweed should always be professionally treated, so contact us today to find out how we can help. Cutting knotweed back or attempting to dig it up yourself can make the problem worse and encourage it to spread. But if you do produce any Japanese knotweed waste during your day to day gardening, be sure to dispose of it responsibly following the Government guidelines and don’t, whatever you do, be tempted to add it to your normal garden waste or compost heap!