Country Landscapes

Giant Hogweed Treatment in Bolton & Bury

Highly invasive and aggressive weeds such as Giant Hogweed need specialist knowledge from qualified professional contractors to control and manage them.

This plant is very aggressive, degrading native plant and wildlife habitat, and be a safety concern along roadways

Giant Hogweed is one of the biggest biannual plants - a native of central Asia and Russia, it is related to the common Cow Parnip found in grassland and meadows. It has quickly spread following introduction in the 19th century as an exotic garden plant. Unlike Japanese knotweed it can spread even more quickly due to the excessive amount of seeds produced following flowering - and it's therefore vital to control before it get the chance to seed! Giant Hogweed is listed under schedule 9 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, and is also classified as controlled waste by the Environment Agency.

Giant Hogweed have very broad, large, serrated leaves, like thistles, that can reach a diameter of over 2m. It has a round, hairy and hollow stem spotted in red and can reach up to 5m in height. The flowers are white umbels that look like cow parsley on steroids. The umbel flower heads can produce 50,000 seeds. Seeds are around 1-1.5cm and is the sole means of spreading and reproduction – often carried along waterways and growing on riverbanks.

Often in the headlines it causes burns and blisters - it is phototoxic - the sap is known to be toxic to animals and causes a photo sensitive burn in humans – sunlight and UV triggers a painful and red flare up. Sap rubbed in the eyes can even lead to permanent blindness in severe cases, however the leaves and stems have fine hairs which can also produce burns very like scalding and sometimes permanent scarring.

We use the safest solutions to tackle your hogweed problems.

Why we need to control Giant Hogweed:-

Causes obstruction and decreased visibility, taking over rivers banks etc.

Prevent hazards to health and employee risks - especially to children who may play nearby

Avoid legal implications e.g. law suits and claims for damages from adjoining landowners

Why Call In Country Landscapes?

We Are Knowledgeable and Qualified Professionals in the Treatment and Removal of Giant Hogweed

Strict legal and health and safety compliance means that weed killing is very much a specialist and skilled operation needing careful planning to offer the high standard of results expected.

Our staff are fully trained and qualified, and individually have over 30 years' experience dealing with weed treatment and removal.

The Noxious Weeds Act (1959) requires land owners to eliminate "scheduled" weeds and The Wildlife and Countryside Act(1981) specifies the control of Giant Hogweed.

Cost effectiveness:-

Proven use of herbicides gives cost effect control

Cheaper than spending £10,000's than knotweed removal by digging it out and removing it!

Long term management and control

Protects your asset and property value

Reduces the need to reinstate broken tarmac and other damage

Improve the appearance of unkempt areas, discouraging tipping etc.

Improve the growth of landscape plants and trees by competition

Safer Service

In addition to being fully qualified to spray herbicides safely, it is useful to evaluate the main chemical used for the control of Giant Hogweed to alleviate fears as to safety. Compared with Gylphosate (the most widely used chemical):-

Coffee is around 30 times more toxic

Paracetamol is 22 times more toxic

Vitamin A is approximately 3 times more toxic

Dandruff shampoo is approximately 40 times more toxic

Nicotine is approximately 113 times more toxic


High Quality Products

It is unlike that the unqualified or the DIYer can obtain sufficient strength glyphosate

Use of the most effective non-hazardous products developed for control and eradication of Giant Hogweed


Better Results

Individual attention and assessment

Ecology sensitive approach

Help manage and maintain areas to prevent further problems

Even application of treatments

Plan and times applications for best results

3 steps to a solving your Giant Hogweed problem!

1. Ring our Giant Hogweed treatment Hotline on 01204 775 800 to arrange a FREE no obligation consultation.

2. Plan the programme and timescale e.g. three year programme, with review and client to monitor thereafter. Some sites may require additional treatment/s for example if there are "neighbouring cross boundary root systems" and how well established the knotweed is.

3. Obtain a FREE quotation below

We offer Giant Hogweed Treatment to all of the Northwest including Greater Manchester & Lancashire:

Country Landscapes' Giant Hogweed service operates in all areas of Bolton including Bolton, Bradshaw, Egerton, Bromley Cross, Harwood, Ladybridge, Horwich and Westhoughton; Bury including Tottington, Greenmount, Brandlesholme, Summerseat, Holcombe Brook, Unsworth, Radcliffe, Whitefield, Ramsbottom and Rawtenstall; If your area is not mentioned please give us a call as we can still help.

Our qualified experts have over 30 years experience in weed control. Contact us for more information.