To most people, the idea of controlling unwanted weeds and vegetation is an arduous task; especially when their weeds are out of control and seem unmanageable. Where do you begin when it comes to regaining control of your garden or communal spaces?
When it comes to weed control, there are a number of ways that you can maintain that unruly, unwanted vegetation that is growing in your green areas. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can control weeds:
- Foamstream is a safe, cost-effective and multi-functional method of weed control. It works by using a biodegradable foam blanket to trap heat, delivered in hot water, on the plant for longer, ensuring a more effective kill. It’s also environmentally friendly and safe for use around people, animals and water.
- Herbicides that include glyphosate are regularly used in households and towns around the UK. Today, the use of glyphosate to control unwanted vegetation is highly controversial. There’s lots of scientific research and studies to both approve and disapprove its toxicity.
- Hot water works in the same way as Foamstream; applying heat to the weed to cause damage. However, without the insulated foam blanket, heat retention reduces immensely as it is able to escape to the surrounding atmosphere. This means that the critical kill-zone temperature of 57°C and above isn’t maintained for long enough to cause lasting damage to the root of the plant.
- Steam is similar to hot water in its practice. The aim is to damage the plant with heat, but without the use of insulation, again, the heat retention is reduced and damage to the plant is lessened as a result.
- Propane weeding, also known as flame weeding or flaming, involves briefly passing an open flame over the weed thereby rupturing the cells from the intense heat which then causes the plant to die. However, propane weeding is unable to target the seed bed below the surface of the soil, meaning that although the weed appears to have died, regrowth is likely to occur not long after treatment.
- Electricity can be used to destroy vital activity of weeds using electrical currents. A higher level of training is required to use electrical equipment properly, and it’s also worth noting that the equipment can only be used in dry weather, so you won't be able to eliminate weeds all year round.
- Manual weeding involves using handheld tools to maintain weeds, but it's common to see extremely fast regrowth with manual weeding - sometimes within a few days - as the process has no lasting effect on the seed bed beneath the weed.
Why use herbicide-free alternatives?
There have been changes to legislation around the use of herbicides, such as glyphosate, following three court cases that set a precedent in America. The cases all addressed the safety of glyphosate’s use in public spaces. The most recent case witnessed a California jury hold Monsanto - the makers of weed killer, Roundup, - responsible for a couple contracting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The couple were awarded over $2 billion
Another Monsanto trial saw a Californian school groundskeeper take the company to trial, claiming that he formed cancer after using the herbicide to control weeds on school grounds. He was awarded $289 million by the jury.
By using a herbicide-free alternative, you reduce the risk of health concerns that surround the use of glyphosate. Not to mention you’ll be using an environmentally friendly alternative to keep your weeds under control.
Foamstream for commercial use
A rise in interest towards the herbicide-free movement has led to change within organisations and public entities, such as councils and contractors. Contractors and service companies are on-boarding herbicide-free solutions as part of their product offerings to ensure they still win new tenders and are well positioned to respond to requests for alternative solutions by their existing client base.
Foamstream is the most cost effective and versatile method of environmentally friendly weed control. It requires only 2-3 treatments annually and the results are visible instantly. And not only does it kill uncontrollable weeds, but it also removes moss and algae and can be used for urban cleaning, sanitisation, as well as gum and graffiti removal.
Speak to Weedingtech
If any of your constituents have contacted you with concerns about glyphosate and weed control, or perhaps said ‘Help! My weeds are out of control!’, get in touch with Weedingtech today. Our herbicide-free alternative can help you provide a sustainable weed control solution for your local area.
