The Perfect Commercial Weed Management Toolbox from Kersten.
Every Council and Contractor is a little different - scale and budget will affect tooling up for weed management across a Town, but there is a common pattern we keep seeing that works.
The UBS and Weed Brush - Removing Soil and Detritus at Scale
The UBS Hydro II 13 is the perfect machine for speedily removing lots of weeds and soil, whilst maintaining a compact size that makes it easy to transport and handle. A few features - such as it's hydraulic steering, and extremely low vibration make it a comfortable machine for operators to use all day and it has proven to be a very productive workhorse. That's why it is fast becoming the first choice for weed management contractors and councils when partnered with the Mechanical Weed Brush attachment.
By removing the soil from a hard surface, we not only remove the existing weeds, but also the nutrients that feeds them and the support structure for larger plants. If we keep the soil at a manageable level then we will restrict the types of weeds that reappear, which will result in less perennials or woody plants. As you can see from the path, a lot of soil can be revealed from a path edging process, even on a surface that has been regularly sprayed in the past.
The Ripagreen Mobility Kit - Mobile Thermal Weed Management
Now that you are left with mainly small annuals and moss is able to re-emerge the kerbs and walls kan be kept clear of weeds with a thermal process using far fewer applications. Hot air is one of the most efficient methods of applying this heat and the Ripagreen Mobility Kit makes it extremely easy and targeted way for spot treatments or kerbs. The style of the machine is similar to a napsack and lance that operators will be used to, with all the similar advantages of being untethered to a machine.
When treating weeds with heat, we want to kill them as eary in the growth cycle as possible. This ensures that we are as efficient as possible with the gas we are using to kill each plant. (It is far quicker to pass the heat over seedings or saplings, than over the long established foliage of a weed that is about drop seeds) It will also result in far fewer applications of heat in a year, as each treatment will be more permanent than it is on a long established plant with a large root structure.
The Hoaf Weedair 50i - Wide Area Thermal Weed Management
For larger areas and spaces with block paving or gravel, where the coverage will be more consistent the heated air can be applied over a wider area with the HOAF WeedAir 50i. This allows for faster coverage of large areas, whilst maintaining the efficiencies of a hot air system. The WeedAir 50i is extremely easy to operate and provides the added safety of a protected flame, that is set back from the work area. The hood contains a heated pocket of air, which is passed over the plant to wilt it.
With these three tools, a council can keep most hard surfaces substantially free of weeds, with very few applications per year. In order to maximise the productivity and effectiveness it is important to use them as part of an integrated strategy.
Contact Chandlers Groundscare specialists Les Butters 07885 327477 or Guy Ward 07860 456438 for more information about the Kersten range of products or to arrange your on-site demonstration.