In many European countries, it’s no longer allowed to use chemical pesticides to control weeds in public spaces. This is a problem for many landscapers and municipalities, as fighting weeds is much more difficult without these chemicals. But not to worry, there are ways to let the sweeping truck help out.  How? We’ll tell you all about it in this blog.

The current state of affairs

In the past years, it became painfully clear what the absence of glysophate looks like when fighting weeds. Temperatures were high, nights were relatively warm and the number of rain showers was exceptional. The perfect conditions for weeds to grow! And so they did. The ban on glysophate created more work with less result. Fortunately, there are still ways to combat weeds preventively.

Change the base

Is your organisation currently sweeping on a frequency basis? This may have worked well in the past, but it appears that, today, the combination of frequency-based and image-based sweeping works best. This is especially true when your sweeping planning takes into account the weeds control tasks. The first step towards solid weeds control is to talk to the ones who are responsible for weeds in your organisation. You could even do some preliminary work yourself and find out where the weeds grow. For instance, you could investigate what areas have poorer drainage, what paths are less walked on and what areas are difficult to reach due to, for example, small corners. In addition, you can have your weeds control colleagues tell you they know about the areas that score high on the growth of weeds. Include these areas in your sweeping planning.

Register the operation of the brushes

Thanks to the information you received from your colleagues, you can have the machines operate in a much more targeted way. Instead of hoping for the best results, you now know where the problem areas are, and which streets need extra attention. Another important point that can also help you sweep more effectively is to register the functioning of the sweeping brushes. Thanks to a modem that is built into sweeping trucks, you know exactly whether the sweeping has taken place. This way, you’ll never send out drivers on the road for nothing!

Define the number of sweeping hours

In addition to the functioning of the brushes and the adjusted routes the sweepers take, it’s very useful to know how many hours the brushes are actually touching the ground. After all, simply driving a sweeping truck does not help you control weeds. That’s why the hours that are available to spend on weeds control should be used as efficiently as possible. This is where the modem can help you, too. It helps you gain insight in whether the sweeping trucks you manage are sweeping 4, 6 or 8 hours a day.

Smart software and collaboration

To control weeds without chemicals, there are a couple of things you need. One of these things revolves around the collaboration with your colleagues, that probably know more about weeds than you. The drivers of the sweeping trucks are in the best position to spot the problem areas, which is why you should always talk to them first. Additionally, smart software gives you information on what is happening outside, so that you can adjust and optimise your sweeping routes where necessary. This way, you ensure that weeds grow in far fewer places, as the growth medium and the seeds have been removed. This allows you to move on to the next growing season with a head start!

What measures do you take to control the growth of weeds? Let us know in a comment!