Chemical vs Integrated Weed Management

If killing weeds was a one off event, then only using chemicals to manage weeds would make sense.

1. It's fast
2. It's cheap
3. It's effective

But killing weeds is not a one off event...

Weeds need to be managed over time and as part of an environment.

Weeds on hard surfaces are a sypmtom of poor surface maintenance.

If we treat the symptom without treating their cause, the symptom becomes worse and more difficult to treat over time.

When a surface is installed, there will be no weeds present for a while.

But over time, detritus builds up on the surface and decomposes to produce soil.

This soil is terrible for the surface for many reasons;

1. It stores water and nutrience that feeds plants, as well as providing them with mechanical support.
2. It stores water, which freezes in winter - exploiting any weaknesses in the surface and causing damage.
3. It prevents water from running away into drains
4. It becomes slippery when wet
5. it builds up most in kerb edges, providing a ramp... now the kerb won't redirect slow moving vehicles.

As soil becomes deeper, the weeds become worse... In shallow soil, you normally only get moss and annuals, which are very easy to kill, as they do not store much energy and can be easily removed or killed. As the soil builds it provides enough support, nutrients and water for larger perennials and woodier plants. These are much more difficult to remove or kill, requiring more regular treatment and will also cause more damage to the surface.

Therefore, combining a weed killing regime with a plan to reduce detritus and soil will make your weed killing efforts more effective over time.

As well as providing many cost saving benefits, such as a reduced infrastructure damage and less treatments over time.

For more information on Integrated Weed Management follow this link;

https://kerstenuk.com/integrated-weed-management-for-amenity

Ready to create an Integrated Weed Management plan?

Find out by taking our free assessment;

https://kerstenuk.com/Kersten-Integrated-Weed-Management-Assessment