Gardening is supposed to be a relaxing hobby. With the clocks going forward one hour to mark the official start of British Summer Time, green-fingered types will look forward to pottering around the garden on longer, sunnier days.
However, gardening can be challenging - especially if a garden is afflicted with pests, overgrown bushes and weeds. One such stubborn specimen is Japanese knotweed.
This is very difficult to get rid of; the government website lists very specific instructions for its removal. For example, it is recommended that you do not try to treat knotweed yourself unless you have the appropriate skills and experience.
You must also notify the Environment Agency at least one month before you bury the knotweed. If you’re unlucky enough to have a garden where Japanese knotweed has unfortunately found a home, or if your garden has been taken over by weeds, then news of technology that is plant-friendly might be right up your alley.
As reported by The Times, plants can now be zapped with an electric charge which increases the inner temperature to kill it. Its lack of chemical usage means it is a more humane and safer way to extinguish troublesome weeds without affecting surrounding plants, flowers or healthy vegetation.
RootWave based in Warwickshire have created an electric, hand-held device. Press the tip of the Rootwave Pro to the plant’s stem and send a 5kV voltage to zap away your weedy woes.
The technology works by sending pulses of electricity through the entire plant, from roots down below to the plant’s uppermost branches. By raising the internal temperature of the plant, the plant’s cells are boiled without affecting any other plant in its vicinity.
The plant that is dead can then be left to wither away into compost. Or, if you’re feeling particularly vengeful for the numerous years you suffered with continuous weeds, you can pull out the plant and discard in a separate bin.
The zapper has been trialled successfully by Exmoor National Park, Transport for London and English Heritage. One zapper costs approximately £12,000.
It works by being connected to a high voltage generator and is transported in a trolley or large vehicle such as a 4x4. English Heritage now uses this electric technology for the majority of its weed maintenance at Audley End House and Gardens, in Saffron Walden, Essex.
One user of the zapper has sung the new technology’s praises. Gemma Sturgess, supervisor of the walled Victorian garden, said: “We are seeing significantly reduced regrowth.
"Only one person needs to do it, rather than lots of people hand weeding.” The zapper has been used for over a year by TfL which used it to control its Japanese knotweed invasion.
They managed to save time by using a three-person team to take on the weed-control task instead of their usual 12-person crew. Craig Ward, project manager for vegetation clearance at London Underground, said: “The plant dies instantly and crucially grow-back is significantly reduced compared with previous methods”.
Following a two-year trial, Holly Moser from Exmoor National Park said: “We have quite a few sites where there is no visible growth and quite a lot where only a few shoots are visible”.
