Electric shock makes short work of weeds on artificial turf

Artificial turf taut and weed-free longer

Anyone who thinks you still have to remove weeds on artificial turf by hand is completely mistaken. With Wimmersson's eWeeding Roller, all you need is electricity to get stubborn greenery down to its roots. “Brushing, hot water or burning? That damages the artificial grass and a few weeks later the weeds are back,” says Bart-Jan America of Luijten Groentechniek. “For clients like soccer club Roda JC Kerkrade, we prefer a sustainable, future-proof approach.”

Sleek green fields are every soccer club's dream. But artificial turf is less low-maintenance than it seems. “When overseeding natural grass, some seed always blows into the artificial turf,” says Bart-Jan America, project manager at Luijten Groentechniek. “Airborne weed seeds also find their way into open areas, especially around sprinklers and control wells.” The result is more than an aesthetic problem: Weeds damage the substrate and stability, providing an ideal breeding ground for even more growth.

That used to mean a lot of manual labor. “Labor-intensive and not very effective,” America points out. “The eWeeding Roller works differently: the machine looks like a lawnmower but has electrically charged blades. On contact, the weeds receive a shock deep into the root and die.”

Electric and safe

Electricity on artificial turf? No problem. “Weeds conduct electricity, artificial grass does not. So no melting spots can occur,” says America. The eWeeding Roller fits perfectly with Luijten Groentechniek's sustainable approach. The machine runs on batteries charged by its own solar panels. It is CO2-neutral, quiet, odor- and dust-free. The working speed is 1 to 1.5 km per hour. “Not fast, but the effect lasts up to seventy days. That cuts our labor time in half,” America explains. “Compared to burning or hot water, where you have to treat each plant for three seconds, we are still faster.” Everything hinges on the right timing, though. “We get the best results on dry spring and summer days. Wet conditions reduce
the conduction.”

Ergonomics and ease of use

At 80 kilograms, the eWeeding Roller looks like a hefty lawnmower, but the casters allow you to maneuver it effortlessly. “You push it forward with two fingers, so to speak,” America laughs. “Our employee who operates it is in the fall of his career and is happy to be able to maintain the fields so easily.”

Cooperation with Wimmersson has also been smooth. “They personally trained our team and gave clear safety instructions. It's still electricity, so we always wear insulating safety boots.”