Floors Castle turn to Foamstream for non-chemical weed control

A Foamstream L12 system is delivering effective non-herbicidal weed control and labour savings too, for the team at Floors Castle.

Tasked with keeping on top of a variety of weed species within the picturesque grounds and gardens, Head Gardener Simon McManus explains how together with significantly reducing the time spent hand-weeding, the L12 has also been utilised as a cleaning system to give the Castle a perfect photo finish.

Described as ‘The Gem of the Scottish Borders’, Floors Castle is the centrepiece of the beautiful Roxburghe Estate, built in 1721 and today welcoming visitors from far and wide to explore and enjoy its scenic surroundings – including approximately four acres of ornamental grounds and gardens. “The walled garden comprises four big herbaceous borders and we also have a small vegetable garden as well as private gardens which aren’t open to the public – all needing to look good year-round” explains Simon, who has been at Floors Castle for almost twenty years.

With just a team of three, plus himself, the facility were in need of both a quicker and more environmentally-friendly weed control method to traditional treatments with chemicals and labour-intensive hand-weeding. “We took delivery of our L12 unit from Weedingtech last year after an impressive demonstration. As a new technology I have to admit there was some initial scepticism but the results of the trial spoke for themselves and since our purchase, we have only discovered more and more benefits!”

The active ingredient in Foamstream is hot water, insulated by a 100% organic, plant-based foam which keeps the water in the kill-zone for long enough to effectively eliminate a range of weeds and other unwanted vegetation. The ‘plug and play’ L12 delivery system is compact and portable, with a range of wand options making it ideal for all areas and applications.

“It’s used regularly throughout the spring and summer. We went out one day in April to treat a border thick with weeds which would have previously taken the four of us a day to clear. One two-hour treatment with Foamstream and by the next morning it’s all dead. It’s also fantastic at killing moss and algae which were becoming a problem to treat around the site with the ongoing withdrawal of chemical solutions.”

Simon continues, “Over the winter when the weeds are less of an issue, we found we could use the L12 as a pressure washer to clean the roof of the glasshouses - and it did another brilliant job! It’s clear this machine is going to become a key part of our overall maintenance programme.”