For many, eliminating weeds usually only meant either using toxic herbicides or doing it by hand.
Organic growers, however, have been frowning upon the use of either technique in commercial farming. And understandably so.
Why? Most commercial herbicides pose potential harm not only to the user but also to the environment. Toxic herbicides contaminate water, soil, and the air. There is always risk of human or wildlife exposure to pesticide residues.
Roundup, a popular herbicide brand in the United States, has recently been banned in France due to safety concerns. Its active ingredient, glyphosate, has been classified as a probable carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The substance also poses great harm to wildlife when residues reach bodies of water due to its aquatic organism toxicity.
Meanwhile, manually pulling out weeds, either by hand or tools, can be arduous and time-consuming. Even with an effective system,
this method often requires an enormous amount of persistence as weeds tend to keep coming back.
Third Alternative
One technique that deserves everyone’s attention is the use of searing hot water. Used in many cultures for over a century now, this alternative has stood the test of time due to its efficacy and safety.
The concept of the water-based thermal weed control is simple: hot water breaks down the plant's cellular structures. Unable to retain moisture, these weeds dehydrate within hours or a few days. Hot water kills new or mature weeds.
In the past, people have expressed worry that improper spraying of hot water could kill beneficial soil microorganisms as well as insect pests and weeds. Having to haul around a large reservoir of hot water is also not practical. For many years, many have figured the hot water technology is not cost effective.
While many see great potential in its large-scale use, the lack of technology dedicated to improving it has held back many people against it.
A Modern Take On An Age-Old Method
One company at least is tapping on that potential with HotZot, a new product that brings the hot water weed control method to the modern era.
With its modern design, HotZot by Weeds Never Sleep, LLC addresses long-held concerns against the traditional means of hot water weed control.
HotZot combines scalding hot water with organic herbicides, finally bringing to the table a Roundup alternative that many organic growers have been waiting for.
It is portable and connected to a hose or backpack tank so no one needs to carry around heavy containers of boiling water. Its narrow sprayer allows its user to aim and shoot narrow jets of boiling water very accurately. Properly utilized, this tool can kill up to 300 weeds per hour.
Since its creators specifically designed it for gardeners, users need not stoop, kneel, nor crawl in the mud to reach their target. Just point and shoot.
HotZot allows farmers to move through the fields freely. They can effortlessly pinpoint the weeds that need zapping without harming the precious crops in the process.
Its versatility allows it to be used in any field wherever weeding is needed. In fact, it can scale easily from residential use to commercial and small agriculture.
Hot New Product
HotZot is gearing up to enter the market. And its brilliant concept has been gaining interest among farmers and investors who are already on board to invest and preorder.
Its potential for use in commercial farming makes it an easy shoo-in for Roundup, which many are already ditching due to safety concerns.
It has even earned support from Congressman Kurt Schrader (D. Oregon 5th Congressional District) and from the Deputy Director for Earl Blumenauer (D. Oregon 3rd Congressional District) who dubbed it “the right tool at the right time.”
What makes it even better is that anyone can show their support in this hot new product by investing early. The company is even offering a pre-production HotZot to early investors who invest $500 or more. This means early adopters can get their hands on this weed-killing wonder before everybody else.
The Right Tool
Growers who aim for clean gardening or farming should focus on using products that come from natural origins. The HotZot uses only scalding hot water and citric acid to kill weeds where they live and leave no trace behind.
In this regard, HotZot appears to be the right choice as it ticks all the right boxes in providing a safe, cost-efficient, and effective solution in literally weeding out an age-old problem.