Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Weed control without herbicide

About the challenge
[edit | edit source]To replace herbicides with a safer natural method of weed control Unwanted plants are eradicated with hot water blanketed with a natural foam
Description
[edit | edit source]Botanists have known for a long time that boiling water kills weeds. The problem with making thermal technology available on a commercial basis has been finding a way to keep the heat on the plant long enough to kill it. Hot water alone doesn’t work well enough. Foamstream, a biodegradable foam made from natural and renewable plant oils and sugars can be precisely applied to weeds with hot water and the combination effectively eradicates weeds.
Heat is applied to the weed in the form of foam and hot water The foam acts as a blanket, keeping the heat on the weed long enough to kill it A wetting agent in the foam speeds up the transfer of heat into the weed’s cell walls The weed dies within minutes Repeated applications can reach tap roots where their eradication is required
Areas of impact
[edit | edit source]- Ecology
- Seeds, Food & Soil
See also
[edit | edit source]| Authors | Ernesto Sun |
|---|---|
| License | CC-BY-SA-4.0 |
| Organizations | Global Ecovillages Network |
| Ported from | https://www.ecovillage.org/solution/weed-control-without-herbicide/ (original) |
| Cite as | Ernesto Sun (2025–2026). "Global Ecovillage Network/Solution Library/Weed control without herbicide". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026. |