Benidorm tests a new natural system to combat weeds in parks, gardens and public roads

Benidorm City Council, through the Department of Parks and Gardens, has begun to test a new natural product to improve the image of the city's parks and gardens, specifically when eliminating the weeds in them. The product is also effective in removing moss that appears on public roads and sidewalks.

The first tests have already been carried out with positive results in some spaces in  Poniente area. This product, based on pelargonic acid, extracted exclusively from plants, is completely natural and, therefore, authorized for use in public spaces, where herbicides based on glyphosates are prohibited.

According to the Department's technicians, this product can be applied throughout the year, obtaining optimal results on sunny days. In fact, the higher the brightness and temperature, the faster the visual effect will be.

It is a product that acts by contact, without systemic or residual activity, so all weeds must be covered for optimal control.

The Councilor for Parks and Gardens, José Ramón González de Zárate, has also pointed out that the use of this product has many advantages compared to other alternative methods such as mechanical clearing or burning. “It is faster, without noise,  fire risks and structural damage,” he said.

The use of this product is due to the prohibition established in regional and European regulations on using phytosanitary products. “Weeds show a bad image. That's why we want to remove them, but for the workers, it is expensive and complicated and it takes them more time to remove them. That's why we are testing this product," said the councillor, who stated that the first tests "are working well, which could be an important remedy for this problem and to improve the image of our parks and gardens."

New hedges and trees on the CV-70

On the other hand, the City Council will soon place a hedge on both sides of one of the main accesses to Benidorm: the CV-70 road.

“The section from the water treatment plant roundabout to the tunnelling of Beniardá Avenue is municipal property and that is why we are going to plant an oleander hedge to improve the image,” González de Zárate revealed. There will be 300 specimens of oleanders located on both sides of the road which will be complemented by the planting of more specimens of mulberry trees also on both sides of the avenue. “All this helps to improve the image of Benidorm” concluded González de Zárate.