"No Chemical" Weeders For Specialty Crops

"No Chemical" Weeders For Specialty Crops CULTIVATORS Cultivators (58C) 25-2-42 If you grow vegetables, fruits or other specialty crops, you'll like these "mechanical" finger-type cultivators from the Buddingh Weeder Co., Dutton, Mich. The In-Row Weeder removes weeds around plants using rubber fingers mounted on a cone. These fingers stir soil and remove small weeds, but leave established plants intact. Says Phil Sarber, owner of the Buddingh Weeder Co., "Our customers use this weeder to weed around shrubs, bushes and small trees in nursery operations. You can operate it at speeds of 3 to 5 mph without damaging trees." The In-Row Weeder is a 7 in. cone-shaped wheel with 3 1/2-in. long rubber fingers for weeding. Steel ground driven spikes keep the wheel turning. The weeding fingers are spring-mounted. The cone wheel itself is spring-mounted on a flexing arm that allows the weeder to move aside if it should hit an obstacle. Buddingh also makes the "K" Basket Weeder, which removes weeds between rows. Even though this rotary weeder is not powered, its design allows it to work in crusted soil and even in thick weeds. Sarber says that while the basic design for the weeders doesn't change, each weeder is put together specifically to meet the buyer's needs. A three-row K Weeder on a 48-in. frame, for example, sells for about $1,200, assuming no special mountings or hitches are needed. Allow 90 days from time of order until delivery. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Phil Sarber, Buddingh Weeder Co., 7015 Hammond Ave., Dutton, Mich. 49316 (ph 616 698-8613).

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