There is a huge sand hill with gray plastic on the building site of the future residential area Edisonpark. The hill is trimmed with fences. From the Oostweg, the Van der Hagenstraat and the Australiaweg you can see the bump in the further bare landscape. Why is that there and what is under that plastic? Indebuurt is looking for it!

The Edison Park is full of mysteries. At the end of February, the municipality cut all the trees and shrubs, which suddenly created a large hole in the east of the city. No bush remained upright, but only a tree remained proudly. And now there is also that sand hill on the site. Foreign!

Mistake thanks

According to the municipality, it is a pilot to combat the Japanese knotweed. In the past there was a allotment complex in this area. A diligent gardener probably planted the thousand button at the time. That person probably didn’t know that you really don’t want this exotic in your garden. The plant grows rapidly and displaces all other plants. The node grew in several places on the east side of the Edison Park. In the meantime, the municipality has completely excavated the area and released from the plant.

Secret recipe

The soil with the plants and rhizomes is mixed with a biological mix According to a secret recipe. The land now forms a big hope in the Edison Park. In addition, there is a special plastic cloth that covers the mountain airtight. The biological mix deprives all oxygen in the soil, so that the thousand button ultimately does not survive. Do you drive by and suddenly you get a hungry beer? That can be true, because the biological process gives the same scent as with beer brewing.

Read more under the photo >

The Zandheuvel is located between Edisonstraat and Silverdome. Photo: Indebuurt Zoetermeer

Tricky plant

The Japanese knotweed cannot just be chased away. Chemical agents are forbidden and alternative methods do not work. For example, the municipality used pigs and there was a test with the electrocute of the plant. The solution seemed completely excavated and burning of the infected soil. But that is not a sustainable way, because the burnt soil becomes unusable.

Eureka

If the treatment catches on, the soil is completely free of the Japanese knotweed. In fact, the soil has become extra fertile due to the biological process. This clean and nutritious soil remains in the Edison Park as the basis for new plants and trees.

Keep an eye on

Motorists will see the ground heap until the summer. In this test period, the municipality regularly checks whether the a thousand nodes secretly pops up. The evaluation of the results follows after the summer. With a positive result, the municipality also wants to use the treatment in other places in the city. The only condition is that there is enough room to temporarily save and cover the treated soil. That is not possible everywhere.

Also spotted a mystery?

For Zoetermeerse mysteries and the explanation you have to be on indebuurt.nl/zoetermeer. Do you have a pressing question about a crazy street name, unclear house numbers, striking buildings or mysterious practices in the city? Then send in your question via the form below and who knows, we may solve your mystery.

ttn-47