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beac

(9,992 posts)
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 01:07 PM Mar 2012

"Natural and Effective Weed Control" OR....

"I burnt my house down trying to get rid of Creeping Charlie!"?????



http://www.weeddragon.com/


The thought of frying some of the more persistent pestiferous plants I deal with every gardening season it tempting but, a) I garden mostly in containers and b) Yikes, FIRE!

Plus, is using propane to garden REALLY all that green?

12 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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"Natural and Effective Weed Control" OR.... (Original Post) beac Mar 2012 OP
yeah, but i have a brick house, so mopinko Mar 2012 #1
Wonder if one of those little kitchen torches they make for beac Mar 2012 #2
Plus, it doesn't work... dmosh42 Mar 2012 #3
Dangerous and temporary-- beac Mar 2012 #4
Good lord, I can just see a neighbor Curmudgeoness Mar 2012 #5
But, just IMAGINE the other possibilities... beac Mar 2012 #6
Vinegar and boiling water kurtzapril4 Mar 2012 #9
Oh well. I guess the top is all I care about killing. Curmudgeoness Mar 2012 #10
I bought a "Swedish Weed Torch" from Lee Valley Tools about 10 years ago. Denninmi Mar 2012 #7
LOL--I couldn't see what it was. grand earth trine Mar 2012 #8
Isn't that last frame the mace cop? HopeHoops Mar 2012 #11
Pepper-spray your weeds away! beac Mar 2012 #12

beac

(9,992 posts)
2. Wonder if one of those little kitchen torches they make for
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 02:17 PM
Mar 2012

caramelizing creme brulee and such would work? The thought of dragging a big tank of propane behind me while I'm wafting fire around = .

dmosh42

(2,217 posts)
3. Plus, it doesn't work...
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 02:44 PM
Mar 2012

I tried a torch that I use for other things, and it only sears the tops, but the roots remain intact, and re-grow.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
5. Good lord, I can just see a neighbor
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 08:23 PM
Mar 2012

falling for this one. Fun for the guy who loves "power tools".

Natural and effective, why don't you use vinegar? Or boiling water? Now THAT is natural! (But not nearly as much fun.)

beac

(9,992 posts)
6. But, just IMAGINE the other possibilities...
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 09:52 PM
Mar 2012

you could roast your red peppers right on the vine... bake your beans in the pod...and, POOF, instant dried herbs!



Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
10. Oh well. I guess the top is all I care about killing.
Sat Mar 17, 2012, 07:19 PM
Mar 2012

I just don't want to see the weeds. If I really cared, I would pull/dig them out.

However, I am at that point where weeds are not bothering me so much anymore.

Denninmi

(6,581 posts)
7. I bought a "Swedish Weed Torch" from Lee Valley Tools about 10 years ago.
Sun Mar 11, 2012, 10:01 PM
Mar 2012

First off, no, using propane (or propane accessories, as Hank Hill would say) in the garden is NOT green. Greenhouse gas is more like it.

Um, they are only moderately effective. Good for frying emerging seedling weeds. Not all that effective on deep rooted perennial weeds like dandelions, quack grass, dock, etc. You can cook the tops to the point they are black char, and the insulating effect of the soil will protect the root below, and in a week or two, the weed pops back up. And, it actually takes longer than you would think to kill a weed, most you have to hold the flame on for 30 seconds to a minute, except for the most tiny flimsy baby weeds. So, it's kind of a slow process.

The thing I've found it best for is to cook the weeds that grow between the expansion joints in my concrete driveways and sidewalks. I can hold it over the weed long enough (1 to 2 minutes) to generally kill the roots in the limited soil volume that accumulates in the expansion joint. At least it beats pulling them by hand.

beac

(9,992 posts)
12. Pepper-spray your weeds away!
Mon Mar 19, 2012, 09:37 PM
Mar 2012




(edited to be clear that I think that the pepper-spray cop is a criminal jackass and the students are lovely flowers and the farthest things from weeds. )
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