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Old 22-08-2016, 09:11 AM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Martin Brown Martin Brown is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,262
Default Does boiling water really work?

On 21/08/2016 21:38, James Wilkinson wrote:
On Sun, 21 Aug 2016 21:18:29 +0100, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:

On 21/08/2016 20:46, James Wilkinson wrote:
I just watched this, and he claims it kills 90% of weeds instantly. So


Its the remaining 10% of each and every weed that grows back again. You
can find plenty of clueless idiots on the internet claiming all sorts of
gibberish. If you put enough table salt on weeds it will kill them.

why does anyone use weedkiller? Isn't this cheaper, easier, and more
effective?

https://youtu.be/qm_X-XBINCs


It's effectively the same as using a weed wand, except that a weed wand
is more portable, and I would assume is safer.


But I'd have to buy one, I already have a kettle.


Stupid is as stupid does. It is hard to beat glyphosate for economic
control of weeds as a general purpose weedkiller. Boiling water will use
hundreds of times more resources to do the same job.

Which I already have to do with weedkiller. Despite what they say,
weedkiller does not last long at all.


Depends on the weedkiller although the ones that are persistent have
mostly been banned now for domestic use as they were abused. The new
formulations of pathclear are good for most of a season but some weeds
are immune to the new germination inhibitors.

(The video claims it kills the roots, but doesn't offer any evidence.)


I'm not so sure burning with gas would be any different. Both are only
killing what is on display. But then pouring lots of boiling water on
at once could get to the root.

[I've bought a steam cleaner for use in the kitchen. I've been thinking
of trying it on "patio weeds".]


It will work after a fashion if you are terrified by "chemicals" and
don't mind the environmental pollution caused by using large amounts of
energy to achieve very little by way of useful results.

Be careful not to scald yourself.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown