"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
ps.com...

Mary Fisher wrote:
[...]
We're going to give a try with the flame thrower, well aware that it will
have to be repeated, possibly several times. The roots will certainly die
if
top growth is not allowed to develop.

and also:
if it isn't suitable
I'd like to know what other solutions people here can suggest.

and also:
sigh

From what this thread suggests about your temper, remind the nearest
and dearest not to be around during your experiments! (My own n. and d.
didn't enjoy being within half a mile of me when I tried a paraffin
one.) Good luck, anyhow.

Paraffin isn't the same as gas but I didn't say that _I_ would use it :-)

Wot, me work??

Mary
by the way, you don't believe everything you read on ngs do you? You have to
learn to judge for yourself.


--
Mike.

"June Hughes" wrote in message
...

Hello June,

Hi Mary. I am so sorry I missed this and have only just noticed it. I
bought one about two years ago (possibly three - time flies). It is
rubbish. I hate it. It burns the tops of the weeds off and that is it.
Roots remain.

Yes, but that's the same with many solutions, including hoeing. The point is
you have to prevent the tops returning in some way then the roots give up so
repeated burning is the way to go.

It also tends to singe anything adjacent to the plants you are trying to
destroy, although by the sound of it, you want to do the whole lot.
Also - as I am a wimp - I found it a bit scary.

There's nothing near the plants.

I can't think of anything a lightly built person could do except dig,
which is hard going.

Well, I'm not lightly built but you're right and none of us is capable of
digging that heavy wet, Welsh soil.

A rotovator would just turn the weeds back in and they would pop up again.

Exactly.

I suppose the best thing to do would be to get a labourer in to dig it
over but that would probably be rather expensive.

Yes. It's a big plot.

Other than that, recruit some younger members of the family to have a
'dig-in' with food thrown in. That might do the trick.

Um - the rest of the family lives in Yorkshire :-) It's a long way to South
Wales.

Having considered all the possible solutions (and I'm grateful for all
friendly and positive ones including yours) burning seems to be the best.
It's not perfect but chemicals simply wouldn't be allowed on that farm
without daughter losing her organic status and that's of prime importance.

If only it were brambles, then the goat would have a birthday! He and his
erstwhile companion made the new-to-daughter farm a lot bigger over a couple
of years by chomping through the overgrown boundary :-)

Mary