Had a Eureka moment today to use one of those modern portable hand
steamers to kill weeds. Cant patent the idea as the yanks have already
thought of it!

Has anyone tried this and if so what is the success rate compared to
those nefarious weedkillers we pollute the planet with, which only
seem to serve to make them come back with a vengeance bigger and
stronger?

Classic example was looking at a field of sheep that had an electric
fence put up. The underside is chemically sprayed regularly. The
unsprayed area (over the year) just has, pretty much, long grass. But
the area that has been sprayed has some really mean looking weeds
coming up! I mean like thick thistles etc. I had supscted this for
some time in our pwn garden. This confirms it. So, logically spraying
it is only feeding the spray companies?

Is steam the way to go I wonder?

On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:03:05 +0000, Pendrag0n wrote:


Is steam the way to go I wonder?

The principle behind a flame gun is that the cell structure of the top
growth is broken down (NOT burnt) by heat and this means the plant can
no longer photosynthesise and so dies (except for b***** dandelions
and the like which can regrow from the tap root). Whether steam would
be hot enough is debatable. I think I'll stick to my flame gun as
there are no trailing leads to worry about (I'd need a very long lead
to reach all the garden) and it's probably quicker, cheaper and more
environmentally friendly to boot.

But you've got me thinking about whether steam cleaning my gravel
paths would make them look like new again!

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from the East End of Swansea Bay where sometimes
it's raining and sometimes it's not.

In article ,
says...

Had a Eureka moment today to use one of those modern portable hand
steamers to kill weeds. Cant patent the idea as the yanks have already
thought of it!

Has anyone tried this and if so what is the success rate

Same as burning them off with a flame gun. One treatment will kill
small emerging seedlings weeds dead, but with perennial weeds it only
kills ths topgrowth not the roots. The roots of dandelions, nettles etc
will grow new leaves. If you steam/burn the regrowth often enough
eventually the roots will weaken and die.

Classic example was looking at a field of sheep that had an electric
fence put up. The underside is chemically sprayed regularly. The
unsprayed area (over the year) just has, pretty much, long grass. But
the area that has been sprayed has some really mean looking weeds
coming up! I mean like thick thistles etc. I had supscted this for
some time in our pwn garden. This confirms it.


More likely the weedkiller cleared competing plants creating an ideal
germination bed for windborn seeds
(like thistles).

Janet

"The Original Jake" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:03:05 +0000, Pendrag0n wrote:


Is steam the way to go I wonder?

The principle behind a flame gun is that the cell structure of the top
growth is broken down (NOT burnt) by heat and this means the plant can
no longer photosynthesise and so dies (except for b***** dandelions
and the like which can regrow from the tap root). Whether steam would
be hot enough is debatable. I think I'll stick to my flame gun as
there are no trailing leads to worry about (I'd need a very long lead
to reach all the garden) and it's probably quicker, cheaper and more
environmentally friendly to boot.

But you've got me thinking about whether steam cleaning my gravel
paths would make them look like new again!

I am very interested in this. Please report back if you do?
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

On Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:06:37 +0000, The Original Jake wrote:

Is steam the way to go I wonder?

The principle behind a flame gun is that the cell structure of the top
growth is broken down (NOT burnt) by heat and this means the plant can
no longer photosynthesise and so dies

Yep, just waft the flame over, enough damage is done to the plant even if
it barely wilts. Many people seem to go in for full blown incendiary
destruction which isn't required.

(except for b***** dandelions and the like which can regrow from the
tap root).

They don't like being topped by the flame gun two or three times in the
year. B-)

Whether steam would be hot enough is debatable.

Real steam can be extremely hot and is very dangerous. Most people think
of "steam" as being the white wispy smokey stuff that you can see, it is
isn't, that white wispy smokey stuff is condensed water droplets. They
can still be hot but nowhere near as hot as the steam it has condensed
from.

Wether a small domestic steam cleaner can produce real steam at
sufficient temperature and quantity is debatable.

But you've got me thinking about whether steam cleaning my gravel
paths would make them look like new again!

Well steam sterilisation of soil is done but again wether a domestic
machine can produce enough steam is another matter. I suspect if you left
the plate (about 1 sq foot) of a steam wall paper stripper in place and
weighted down for a minute or two it might work as far as killing weeds
or algae etc but it isn't going to lift the debris away. And all that
dead plant material makes for nice plant food...

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 22/02/2013 20:33, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

Had a Eureka moment today to use one of those modern portable hand
steamers to kill weeds. Cant patent the idea as the yanks have already
thought of it!

Has anyone tried this and if so what is the success rate

Same as burning them off with a flame gun. One treatment will kill
small emerging seedlings weeds dead, but with perennial weeds it only
kills ths topgrowth not the roots. The roots of dandelions, nettles etc
will grow new leaves. If you steam/burn the regrowth often enough
eventually the roots will weaken and die.

Classic example was looking at a field of sheep that had an electric
fence put up. The underside is chemically sprayed regularly. The
unsprayed area (over the year) just has, pretty much, long grass. But
the area that has been sprayed has some really mean looking weeds
coming up! I mean like thick thistles etc. I had supscted this for
some time in our pwn garden. This confirms it.


More likely the weedkiller cleared competing plants creating an ideal
germination bed for windborn seeds
(like thistles).

Janet

I must admit that I know nothing of the steam cleaners that are around,
but steam has been used to sterilize soil for well over 3/4 of a century
ago.
I wonder is an industrial one could be adapted to use for soil
sterilization.

In message , David Hill
writes
On 22/02/2013 20:33, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

Had a Eureka moment today to use one of those modern portable hand
steamers to kill weeds. Cant patent the idea as the yanks have already
thought of it!

Has anyone tried this and if so what is the success rate

but steam has been used to sterilize soil for well over 3/4 of a
century ago.
I wonder is an industrial one could be adapted to use for soil
sterilization.

My father used a box-shaped device in his greenhouse to sterilise moist
soil in the 1960's. I remember the smell it gave off as being pleasant.
(Memories of childhood.) I asked him soon before he died whether he
still had it and whether I could use it. He brought out a large metal
box which appeared to simply to involve current direct from the mains
running across the soil. I decided against it.

--
Simon

12) The Second Rule of Expectations
An EXPECTATION is a Premeditated resentment.