Blow-torching weeds
 

A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

Blow-torching weeds
 

Trouble is that they only burn the tops off and do nothing for the roots.

Mike

---------------------------------------------------------------
www.rneba.org.uk




"Another John" wrote in message
...

A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

Blow-torching weeds
 

On Tue, 15 Oct 2013 19:02:48 +0100, Another John
wrote:

A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

Slow but satisfying at the time, however perennials tend to reappear.
--
rbel

Blow-torching weeds
 

On 2013-10-15 18:02:48 +0000, Another John said:

A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

Some of the help you'll get will depend on where you are. Here in
south Devon, they're still growing all too well because it's warm and
damp. Groundsel is very happily sprouting at present. But weed wands
don't do the job in the long term unless you can use them constantly
and without harm to other plants. Dab on glyphosate gel works well in
borders but in flagstones and their gaps, the best thing really is hand
weeding. It shouldn't take too long, unless she has a truly enormous
paved area and it will be far more effective. If any have been left to
seed around, then you - or someone - will have to repeat the
performance next spring and as quickly as possible.
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon

Blow-torching weeds
 

On 15/10/2013 19:02, Another John wrote:
A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Pretty useless and probably less environmentally friendly than using
glyphosate weedkiller.

It is a bit late to use weedkiller if the trees are already turning
where you are. Best bet is probably something faster acting like Weedol
(which isn't so environmentally benign) but will get the job done even
now. Assuming here you need to do something before winter.

Glyphosate needs another 2 weeks of growing period to work properly.

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Blow-torching weeds
 

"Martin Brown" wrote in message ...

Glyphosate needs another 2 weeks of growing period to work properly.

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

Yup - these weedwand type devices are only efficient on dead dry stuff.
Give them a dose of glyphosate now and they will respond if still green and
growing as mine are.
Blast them off with the wand in a months time. Kills seeds as well !! I find
this treatment particularly
efficient on paving stone gaps.

Pete

Blow-torching weeds
 

OP he thank you very much, All, for all these useful answers!

I will use use glyphosate (or Weedol (Martin) -- I think I have some
somewhere), and then whizz over with the blowtorch in a couple of weeks.

Useful tips about blowtorch techniques too from Jake and Chris -- thank
you!

Cheers
John

Blow-torching weeds
 

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
.. .


Err...once you've killed them with glyphosate, subsequently burning
off the dead remains with a flame gun is a waste of time and gas, and
is purely cosmetic. The glyphosated remains disappear soon enough.
Using a flame gun to kill weeds only requires that you 'cook' the weed
briefly in order to kill them. You don't need to incinerate them
completely in order to kill them, but many people think you have to.
But as others have said, a flame gun doesn't get rid of perennial
deep-rooted weeds, which will sprout again from the root.

--

"But as others have said, a flame gun doesn't get rid of perennial
deep-rooted weeds, which will sprout again from the root."

That where the glyphosate comes in - kills most everything - root and all.

"The glyphosated remains disappear soon enough."

Not in my experience - they remain as a visual eyesore months after death.
And if you are a bit on the knackered side of sixty-five like me then the
flame gun will beat the
hand removal system in popularity - anytime. And surely brown is even more
of an eyesore
than green if we are after cosmetic results as well.

I purchase my glyphosate in 5L containers - so what I save on smaller
commercial
systems pays for the gas.

The only downside is that you need around 24hrs of apres-spray no rain
conditions.
Not easy at this time of the year !!!

Pete




gas many times over

Blow-torching weeds
 

On 16/10/2013 09:14, Another John wrote:
OP he thank you very much, All, for all these useful answers!

I will use use glyphosate (or Weedol (Martin) -- I think I have some
somewhere), and then whizz over with the blowtorch in a couple of weeks.

Useful tips about blowtorch techniques too from Jake and Chris -- thank
you!

Cheers
John

Weedol is a contact killer that will only kill the tops not the roots,
Glyphosate is much slower to work but kills the roots and all.

Blow-torching weeds
 

sacha wrote in :

On 2013-10-15 18:02:48 +0000, Another John said:

A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!

Some of the help you'll get will depend on where you are. Here in
south Devon, they're still growing all too well because it's warm and
damp. Groundsel is very happily sprouting at present. But weed wands
don't do the job in the long term unless you can use them constantly
and without harm to other plants. Dab on glyphosate gel works well in
borders but in flagstones and their gaps, the best thing really is hand
weeding. It shouldn't take too long, unless she has a truly enormous
paved area and it will be far more effective. If any have been left to
seed around, then you - or someone - will have to repeat the
performance next spring and as quickly as possible.

I agree. Glyphosate is our best friend.
A burner will only get rid of foliage. Not the root*pun* of the situation.

Baz

Blow-torching weeds
 

In message
,
Another John writes
A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!
IME they work very well provided you follow up with a dose of
glyphosphate when no-ones looking.
--
bert

Blow-torching weeds
 

On 16/10/2013 22:29, bert wrote:
In message
,
Another John writes
A neighbour has asked me to tidy up her garden, which hasn't been looked
at for about a year.

There are lots of weeds (e.g. couch grass) growing up between the
flagstones in the paved areas.

I was going to use Glyphosate, but when I checked on what tools are
available there, I found a weed blowtorch: how effective are these
things, please?

Cheers
John

p.s. Yes, it's the wrong time of year to be dealing with weeds, but
needs must!
IME they work very well provided you follow up with a dose of
glyphosphate when no-ones looking.


I'd give it a dose of Glyphosate 2 or 3 days before blasting with the
blowtorch.