is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
Richard
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
Richard
On 09/05/2025 15:40, Tricky Dicky wrote:
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds.
However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane >> weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to
shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
I think the general idea is to heat enough to cause cell rupture, and
then the thing will die (including the root) over the next few days.
If you burn it to a crisp you risk leaving the root part isolated, and
it can regrow.
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
On 9 May 2025 at 17:23:32 BST, "John Rumm" <see.my.signature@nowhere.null> wrote:
On 09/05/2025 15:40, Tricky Dicky wrote:
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds.
However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane >>> weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to
shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
I think the general idea is to heat enough to cause cell rupture, and
then the thing will die (including the root) over the next few days.
If you burn it to a crisp you risk leaving the root part isolated, and
it can regrow.
Shirley this is why we use glyphosate. Because that kills the root.
On 09/05/2025 15:40, Tricky Dicky wrote:
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds.
However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane >> weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to
shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
I think the general idea is to heat enough to cause cell rupture, and
then the thing will die (including the root) over the next few days.
If you burn it to a crisp you risk leaving the root part isolated, and
it can regrow.
Tricky Dicky <tricky.dicky@sky.com> wrote:
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear
weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have
invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause
the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the
weed to ash? The instructions with the device for what they are worth
do not make that clear.
I noticed there's an electric one at Aldi for £15 so I looked it up.
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes,
but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote in news:o-q*9y4bA@news.chiark.greenend.org.uk:
Tricky Dicky <tricky.dicky@sky.com> wrote:
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear
weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have
invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause
the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the
weed to ash? The instructions with the device for what they are worth
do not make that clear.
I noticed there's an electric one at Aldi for £15 so I looked it up.
I trialled one of those and it was a total waste of time, went back in
short order as 'not suitable'.
Took far too long to get any decent visible effect on the weed foliage,
just not powerful enough. Not sure the gas ones would be much better. I
have used a vintage paraffin (vapour) powered one (flame thrower) which was intense enough to get visible results over a decent area quickly but the
deep rooted weeds were back in no time.
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes,
but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click the igniter.
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes, >>> but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click the >> igniter.
Agreed, they are pretty easy to use and you only need to shrivel the
leaves - not completely incinerate them.
As pointed out elsewhere, the weeds will grow back, but you should go
over the ground again. The deeper rooted weeds will have used up much
of their stored energy in regrowing.
In that case, why not just hoe them, or rip out as much as you can with your hands?
On 11/05/2025 06:26, RJH wrote:
In that case, why not just hoe them, or rip out as much as you can with your >> hands?
It depends on where they are growing. My guess is that many people would consider this method of weed removal where the weeds are growing through paving blocks etc.
On 11 May 2025 at 07:43:42 BST, alan_m wrote:
On 11/05/2025 06:26,
Although in some seriousness I can see the gas burners being helpful for those
with mobility difficulties.
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes,
but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click the igniter.
On 11/05/2025 16:00, Timatmarford wrote:
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes, >>>> but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click
the
igniter.
Speaking of ignition faff! One of my teenage *paid* jobs was *singeing*
weeds in the horticultural field.
No portable gas containers mid 1950's. Our device (which is still on a
shelf somewhere) consisted of a scaled up paraffin blowtorch. 4L
container for Paraffin with a Schrader valve to pressurise with a foot-
pump, providing a fuel flow to the vaporiser (coiled section of fuel
pipe in the flame zone) and thence to the burner jet.
Depending on fuel flow rate, this produced a flame around 100mm wide x
300mm long.
I had one like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheen-X300-Weed-Control-Flame/dp/B007G7GAYA
As said upthread annual weeds only need to be singed and allowed to
shrivel up. The next job was to fire up the Rotavator and create a
seedbed for the next crop.
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes, >>> but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click
the
igniter.
Speaking of ignition faff! One of my teenage *paid* jobs was *singeing*
weeds in the horticultural field.
No portable gas containers mid 1950's. Our device (which is still on a
shelf somewhere) consisted of a scaled up paraffin blowtorch. 4L
container for Paraffin with a Schrader valve to pressurise with a foot-
pump, providing a fuel flow to the vaporiser (coiled section of fuel
pipe in the flame zone) and thence to the burner jet.
Depending on fuel flow rate, this produced a flame around 100mm wide x
300mm long.
As said upthread annual weeds only need to be singed and allowed to
shrivel up. The next job was to fire up the Rotavator and create a
seedbed for the next crop.
On 11/05/2025 16:00, Timatmarford wrote:
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter
yes,
but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'.
Click the
igniter.
Speaking of ignition faff! One of my teenage *paid* jobs was
*singeing* weeds in the horticultural field.
No portable gas containers mid 1950's. Our device (which is still on a
shelf somewhere) consisted of a scaled up paraffin blowtorch. 4L
container for Paraffin with a Schrader valve to pressurise with a
foot- pump, providing a fuel flow to the vaporiser (coiled section of
fuel pipe in the flame zone) and thence to the burner jet.
Depending on fuel flow rate, this produced a flame around 100mm wide x
300mm long.
I had one like this:
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheen-X300-Weed-Control-Flame/dp/B007G7GAYA
As said upthread annual weeds only need to be singed and allowed to
shrivel up. The next job was to fire up the Rotavator and create a
seedbed for the next crop.
On Sun, 11 May 2025 17:43:15 +0100, Fredxx <fredxx@spam.invalid>
wrote:
On 11/05/2025 16:00, Timatmarford wrote:Mine was like that, i.e. with a built-in pump. You pumped up the
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter yes, >>>>> but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'. Click >>>> the
igniter.
Speaking of ignition faff! One of my teenage *paid* jobs was *singeing*
weeds in the horticultural field.
No portable gas containers mid 1950's. Our device (which is still on a
shelf somewhere) consisted of a scaled up paraffin blowtorch. 4L
container for Paraffin with a Schrader valve to pressurise with a foot-
pump, providing a fuel flow to the vaporiser (coiled section of fuel
pipe in the flame zone) and thence to the burner jet.
Depending on fuel flow rate, this produced a flame around 100mm wide x
300mm long.
I had one like this:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheen-X300-Weed-Control-Flame/dp/B007G7GAYA
As said upthread annual weeds only need to be singed and allowed to
shrivel up. The next job was to fire up the Rotavator and create a
seedbed for the next crop.
pressure and carefully cracked open the valve to let the paraffin out
to the coil and be vaporised. If you opened the valve too soon and the
coil wasn't hot enough, the burner spouted great jets of flaming
paraffin about twenty feet long and set fire to everything in its
path! DAMHIKT!
On 11/05/2025 16:00, Timatmarford wrote:
On 09/05/2025 23:49, Bob Eager wrote:
On Fri, 09 May 2025 16:02:14 +0100, Theo wrote:
But not sure if the gas ones have advantages over electric - hotter
yes,
but much quicker to use? How much of a faff is setup?
Fit the gas can if not already fitted. Twiddle the knob to 'on'.
Click the
igniter.
Speaking of ignition faff! One of my teenage *paid* jobs was
*singeing* weeds in the horticultural field.
No portable gas containers mid 1950's. Our device (which is still on a
shelf somewhere) consisted of a scaled up paraffin blowtorch. 4L
container for Paraffin with a Schrader valve to pressurise with a
foot- pump, providing a fuel flow to the vaporiser (coiled section of
fuel pipe in the flame zone) and thence to the burner jet.
Depending on fuel flow rate, this produced a flame around 100mm wide x
300mm long.
I had one like this:
 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sheen-X300-Weed-Control-Flame/dp/B007G7GAYA
As said upthread annual weeds only need to be singed and allowed to
shrivel up. The next job was to fire up the Rotavator and create a
seedbed for the next crop.
I purchased one years ago - complete waste of time. Used both methods >(shrivel and turn to ash). Deep routed weeds just reappeared.
I normally where possible resort to chemical gardening to clear weeds. However I need to clear some a little quicker and have invested in a Butane weed burner. Question is it enough to to cause the leaves and stalk to shrivel up or do I have to incinerate the weed to ash? The instructions
with the device for what they are worth do not make that clear.
Richard
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