Saturday, February 09, 2008

Weed Like a Man!

I hate weeds. I hate weeding. And I don't care for chemical weed killers. What's the solution? A blowtorch, or course. Or by another name The Red Dragon Propane Weed Burner

I opted for the bottom of the line model, with a mere 500,000 btu capcity. I just couldn't justify the Jet Torch kit. From the above linked website:

If you want something more like a flame thrower for hard to reach areas or heavy brush, check out our Jet Torches. Jet Torches require a vapor withdrawal cylinder (we recommend no less than a 100lb. cylinder)..

In the photo, I am laying waste to the weeds growing along our sidewalk. You may notice that there is absolutely no lawn in the background. Two and a half years ago, our front lawn was so overtaken by perennial morning glories (aka cinch weed) that we decided to cover the whole thing with landscaping cloth and mulch. Last year we put in a few trees and gardens.

But, this being Oregon, with wet and mild winters, the weeds started growing anywhere they could. In the past I've tried both boiling water and steam from a steam cleaner on the weeds, but those methods were too time consuming. So today, I decided it was time weed like a man!

The results are promising, with the above ground portions of the weeds singed and wilted. I'm sure some of the larger and robust of the weeds will resprout, but when they do, I will be there, ready to once again weed like a man!

Should you decide to weed like a man yourself, be sure to heed the warnings included with the instructions. Among these warnings:

Avoid desirable lawn and garden plants as the torch does not distinguish between desirable and undesirable growth.

Do not apply flame to cyliders to check for leaks or to increase gas pressure

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

See? I told you I'd read your blog if you posted on it!

How do you think that weed torch would work on carpet spots? You know the ones....