Has anyone tried torch weeding? Is it effective?

Anonymous wrote:

Why would you feel guilt? You know, if you’re comfortable with those chemicals on your lawn, the residue entering your house, on your clothes, in your body. Do you know what’s in that stuff? Do you know how it affects you? If it can kill a plant, why wouldn’t it affect you? Who knows- that’s why I avoid them.

I am a horticulturist (Bachelors degree in hort) so yes I am keenly aware, probably more than most and not all you read in the tree hugging news media is all its cracked up to be.

I'd venture to say I get worst stuff in my body by eating some of the foods we are served. or just by walking down the street when a bus drives by.

Welcome to ‘Murica. Keep yer postage stamp yard lookin’ good!

Anonymous wrote:I'm a sprayer.... no guilt.

but I'm not a "nuke it til it glows" kind of person.

Last week I mixed up a 3 gallon solution of bayer weed spray for my lawn. maybe 6 ounces of concentrate

just did a spot spraying of my 20,000 sqft lawn. I think I got everything.

The key is being responsible about how/when you apply. more chemicals doesn't always mean better. Dead is still dead...

Why would you feel guilt? You know, if you’re comfortable with those chemicals on your lawn, the residue entering your house, on your clothes, in your body. Do you know what’s in that stuff? Do you know how it affects you? If it can kill a plant, why wouldn’t it affect you? Who knows- that’s why I avoid them.

I'm a sprayer.... no guilt.

but I'm not a "nuke it til it glows" kind of person.

Last week I mixed up a 3 gallon solution of bayer weed spray for my lawn. maybe 6 ounces of concentrate

just did a spot spraying of my 20,000 sqft lawn. I think I got everything.

The key is being responsible about how/when you apply. more chemicals doesn't always mean better. Dead is still dead...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

For me it depends on what weeds and in what quantity. Our yard has always been weedy, and things like dandelions and clover I don’t mind at all. Crabgrass and oxalis, I tolerate too. But we’ve had an increasingly bad problem with creeping Charlie- it just takes over everything and outcompetes the grass. The smell after mowing bothers our allergies (I think it’s in the mint family) and it has a poor root system so is bad for soil stabilization. We raked a lot of it up in the fall and over-seeded, but when it came back this spring we hit it with tricolphor. I wasnt proud of it and do t know if it will work but I don’t want a monoculture “lawn” of this obnoxious weed.

There, that's a decent reason to use weed killer. Just treating the yard because weeds make your lawn less perfect is not a good reason.

Anonymous wrote:Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

For me it depends on what weeds and in what quantity. Our yard has always been weedy, and things like dandelions and clover I don’t mind at all. Crabgrass and oxalis, I tolerate too. But we’ve had an increasingly bad problem with creeping Charlie- it just takes over everything and outcompetes the grass. The smell after mowing bothers our allergies (I think it’s in the mint family) and it has a poor root system so is bad for soil stabilization. We raked a lot of it up in the fall and over-seeded, but when it came back this spring we hit it with tricolphor. I wasnt proud of it and do t know if it will work but I don’t want a monoculture “lawn” of this obnoxious weed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

Cause I bought a house last year with a perfect lawn and want to keep it that way.

Why is a weed less lawn considered “perfect?” Perfect for what, exactly? We need to own up to the fact that lush green lawns in the past were a product of rich people who had servants who could pull weeds incessantly, and that now the same look can only be reasonably accomplished by injecting a toxic cocktail of chemicals in the ground that ultimately harm the entire surrounding ecosystem.

What is perfect about that?

You bet that my lawn is jam packed with weeds of all kinds, and you know what? It’s still green. It’s inviting to birds and bugs and my flower beds are healthy. So you know what? I don’t care if it’s not perfect by some bizarre standard.

My lawn looks lovely with the violets and dandelions, thank you very much!

You do you in your expensive Bethesda neighborhood, but I'll take my lush weed-free lawn in California.

Anonymous wrote:

Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

Says the guy with the worst yard on the block.

First, I'm a woman. Second, I live in an expensive Bethesda neighborhood. Third, no one in the street uses toxic weed-killer because we're smart enough to know that the consequences aren't worth it.
My lawn looks lovely with the violets and dandelions, thank you very much!

Anonymous wrote:Good job poisoning the ground because some green plants were less pleasing to you than other green plants!

Not OP, and I know you didn't mean to make people laugh with this because you are probably very serious with your snark, but this made me giggle! So thanks.

Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

Says the guy with the worst yard on the block.

Anonymous wrote:Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

Cause I bought a house last year with a perfect lawn and want to keep it that way.

Why hate the weeds? I have never understood this. You know that weeds are plants, and that some of them look quite nice?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know of an effective non toxic weed killer recipe.

Digging it out with a spade

You know Kate Spade?