Killing weeds with fire

RiderOnTheStorm

I am trying to grow a small orchard.... about 20 x 30 feet with 12 fruit trees - various types - only a few years old. And I know the ground cover I want to plant. But I need to get rid of the weeds & crap before seeding grass . Was thinking about cutting weeds back as low as possible (pulling up the small-bush ones!) and then using something like a builders gas torch (for torch-on-felt etc) to sterilize the area (and kill any fallen seeds) then scattering the grass seed.

What ya think?

Also, is this good time to kill weeds? Is it too late to plant grass seed?

Ground cover considered is mix of:
-Perennial rye grass
-White clover
-Corsican mint

my3cents

Something I've tried several times with several different burners over a period of years and never had particularly good results. Its a lot of work, time and effort that Roundup would do in no time.

Best burner I've ever had was this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/X500-New-Sheen-X500-Weed-Flame-Gun-Flamegun-Organic-Weed-Control-Paraffin-fuel/dp/B074QMM2VM/ on a trolley but I found it more use for lighting bonfires than burning weeds.

The trick btw is to do the job twice. Give them a quick burn off so that over the next couple of days the main part of the weed starts to dry out then hit them again and burn them off completely.

I don't think it does much sterilization and if anything stimulates weeds into growth that do well after a forest fire.

RiderOnTheStorm

my3cents wrote:

Best burner I've ever had was this one...

Thx My3c. That looks like a weapon! Will def try the 2nd pass if & when I do do it. Cheers.

Odelay

Waste of time. You ever seen what happens after a forest fire burning for hours at 500 degrees? Weeds grow back better than ever.

RiderOnTheStorm

Yea, but nobody comes along after the fire and plants a few kilos of grass. With a level playing field, woud the grass seed have a chance to grow? It has no chance now :-(

my3cents

RiderOnTheStorm wrote: »

Thx My3c. That looks like a weapon! Will def try the 2nd pass if & when I do do it. Cheers.

I also have a propane torch used for roofing felt and that would give a similar flame, not quite as big but the best you'll get out of gas.

Timing is everything, on a wet day you waste a massive amount of heat just drying the weeds and their surroundings off.

12 fruit trees, I'd mark their planting locations with a stake and then dump grass around the stake to mulch the weeds down or even strim and rake all the weeds up into piles around the stakes as a mulch. I've also used roofing felt to mulch planting locations just cut it so you have a square and put it down where you intend to plant later.