One of my all-time favorite toys is my flame weeder.
Because I allow grass to grow between my beds, and weed-wacking around them can be a pain, I use a flame weeder around the outside edges of my beds where the lawnmower doesn’t reach. It is fast, efficient and really fun to use. It also eliminates weeds without disturbing the soil. When the soil is disturbed new seeds can be brought up that will grow into new weeds.
I also run the flame weeder over the soil in the beds to cook surface-level weeds and weed seeds before planting. This allows the crops planted in the bed to get a good head start so they can shade out any weeds that come next.
The flame weeder is also great for starting trenched branches in the beds for making biochar.
I picked mine up at the local agricultural store for $60 but it has paid for itself in terms of time-savings.
Filed under: Self-Sufficiency, Weeding
