Topic: Weed Wands

[Good Gourd 2]

HELP, how can I get rid of chickweed on my plot Roundup etc does not touch it, anyone got or used a gas flame weed wand, do they work. Any advice please.  :-\

[manicscousers]

Ray says no as you have to burn them for ages and the gas doesn't last long. If you can get hold of an industrial one, petrol driven, you might have a bit more luck  :)

[goodlife]

Weed wands do work..BUT..they are bit 'small' for larger areas. Handy for some 'hard to get to' jobs.
Idea with flame killing is not to burn the weed into ground and into ashes but to wilt them with hot flame and then they will eventually die down on their own.
I find easiest way to deal with chickweed is to hoe first to severe the roots from the plant and then dig them into soil..they become as 'green manure'. It doesn't need deep digging..just turning over so the green bits of the plant are covered with soil.
Round up is wasted with chickweed..it does work..but where there is chickweed 'problem'..there is usually so many weedseeds in the soil that as soon as one plant die another will germinate and replace it. Round up is slow to work so there is more coming up than it is killing.

[Chrispy]

Even my hanging baskets filled with sterile potting compost and placed 1 floor + 6 feet up will get chick weed growing in them, so like dandylions, you will always get new seeds blowing in.

I do what goodlife does, good green manure.

[Digeroo]

I bought one from Lidl a couple of years ago.  I found it excellent for tufts of grass with plenty of dry stuff.  I do not think it is very good for moist weeds such as chickweed.

Since it is an annual chickweed can be just hoed off or dug in before it manages to flower and set seeds which it seems to do with amazing speed.

I am more worried about perennial weeds which come back from the smallest piece of root.

Are you sure what you have is chickweed?  It is edible.

[Kleftiwallah]

Chickens love chickweed,  do you know anyone who would appreciate a bag for their chooks?     Cheers,    Tony.

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just let it grow. It forms a low mat, underneath the veg, and I don't think it does much harm, if any. Eventually, it either gets dug in or covered with mulch.

[cambourne7]

Have you tried the paint on groundup?