Reduce Weeds with Fire and Flames. We can Do This!
- Jere Folgert
- Jun 20, 2020
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 22, 2024
Weed flaming, or flame weeding, is a method of weed control that uses a handheld propane torch to ignite weeds. The heat from the flame kills the weeds by destroying their cells and preventing them from growing further.
Weed flaming is a relatively new method of weed control, but it has become increasingly popular in recent years. It is a non-chemical method of weed control, which makes it appealing to environmentally conscious gardeners. It is also a relatively quick and easy method of weed control, which makes it appealing to busy gardeners.
Weed flaming is most effective on young, actively growing weeds. It is not as effective on older, more established weeds. It is also not as effective on weeds that have thick, waxy leaves.
Weed flaming can be used in various settings, including gardens, lawns, and sidewalks. It is important to use caution when weed flaming, as it can easily damage plants if it is not used properly.
Here are the steps on how to flame weed:
Choose the right tool. A handheld propane torch is the most common tool used for weed flaming.
Prepare the area. Make sure the area is free of debris and that there are no flammable materials nearby.
Light the torch. Hold the torch about 12 inches away from the weed and move it slowly back and forth over the weed until it is completely engulfed in flames.
Be careful not to burn yourself or the plants around the weed.
After the weed is dead, extinguish the flame. You can do this by spraying it with water or by stomping it out.
Repeat steps 3-5 on other weeds.
Weed flaming is a safe and effective way to control weeds. It is a non-chemical method of weed control that is easy to use. However, it is important to use caution when weed flaming, as it can easily damage plants if it is not used properly.
Fire is Awesome. Flame Weeding is Awesome. It adds FUN to growing garlic.
Fire is the visible effect of the process of combustion. It can appear as flickers of orange, red, yellow, blue and green. Fire is a special type of chemical reaction. It occurs between oxygen in the air and some sort of fuel. The products from the chemical reaction are completely different from the starting material These flickers of heat rippling in the air, require oxygen, heat, and fuel. This is considered the "fire triangle." Add in the fourth element, like nasty weeds, and we have a sweet chemical reaction, Whew! and you have a fire "tetrahedron."
Growing Garlic is a rewarding experience, though it can be a lot of work. Dealing with weeds in a dedicated garlic patch can surely take the fun out of growing garlic. Arggg! Flame weeding is a viable solution to remove many weeds that compete for and attempt to steal precious nutrients from your prized garlic plants. Essentially, Weed Flaming uses heat to destroy the cell structure in the plant's leaf and core structure. The weed will no longer put energy toward growth (photosynthesis). If the weeds or forbs are flamed when they are small and young, often this process will kill the entire plant including the root system.
CRITICAL AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: If you decide to use a weed flamer to irritate weeds, it is critically important you wear a mask or respirator to prevent any dangerous smoke from getting into your lungs.
Using Flames and Heat to Destroy Weeds
At GroEat Farm, we use a propane tank roughly the size of a beer keg, strapped to a backpack (or pulled in a wagon) and a flame-throwing wand. 300,000 BTUs of heat thrown at weeds, allows us to cook to death these weeds, instead of spraying them with nasty chemicals.
Flame Weeding involves "throwing a hot, brief flame" onto a weed plant to briefly heat the plant's sensitive plant tissue, just enough to explode the chloroplasts and kill the plant. The leaves of the weed often turn a lighter green color and the plants then have a slightly wet appearance. The plant's cell membranes is disrupted by the heat. Flame weeding often called “flaming,” is just one method for natural weed management. After the heat is applied to the plant tissues just enough to kill them, the plant's leaves will start to look dull and wilt a bit. The method isn’t appropriate for every situation.
“Flaming is just one of the tools we use to remove weeds from our garlic patch. Flaming works really well in certain situations,” said Jere Folgert, owner and farmer at GRO Eat Farm near Bozeman, Montana. “Flame Weeding can work really well on young weeds, that are not right next to the garlic plant. Flaming also works well to destroy the seeds on weeds, essentially eliminating next year's weeds." Jere also warned that "If your garlic patch includes mulch such as straw or dried leaves, definitely do not use this method to kill weeds. We no longer mulch our garlic field and have had excellent results." Flaming is nearly 100% effective at killing very young weeds that are just emerging from the soil, whereas weeds over 3+ inches are more difficult to kill without multiple flamings. Repeat applications combined with hand-pulling of weeds will usually do the trick. For best results, increase exposure to the heat if weeds are wet from dew. Thistles often require more exposure to the heat given their dense leaf structure. Water on the leaves acts as insulation and decreases cell damage unless exposure time is increased. Jere Folgert stated: "It is important to remember when flaming in and around desirable plants, such as garlic, the heating process can cause damage to the garlic plants as well. Fire does not know the difference between desirable plants and undesirable weeds. Be careful around the sensitive garlic leaves, especially early in their growth cycle. We use a small, light-weight aluminum snow shovel that is placed between the flame and the garlic plant. It is a little extra work, and it allows us to zap weeds growing close to the garlic plants."
The goal is not to completely burn up the weed (although this is a truly satisfying experience), but to destroy plant tissue so that the weed dies. Flame weeding kills the above-ground portion of the weed, but it doesn't necessarily kill the roots. Starving the roots of energy provided by the leaf structure has the potential to kill the weed. Another big benefit of Flame Weeding is it can be used to zap or kill seeds that are on weed plants. The heat and flame zaps viable seeds from Dandoline, Broadleaf Plantain, Chickweed, Lamb's Quarters, and Pennywort.
We believe Flame Weeding is most effective when it is used as one tool in our arsenal, integrated with other management tools, such as picking weeds by hand (plant and root), tilling, and mowing. Flaming is rarely utilized as the sole tool in a garden. Flaming is less effective when used on perennial weeds, which have below-ground root systems from which new weeds can emerge.
WARNING: Poison ivy, oak, or any poisonous plant should not be burned! and should be avoided. The vapor/smoke from flamed leaves can cause a rash on your skin, eyes, and lungs. Some weeds are poisonous members of the nightshade family and are difficult weeds to eradicate since they resist most attempts at control. Climbing Nightshade - Solanum dulcamara is one example. Tilling the soil only makes it worse because it brings seeds to the surface where they can germinate. Flame weeding doesn’t kill the weed either because of the penetrating roots. Ideally, wear a respirator when weed flaming. Also, be aware of the wind direction. Let any smoke or residue blow away from you. Wear proper feet and leg protection. Don't use a weed flamer in dry, hot and windy conditions. Have a garden hose close by just in case you need to distinguish any flames. Don't use a flame weeder if you have mulch in your garden, such as straw or leaves.
DON'T START A WILDFIRE: Anything with an open flame has the potential to be dangerous. The risk of fire is always there when using a flame weeder. Dried and brown material (dried grass) is flammable. Flame weeding too close to structures poses a risk. Flame weeding during exceptionally dry weather conditions is not advisable. Don't use this tool if windy conditions exist. Don't become a pyromaniac.
At GroEat Farm, we’re proud to share resources and recommendations with our community. Some links on our website may direct you to carefully selected items available on Amazon.com, chosen to enhance your gardening and garlic-growing experience.
Joe the Bear, Mrs. Smith, and the Great Weed-Flaming Fiasco
Joe was a bear from Montana who’d had enough of the wilderness. Huckleberries? Overrated. Trout? Too slippery.
Joe wanted the simple life: garlic farming. And so, he traded claws for gloves and planted himself a fine garlic garden.
But Joe had a problem. Weeds. Lots of weeds. He tried pulling them out, but it was like playing whack-a-mole—only with dirt and existential despair. That’s when Joe had an idea. Not just any idea—a fiery idea.
“I’ll burn ‘em!” Joe declared, standing in his garage next to a propane tank that was definitely not OSHA-approved.
The next morning, armed with a weed torch and a mask that looked like something out of a post-apocalyptic survival movie, Joe began his reign of fire. Flames danced through his garlic patch like it was an action scene from a low-budget movie titled Weeds: The Reckoning.
“Take that, you leafy freeloaders!” Joe growled, aiming his torch with the precision of a caffeinated squirrel.
That’s when Mrs. Smith, Joe’s 88-year-old neighbor, caught sight of him through her kitchen window. She dropped her knitting mid-row.
“What in tarnation?!” she gasped, watching smoke rise like Joe was summoning garlic-flavored demons.
She stormed over, slippers squeaking on the dew-soaked grass. When she arrived, she found Joe standing amidst smoldering weeds, looking oddly triumphant.
“Joe!” she barked. “Have you completely lost your mind?!”
“Mrs. Smith,” Joe said, raising his mask like a knight lifting his visor. “You wouldn’t understand. This is war.”
“It’s arson, is what it is!” she snapped. “And why are you wearing that ridiculous mask?”
“To avoid inhaling poisonous weed fumes,” Joe explained, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mrs. Smith squinted at him, hands on her hips. “And what about setting your fur—or your bear den —on fire?”
Joe shrugged. “I have a hose.”
The next day, Joe was back at it, gleefully torching weeds, when he saw something that stopped him in his tracks.
There was Mrs. Smith, standing in her yard, dressed like a firefighter crossed with a beekeeper. She had on a fireproof jacket, bright yellow pants, and a backpack that held a propane tank so shiny it could’ve been a NASA prototype.
“Mrs. Smith! What are you doing?!” Joe hollered, running to the fence.
“Burning weeds!” she yelled back, her voice muffled by a respirator. “If you can play with fire, so can I!”
“But Mrs. Smith, it’s dangerous!”
“I know! Isn’t it thrilling?!”
Joe sighed and helped her adjust her mask. “At least let me show you the proper weed-flaming technique,” he said, like some sort of pyromaniac coach.
Together, the unlikely duo torched every weed in sight. Mrs. Smith cackled with glee, accidentally setting her garden gnome on fire. “Oops!” she chirped. Joe put it out with his hose, muttering something about “rookie mistakes.”
By sunset, they were both sitting on lawn chairs in Mrs. Smith’s yard, covered in soot, staring at the smoldering ruins of what used to be weeds.
“You know,” Mrs. Smith said, sipping lemonade, “this is the most fun I’ve had in decades.”
Joe grinned. “You’re not so bad, Mrs. Smith. ”
From then on, Joe and Mrs. Smith became the neighborhood’s weed-flaming dream team. They called themselves “The Torch Twins” (though Mrs. Smith insisted on “Pyro Pals”), and every week, after a good rainstorm, they torched weeds like it was their full-time job.
Their legend grew. People came from miles around to watch them work. And though some claimed they were crazy, Joe and Mrs. Smith didn’t care.
After all, nothing brings people together like fire and a mutual hatred of weeds.
Jere Folgert
GROeat Farm
P.O. Box 6056
Bozeman, MT 59771
