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  Paul McNulty June 5, 2012 at 12:48pm

  I've got a propane weed burner, the same thing as roofers use for melting bitumen I think. It was about £100 and it's pretty useless really. I tried the Sheen paraffin burner, but that was a bit lethal on anything other than really large areas.
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  Anne Wareham June 5, 2012 at 1:07pm

  Hmm....John www.acegardenservices.co.uk - thanks both. Doesn't sound terribly encouraging... lethal and expensive.... is everyone using chemical control I wonder?
  
  Paul McNulty said:

  I've got a propane weed burner, the same thing as roofers use for melting bitumen I think. It was about £100 and it's pretty useless really. I tried the Sheen paraffin burner, but that was a bit lethal on anything other than really large areas.
• PRO

  Brian www.mibservices.co.uk June 5, 2012 at 1:14pm

  Dont waste your time and money, just spray it, if you dont have your licence to spray, sub in a company who can. Trying to burn weeds is as useless as strimming them out, they will only grow back with in a few days, get them glypho'd. Job done.
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  Anne Wareham June 5, 2012 at 1:19pm

  Our problem is a great deal of box hedging -  have been advised that glysophate will cause damage to their spreading roots (box roots go very sideways) and I'd say we've seen evidence of that. But thanks for responding..
  
  www.mibservices.co.uk said:

  Dont waste your time and money, just spray it, if you dont have your licence to spray, sub in a company who can. Trying to burn weeds is as useless as strimming them out, they will only grow back with in a few days, get them glypho'd. Job done.
• PRO

  Gary RK June 5, 2012 at 1:30pm

  We have exactly the same issue at site - a low, formal box hedge bounding a gravel path that we spray with Glypho. We carry a couple of sheets of 8*4 Cordex sheeting in the vans (light wt, protective cell sheets used for many jobs (ie protecting doors, glass etc). We use it and let it 'fold over' the top of the hedge and spray medium/coarse knozzle in minimal wind to ensure no drift. We just keep sliding the sheet along. Also can be used to cover grass adjacent to paths.

  Glypho has no residual effect and only locks into green matter. It is inactivated quickly and binds when it hits soil and does not leach.

  We also have a Sheen burner with hood & trolley. Good for open grounds, paving kerbs etc (great fun and sounds like a jet engine...:-). Royal PITA near anything green and valuable. Also a point to remeber if you are using it commercial, most liability insurance policies DO NOT cover using "flames" or heat guns etc as part of standard cover - ie if you set fire to a garden, property etc its down to you. To upgrade libaility cover is expensive as you become classed as a high risk business.

   

  Description: "

  The active ingredient of Gallup Biograde Amenity is glyphosate which kills weeds by blocking the plant's enzymatic system. As this system is only found in plants and not found in humans, animals, birds or fish, the herbicidal activity is very specific – and effective as a weed killer. Following treatment leaf symptoms on treated plants are a reddening then yellowing of the foliage.

  Gallup Biograde Amenity is very flexible as it can be used at anytime of year, especially when growth is active and the leaves are well developed to take up the herbicide. The formulation ensures the herbicide is readily absorbed through the leaf cuticle and is able to circulate throughout the plant and right down to the roots. As a result not just the foliage but the whole of the weed is killed.

  Gallup Biograde Amenity weed killer is absorbed easily onto the soil particles so does not leach and is also broken down by the soil bacteria into harmless natural substances"
• PRO

  Brian www.mibservices.co.uk June 5, 2012 at 1:35pm

  Glypho shouldnt be doing the damage via the roots, its designed to translocate through green leaf and be inert upon contact with soil. Are the roots showing through on top of the soil ? If so that will possibly be the reason for the damage or weak growth. I would say you are more likely to do more damage using a flame blower near them than good spraying
• 

  Anne Wareham June 5, 2012 at 2:18pm

  There does appear to be some soil effect, but perhaps not damaging to nearby plants (https://portal.mtt.fi/portal/page/portal/mtt_en/mtt/news/pressrelea...) - your drift precautions may be the critical thing to observe..

  The thing is the way that research like the above pops up contradicting all we have been told to reassure us: seems to happen over and over.

   Still, there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative at the moment - thanks for all this helpful advice, as ever. XXXXXX
  Gary @ 360 Landscaping said:

  We have exactly the same issue at site - a low, formal box hedge bounding a gravel path that we spray with Glypho. We carry a couple of sheets of 8*4 Cordex sheeting in the vans (light wt, protective cell sheets used for many jobs (ie protecting doors, glass etc). We use it and let it 'fold over' the top of the hedge and spray medium/coarse knozzle in minimal wind to ensure no drift. We just keep sliding the sheet along. Also can be used to cover grass adjacent to paths.

  Glypho has no residual effect and only locks into green matter. It is inactivated quickly and binds when it hits soil and does not leach.

  We also have a Sheen burner with hood & trolley. Good for open grounds, paving kerbs etc (great fun and sounds like a jet engine...:-). Royal PITA near anything green and valuable. Also a point to remeber if you are using it commercial, most liability insurance policies DO NOT cover using "flames" or heat guns etc as part of standard cover - ie if you set fire to a garden, property etc its down to you. To upgrade libaility cover is expensive as you become classed as a high risk business.

   

  Description: "

  The active ingredient of Gallup Biograde Amenity is glyphosate which kills weeds by blocking the plant's enzymatic system. As this system is only found in plants and not found in humans, animals, birds or fish, the herbicidal activity is very specific – and effective as a weed killer. Following treatment leaf symptoms on treated plants are a reddening then yellowing of the foliage.

  Gallup Biograde Amenity is very flexible as it can be used at anytime of year, especially when growth is active and the leaves are well developed to take up the herbicide. The formulation ensures the herbicide is readily absorbed through the leaf cuticle and is able to circulate throughout the plant and right down to the roots. As a result not just the foliage but the whole of the weed is killed.

  Gallup Biograde Amenity weed killer is absorbed easily onto the soil particles so does not leach and is also broken down by the soil bacteria into harmless natural substances"
• 

  Anne Wareham June 5, 2012 at 2:27pm

  No - we have box blight so are anxious to do all we can to not add stress to the plants. Think you are right though re possible root damage through heat..
  
  www.mibservices.co.uk said:

  Glypho shouldnt be doing the damage via the roots, its designed to translocate through green leaf and be inert upon contact with soil. Are the roots showing through on top of the soil ? If so that will possibly be the reason for the damage or weak growth. I would say you are more likely to do more damage using a flame blower near them than good spraying
• PRO

  Phil Voice June 5, 2012 at 3:01pm

  Hi Anne

  Have you thought about using steam?
• 

  Anne Wareham June 5, 2012 at 3:10pm

  Not quite a domestic proposition?! XXX