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Subject: Market Farming
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- From: "David Inglis" <mhcsa AT bcn.net>
- To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: RE: [Market-farming] Flame Weeders
- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 10:56:19 -0500
Title: Message
Hi Marlin,
The following is some of what I have gleaned from 20 years of
flaming.
It works really well when it works but, if your timing is off, or the
weather is not conducive it 'sucks'. Flame weeding [FW] should not
be tried on a crop you can not afford to lose or have time to replant.
I eliminate all hand weeding, in carrots, in about one in four
crops, dramatically reduce weeding in a further two and completely lose the
other.
If you miss the flaming prior to crop emergence scrap the
crop.
FW is most effective against photo activated weed
seeds.
The ability to irrigate greatly increases the effectiveness of the
technique.
Weed germination must be separated from the crop germination by preparing
a stale bed [a bed that is ready to plant but you hold off for some days before
planting your crop ]. This point is the one that is most often omitted by the
people who tell me it does not work.
The length of time required between preparing the bed and sowing the crop
varies depending on the time of the season, the dominant weed you wish to
control and the weather. This can only be learned through experience but a safe
general plan can still be instituted. If I am busy, which is most of the time, I
flame at 5 days after seeding no matter what and add a second FW just as my
marker crop emerges. Marker crops make it easier to time the final FW by
emerging a day or two ahead of the crop. E.g. in carrots this could be a few
radishes and beets included in the seed mix or the same variety planted two days
ahead of the main crop. This requires constant
monitoring.
You can only FW row by row with a backpack
type flamer. If you want to do the whole bed surface you will need a more
expensive 3 point type.
Liquid phase flamers are much more
dangerous than gas phase.
Nozzle should be 6" from the soil and
pointed forward; some friends have built a cart to achieve this consistently.
Walk as fast as you can with the nozzle going full
blast.
Flame only when the dew is off, preferably
with no cloud cover or wind.
FW will not heat the soil or damage
organisms living there but will ruin the day of any spider within 2'; this is
not insignificant.
Consider using a flamer to eliminate
insects on a trap crop. We do this on Mexican Bean beetle, as recently described
on this list, as well as Flea, potato [don't ask] and Cuc.
Btl..
I know your question was about the
equipment but I have found that the use of the equipment is what dictates the
success or failure and until you get into tractor mounted systems there is
little difference between the brands.
I hope this is
helpful.
David Inglis
Mahaiwe Harvest
C.S.A.
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- RE: [Market-farming] Flame Weeders, David Inglis, 02/28/2003
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