Using a process called “flame weeding,” organic farmers are able to destroy pests while also providing nutrients for their crops. They call it a “slow kill” because it takes days to kill a weed, but it never comes back.
Using a giant propane tank and a special trailer modified to have two dozen torches aimed toward the ground, the farmer burns away weeds before they can attack his organic corn. They call this, naturally “flame weeding.”
“Flame weeding,” explains a maker of flame weeding equipment, “is what we like to call a ‘slow kill.’ Essentially, you are destroying cell structure in the plant leaf. The weed will no longer put energy toward growth (photosynthesis) taking the kill though the root system. YES, flame weeding will kill the roots too! Even on big weeds (over 6″), you will see a stunting effect and even a kill within a few days, depending on how established the root system is and how long the plant was exposed to heat.”
