Weed Burner and ground sterilizer.

[Durgan]

https://www.flameengineering.com/VT3-30C.html

I bought this one from the US from the Internet. Since ordering I found that Lee Valley locally sells the same device. I use the barbeque propane tank, and find the flame is ideal size for home use.

My hollyhocks have a fungus and I burned the tops off, and flamed the ground around the plants. Next year will indicate if my practice is fruitful or not. I tried all the fungicides for three years now with little success.

These devices don't kill the plant, but they are probably excellent for killing insects, mold and mildew under the right circumstances.

Anyway my intent is to use it in what would be considered ideal situations as a supplement to spraying.
Durgan.

[Newt]

Hi Durgan,

Welcome to The Helpful Gardener. I'm wondering if your hollyhocks had hollyhock rust. Burning is a good way to get rid of this fungus. I don't mean to be pessimistic, but it does tend to return. Here's some info about it.
https://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/publications/gardendisease/gd26.htm

Newt

[Durgan]

Newt:
Thanks. I am all too familar with the rust on hollyhocks returning. I tried the various eradication methods. 2006 was bad due to being wet for long periods. This year I will watch them closely. If I am not successful this year I will remove the plants, but I am optomistic. Time will tell.

I added the URL for the weedburner in my original post. Sorry about leaving it out.

Durgan.

[Newt]

Durgan, I hope you return and let us know how your hollyhocks do this year. I get many questions about hollyhock rust.

Newt

[Durgan]

Newt;

4 March 2007. There is a bit of evidence that the fungus is not present. The hollyhocks were severly clipped and burnt off using the flame in October. We had a mild fall and early winter and the hollyhocks grew a few leaves. There was no sign of the fungus.

This is constrasted with the growth last year when fungus was present on the new leaves. I was constantly removing the leaves, which basically is self defeating, no fungus, no leaves, no flowers.

However, definite evidence will be available when the spring growth has started in earnest in a few weeks.

Durgan..

[Newt]

Hollyhock rust is so prolific it can be seen in South America. Here's a picture I took in an area called The Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains of Peru. You can see the hollyhocks have no leaves on them as the gardener remove them due to rust.

[img]https://drdigital.smugmug.com/photos/16687609-L.jpg[/img]

I did collect some seeds that I had misplaced. I found them this winter and will see if they germinate after 3 years of storage.

Newt

[Durgan]

There is a home made burner and another picture of one being used in a field in the UK. I certainly am interested in using the burner in selected areas as a sterilizer.

https://xrl.us/u8fs Thread to a discussion of the weed Burner.

Durgan.