Re: BD and steam
Christine , thank you for the info I will follow up and let you know the outcome, regards Ross - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 18, 2003 3:18 PM Subject: Re: BD and steam Hi Ross, There is another company in Australia (Adelaide) marketing a steam weeder especially for under vines called 'Vaporjet'. They also have photos of a modified version for [vegetables?] asparagus that a grower made himself. The company's name is 'travohtec', PO Box 2162, Port Adelaide Business Centre, SA 5015; ph 08-8347 7499; fax 08-8347 7599; email [EMAIL PROTECTED]; contact person: Chris Travers 0407 976 033. Christiane
Re: BD and steam
Hi Ross, There is another company in Australia (Adelaide) marketing a steam weeder especially for under vines called 'Vaporjet'. They also have photos of a modified version for [vegetables?] asparagus that a grower made himself. The company's name is 'travohtec', PO Box 2162, Port Adelaide Business Centre, SA 5015; ph 08-8347 7499; fax 08-8347 7599; email [EMAIL PROTECTED]; contact person: Chris Travers 0407 976 033. Christiane
Re: BD and steam
I made a flame weeder about8 years ago,runs on propane gas . 40kg of gas covers about 1 acre. Brillent on annual seedling weeds not so good with grasses and perennial weeds. Best results where achieved on the afternoon of a leaf dayduring the week of full moon.I use mind 3 or 4 timesfor stale seed bed preparation before planting. Cheers Tony Robinson Land Down Under
Re: BD and steam
to Steve Diver, thanks for your comments on the steam/flame web sites. I would appreciate if you could advise the contact details for Atarus in Australia as I will contact them concerning their applicators. cheers Ross - Original Message - From: Steve Diver [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 11:59 AM Subject: Re: BD and steam Flame, Infra-Red, Steam now you're talking about some hot topics in weed control. See: Flame Weeding for Vegetable Crops http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/flameweedveg.html http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/flameweedveg.pdf This is the NCAT-ATTRA pub with all the suppliers and resources. EcoFarm in California just held a workshop on this topic in January, where I presented a summary of this topic. We featured the Waipuna hot foam equipment from New Zealand and the Infra-Red EcoWeeders from Switzerland, distributed by Forevergreen in British Columbia. Infra-red weeders are Swiss made. In North America, they are available from two suppliers: Forevergreen and Rittenhouse. A market farm scale flame weeder with a flaming hood, on wheels, can be obtained for $300-400. Flame Weeders in West Virginia http://www.flameweeders.cjb.net/ The Lady Punto, also known as EcoWeeder Lady, is an entry level hand-held Infra-Red weeder for $170. This is what you need, Merla, to try it out. A landscaper said they work great around trees and to edge sidwalks, pavements, and borders. Forevergreen EcoWeeders http://www.chemfree-weedcontrol.com/ The Junior 3 is getting into a farm-scale Infra-Red model for about $870. The Agri Infra-Red models on wheels for market farmers are going into the $1,200 and $1,600 range but don't quote me. Ask them. The Infra-Red weeders are therefore more expensive, but still reasonable to a commercial organic farmer or landscaper. When you're looking at 200', 400', and 600' rows of carrots, parsely, beans, onions, corn... well, you get the picture. Pro-rate your cost out over several years. The Waipuna hot foam is another story. The expense to lease these units are more inline with municipal park departments, institutional landscape maintenance, and large-scale orchards, vineyards, and berry operations rather than small farms and market gardens. Yet, steam or hot foam is *very* appealing to an organic farming situation. If you can imagine a 40-80 acre organic blackberry plantation in Oregon, you can understand how it would match this kind of organic farming. If you are talking about 5 acres of market vegetables, it is not in your budget. Waipuna http://www.waipuna.com/ The Atarus steam weeding equipment, from Australia, is now available in the U.S. through Delta Liquid Energy in Paso Robles, California. http://www.deltaliquidenergy.com/thermweedprodpage.html Have not seen what the Atarus costs, but again I am guessing it is more akin to larger-scale vineyards, rather than small farms. It is the nature of equipment costs. Merla, it occurs to me that you can pass along information about the Waipuna and Atarus steam-based weed control equipment to your weed control board. This is technology that works. Keep in mind, however, it is really expensive and not something they are likely to jump on. Over time, they might warm up to the idea. Regards, Steve Diver
Re: BD and steam
Hi Ross - The Atarus website in Australia is listed in the Flame Weeding for Vegetable Crops publication from ATTRA. http://www.atarus.com.au Yet, the web site quit working some weeks or months ago so I can't say much more than that. John McPhee (Team Leader for Sustainable and Profitable Industries, Vegetable Branch, Devonport, Tasmania) is looking into equipment and technology for organic / sustainable vegetable production so you might get in touch at: John McPhee [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you think of wood chip mulch on trees and vines, combined with steam for the emerging weeds, which ultimately poke through the mulch, you have a very powerful combination. You get the moisture conserving and weed-controlling mulch benefits, you provide the food and shelter benefits for soil biota, you get the fungal foodweb benefits, you get the humic benefits relative to Ramial Chipped Wood -- the Bois Raméal Fragmenté, and you get the no-till benefits. Yet, you avoid the fire hazard of open flame weeders and dried mulch in an arid climate. Regards, Steve Diver Ross McDonald asks: to Steve Diver, thanks for your comments on the steam/flame web sites. I would appreciate if you could advise the contact details for Atarus in Australia as I will contact them concerning their applicators. cheers Ross
BD and steam
As a new convert to to the BD practice can anyone advise if steam is used and method of applicationin managing weeds in the vineyard. We are primarily using a modified cutoff plough and then reforming the soil beneath the vines - I dont like doing this as the soil is turned over too often and the feeder roots of the vines must suffer. we are also using mulch under the vines but the noxious weeds are still about. any comments? Ross McDonald
Re: BD and steam
Ross McDonald wrote: As a new convert to to the BD practice can anyone advise if steam is used and method of application in managing weeds in the vineyard. We are primarily using a modified cutoff plough and then reforming the soil beneath the vines - I dont like doing this as the soil is turned over too often and the feeder roots of the vines must suffer. we are also using mulch under the vines but the noxious weeds are still about. any comments? Ross McDonald Leichardt Council in Sydney use steam in controlling roadside weeds. 18 months ago the contractor offered to send a tanker and prime mover up to Goulburn to a project I was working on to give a demo but nothing came of it. I can find out some contact details if you like. Whereabouts are you, Ross? If you are using a hay-type mulch 50-75mm thick that should cut the weeds down a bit. What sort of weeds have you got? roger -- %% May I have given you seeds, that you can turn into roots, that will bear fruit in the future. (Rudolf Steiner) %% Reiki Healer, Earth Healing, Natural Energy Divination Earthcare Environmental Solutions PO Box 2057 Queanbeyan NSW 2620 Australia Ph: +61 2 6255 3824 Fax: +61 2 6255 1028 Mob: +61 410 469 541 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: BD and steam
Roger, I have looked into this on the net and only found very large equipment. If you find small units for individuals to use, I would be interested in hearing about them. Aren't they on a par with flame weeding? Merla Roger Pye wrote: Ross McDonald wrote: As a new convert to to the BD practice can anyone advise if steam is used and method of application in managing weeds in the vineyard. We are primarily using a modified cutoff plough and then reforming the soil beneath the vines - I dont like doing this as the soil is turned over too often and the feeder roots of the vines must suffer. we are also using mulch under the vines but the noxious weeds are still about. any comments? Ross McDonald Leichardt Council in Sydney use steam in controlling roadside weeds. 18 months ago the contractor offered to send a tanker and prime mover up to Goulburn to a project I was working on to give a demo but nothing came of it. I can find out some contact details if you like. Whereabouts are you, Ross? If you are using a hay-type mulch 50-75mm thick that should cut the weeds down a bit. What sort of weeds have you got? roger -- %% May I have given you seeds, that you can turn into roots, that will bear fruit in the future. (Rudolf Steiner) %% Reiki Healer, Earth Healing, Natural Energy Divination Earthcare Environmental Solutions PO Box 2057 Queanbeyan NSW 2620 Australia Ph: +61 2 6255 3824 Fax: +61 2 6255 1028 Mob: +61 410 469 541 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: BD and steam
- Original Message - From: Steve Diver [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 10, 2003 7:59 PM Subject: Re: BD and steam Flame, Infra-Red, Steam now you're Thanks Steve, for the hot info. In the fall, i was modifying my roofing torch for the same use, trying to alternate the torch head with the infared heating attachment which you can purchase for the top of a standard propane tank. I was pleasantly surprised to see the photos of the market garden in Colorado on the one site ...showing the use of the flamer since i worked there some 35 yrs ago! What a change! Now, without me going through all the data which you provide, can you say whether or not the heat treatment is the least harmful to the microlife compared to any other method of weed control?.manfred
