Is thermal weeding really more economical?

Guilbert Express

6 March, 2022
Home Pro tips Green spaces weeding Is thermal weeding really more economical?

Thermal weed control is booming, for individuals and professionals alike. The first reason for using it is ecological, but it also saves time and money.

How to burn weeds with a thermal weeder

The thermal weeder produces high heat to which the plant must be exposed for only a few seconds. This creates a thermal shock that explodes plant cells and allows water to escape from the plant.

Allow two, or a maximum of three, passes to burn off weeds with deeper roots.

Gas or electric thermal burner

The gas thermal weeder  is the most widespread and the most economical. The electric weeder restricts how much you can do, because you are depending on a battery with a short battery life, as the device needs a lot of energy, or on connection to the mains.

Why burning weeds with a thermal weeder is more economical

The gas thermal weeder is capable of producing heat up to 1,400°C. It only takes a few seconds to dry out the plant, which means low gas consumption. Indeed, it is not a question of burning the plant, as it would heal and grow back, but of drying it out.

Usually you need to go over it a second time, but this is also the case with chemicals. Indeed, the composition of chemical weed killers has been lightened to reduce pollution, but they have lost their effectiveness. You’re also going to have to do it a few times. It is both costly and polluting.

The gas thermal weeder can be used in all weathers. If you apply a chemical weed killer, it may be dispersed by wind or rain, which will cancel out your action. You’ll have to start all over again, which doubles the amount of product and the time spent.

Saving time

Saving of time is also a saving, especially for local authorities. If you are weeding your garden, you count your time less, but for the municipalities, the time spent is invoiced either by a professional company or for the salary of the road-mender responsible for the maintenance of green spaces.

As mentioned above, in the event of bad weather, everything has to be started again. We must also take into account the time spent preparing the sprayers, reloading them and cleaning them afterwards. With a gas thermal weeder, you have a much better autonomy and you don’t have to spend time on the maintenance and upkeep of your appliance.

The price of gas

The thermal gas burner uses propane. It is a fossil fuel that comes either from natural gas fields (60%) or from oil refineries (40%). This means that it is found in its pure state, which does not involve spending a lot of energy to extract it. Otherwise, it is produced in refineries anyway, as a by-product of petroleum distillation.

Propane is not an expensive or polluting energy source. Consumption for burning weeds is minimal, as its yield is excellent.

Chemical weed killers are much more expensive. If you calculate between the gas consumption and the amount of chemicals needed, you end up with a cost four to five times cheaper with the thermal weeder.

As for ecology, the use of chemical weed killers is a real disaster. By infiltrating the soil by capillary action, they destroy not only the flora, but also the underground fauna so precious for the regeneration of the soil, as well as the water tables. The gas burner only affects the target plant.