Killing Weeds With Hot Water

Thank you,
Beverly Dickerson

A: Beverly,

This method of weed control has certainly gained a lot of attention on the past few years. As long as you use it as a topical spot treatment, your flowers should be fine. The idea is that the hot water melts away the coating on weed leaves, or it severely damages the weed plant's cellular structure. The weeds are then unable to retain moisture and dehydrate within anywhere from a few days to a few short hours. At times, as with all herbicides, additional treatments may be necessary. The only real problem with this form of weed management is that the hot water also kills beneficial soil microorganisms (as do traditional chemical methods). Desirable plants with shallow root systems can also be damaged if care is not taken during application.

The hot water method will not control all weeds, but is effective against many. Burning or searing weeds with infrared heat or a propane flamer is equally as effective and may be more energy efficient in the long run.