Don't you just love pulling weeds when it's 97 degrees in Colorado? You can always take a shortcut and spray the weeds. Then again, you can follow in the footsteps of this Colorado community, and use this clean, chemical-free method to kill weeds.

According to KOAA News 5, the town of Monument, Colorado is using steam to kill weeds. The city's Landscape Supervisor, Cassie Olgren, says the town bought a "weed n steam" machine to the tune of $15,000.

The weed n steam machine heats and pressurizes water to a temperature that can kill weeds. It's a total natural process, it kills it with the hot water so we don't have to use any chemicals. - Cassie Olgren

 

In addition to killing weeds, the town of Monument used the steam machine to prevent the spread of COVID-19. According to Olgren, the machine is also used to sanitize playground equipment.

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This, to me at least, seems like an excellent approach to weed control. I have no use for the idea of spraying toxic chemicals all over the place. Pulling weeds is my preferred method, but that can be impractical when dealing with several acres of land. The benefits of using steam might include:

  • environmentally friendly
  • cost-effective
  • pet friendly

When considering the negatives of steam, only one thing comes to mind:

  • frizzy hair

Granted, the cost of $15,000 places this option far beyond the reach of the average property owner. Then again, a commercial machine such as that used by Monument may not be necessary.

Following a quick search, it was learned that residential steam-machines intended for the purpose of killing weeds do in fact exist. Somehow I've never seen these before. They are carried by the popular home improvement stores and range in price from $79.99 to $249.95.

This is a game-changer. I'm that guy, you know, the one who "mows" his weeds with a lawnmower. I have a couple of acres and no desire to spend entire weekends pulling weeds. I'm following Monument's example and getting a "weed n steam" machine, or more accurately, the domestic equivalent.

Downtown Grand Junction Businesses of Yesterday

 

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