electric fence versus weeds

[topside1]

Afternoon all, I recently hung electric fencing around my property to keep the goats/calves contained. Love the stuff except the weeds/grasses are growing like crazy here in Tennessee and off I went weed whacking under the bottom electric high tensile strand. Let me tell you that job took a while and now 14 days later it's beginning to need a whacking again. I am considering buying a propane torch to burn the vegetation below the fencing or spraying round up below the bottom strand. I realize my charger will burn vegetation that contacts it, however over time the weeds and grass will over take fence line. Presently the fence line is weed whacked level to the topsoil and it looks great, I just don't want to be walking and whacking a couple of miles every 14 days. I'm not lazy, just like to work smarter, not harder. Any better ideas? What do you folks do? Thanks Tennessee John

[JeffNY]

Round up will work, and shouldn't bother the animals, as they won't get that close to the fence.


Jeff

[travlnusa]

A second vote, and current user, of RoundUp (generic version) under fences.

[Faith Farm]

Try reducing the size of your paddocks. If you have elec fence enclosing
the entire property and your livestock grazing a large area, it will be
impossible to manage. Haying might be an option if you have acces to the
equipment or a neighbor for barter. Otherwise you will be for ever wacking it.
My cows usually reach under the wire and clip most of it. I keep it 18" off
the ground. What they don't get I do with my ridding mower. It is small
enough to get in under the wire. Be sure to shut power off first.
Once you put down weed killer it's there for years and run off might seep into
your well water. If all else fails burning could do it but risky if it gets out of
control.
Two years ago I burnt a small area, all went well until a wind picked up and
it began to spread in several directions. I caught it in time, barely. Just my
thoughts.

[agmantoo]

RoundUp is corrosive, just look at guard rails on the highways where they have sprayed. The galvanized coating on your wire will be gone all to soon using the RoundUp. I can remove the power from my lower strand of wire and I spray for broadleaf weeds and tree sprouts with 2 4 D which is not corrosive. The grass seldom gets tall enough to create a problem. If you kill all the foliage under the fence in sloped areas your can create conditions for erosion.

[Hammer4]

We have a weed burner, but I have a ground wire as the bottom wire so the animals trim under the fence for me along the high tensile fence. Some of the fence is woven wire which I hate as the animals can't eat along it and its terrible to try and trim along...so it generally just grows up and I ignore it.

I don't use roundup, I don't like using chemicals to try and correct something which is mostly a neatness ( visual ) issue for me anyhow.

[topside1]

Hammer do you like your weed burner? Would you buy another? And lastly how wide is the nozzle? I'm about sold on purchaseing a weed burner it would definitely do the job and messing with chemicals is costly and just couldn't be good for anyone in the long run. Fill me in please and thanks everyone for your input!!! Tennessee John

[Hammer4]

I like ours quite a bit, it does a good job on weeds, I also find a lot of uses for it starting my brush piles on fire when needed or starting/restarting our outdoor wood furnace.

The nozzle on it is 3 inches wide, the wand itself is about 3 feet long, it is on about a 8 foot rubber hoze leading to a propane bottle same as used on a gas grill.

Ours is the basic model, I think my wife paid around $70 for it at the local Orscheln's.

http://www.flameengineering.com/Vapor_Torch_Kits.html

[Tiffin]

I have a weed burner also, but haven't tried it along fence lines; seems like it would be too slow. I weed wack when we first move the electric fence and it seems to stay in control until we move it again. I also have used the walk behind sickle bar mower but it's harder work to keep from running into posts. I wouldn't want to use chemicals as it would be too permanent as we move the fence around over a 10 acre area. The chemicals would leave a lasting line. Here I go with that "look" thing.

[furholler]

Originally Posted by Hammer4

I like ours quite a bit, it does a good job on weeds, I also find a lot of uses for it starting my brush piles on fire when needed or starting/restarting our outdoor wood furnace.

The nozzle on it is 3 inches wide, the wand itself is about 3 feet long, it is on about a 8 foot rubber hoze leading to a propane bottle same as used on a gas grill.

Ours is the basic model, I think my wife paid around $70 for it at the local Orscheln's.

http://www.flameengineering.com/Vapor_Torch_Kits.html

Will these burn green stuff?

[topside1]

hi all, just ordered my weed burner. Just to clarify I will be using it on green vegetation only directly below the bottom strand of electric fence wire. i have crunched the numbers and with the amount of fence line to cover the torch is the economical way to go, not to mention the environmental way to go. Lastly it will kill green stuff, not burn it so the tool is extremely safe with common sense added. Enjoy the spring....Tennessee John

[needstoknowmore]

I am glad that I took the time to read this thread. I too have mostly electric fence and spend way to much time with the weed whacker and don't want to use the chemicals. In the areas where things stay green, I am going to try the weed burner!! thanks