Gardeners are often overwhelmed with various cleaning and gardening tasks that promise to solve everyday problems.
Salt and acidic white vinegar are two of the most popular weed cabinet ingredients, but they’re not as effective as some might think, a paving expert has warned.
Cass Heaphy, Digital Director of Paving Direct, has shared the most effective ways to get rid of pesky weeds from your pavement.
For block pavers from the driveway, he suggested “pulling anything that comes up by hand,” and for stubborn weeds that “can’t be easily pulled up,” a weeding tool or scraper should work.
He further advised, “You should be able to scrape between the blocks with this tool to remove the weeds. You can also use a handheld torch to speed things up.”
However, he cautioned against using salt or white vinegar, explaining: “Don’t use salt to kill weeds because it can damage the pavement.
“Salt can not only damage paving, but it can also damage soil health and inhibit future growth if used to control weeds in other areas of the garden,” Cass warned.
The same warning applies to white vinegar, which can accidentally kill plants if sprayed to kill weeds.
For those looking for an inexpensive but effective solution, baking soda or boiling water could be the answer. According to paving experts, baking soda is considered “the simplest and safest way to soften and kill weeds.”
If you want to use baking soda for weed control, sprinkle it over your patio tiles and then sweep it into the gaps between them. Once you’ve done this, simply pour boiling water into the gaps as well, paving experts explained.
It is important to pour water near the weeds so that they do not damage the nearby plants. When used correctly, the combination of baking soda and water not only kills the roots, but also makes them easier to uproot.
Repeating the process every month or so means you “can easily stop the growth of grass or weeds between the tiles,” claimed experts at Paving Direct.
As for the boiling water, they revealed that it “can cause serious damage to weed roots or seeds you may have overlooked with your gardening gloves.”
A pressure washer can also be used to remove weeds, as the force can dislodge deep roots. But to make sure the job is done right, spend about 30 seconds on each area.
Experts warned: “It should be noted that this approach should not be used regularly. The water pressure can break down the mortar that holds the pavers in place. Therefore, it is recommended that you only use a pressure washer once a season to wash away particularly stubborn weed residues.”
