Gardeners are often inundated with various cleaning and gardening hacks that promise to solve everyday problems.
Salt and acidic white vinegar are two of the most popular cupboard ingredients used on weeds, but they’re not as effective as some may think, a paving expert has warned.
Cass Heaphy, the Digital Director at Paving Direct, has shared the most effective ways to rid your paving of pesky weeds.
For block paving on a driveway, he suggested “pulling anything that will come up by hand”, and for stubborn weeds that “cannot be easily pulled up”, a weeding tool or scraper should do the trick.
He further advised: “You should be able to scrape between the blocks with this tool to dislodge the weeds. You can also use a hand-held burner to speed things up.”
However, he cautioned against using salt or white vinegar, explaining: “Do not use salt to kill weeds as this can damage paving.
“Not only can salt damage paving, but it can also harm soil health and prevent future growth if used on weeds in other areas of the garden”, warned Cass.
The same warning applies to white vinegar which can inadvertently kill plants if sprayed onto them while attempting to eliminate weeds.
For those seeking an inexpensive yet effective solution, baking soda or boiling water could be the answer. Baking soda is deemed the “simplest and safest way to soften up and kill weeds”, according to paving experts.
To use baking soda on weeds, simply sprinkle it over the patio slabs and then sweep it into the gaps between them. Once you’ve done this, simply pour some boiling water down the gaps too, explained the paving experts.
It’s important to pour the water close to the weeds to avoid damaging any 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’ll easily be able to stop grass or weeds growing between slabs”, claimed the Paving Direct experts.
As for boiling water, they revealed it can “cause serious damage to any weed roots or seeds you missed with your gardening gloves”.
A pressure washer can also be used to remove weeds as the power can dislodge deep roots. But to ensure the job’s done right, spend approximately 30 seconds on each area.
The experts warned: “It’s worth noting that this approach should not be regularly administered. The pressure of the water can break down the mortar that keeps your pavers in place. With this in mind, it’s advised that you make use of a pressure washer only once per season to flush out any particularly stubborn remnants of weeds.”
