Weeds love to grow in any location in your garden and unfortunately thrive in most weather conditions.
However, gardeners will notice a boom in these pesky plants when they have an abundance of sunshine and a good amount of rain, something the UK has been experiencing over the past few days.
Instead of using white vinegar and salt or toxic products to kill weeds in between patio cracks, one gardener wondered if boiling water was an effective solution.
Taking to the Gardening UK Facebook page, Rachel Roberts wrote: “To those of you who use boiling water to kill the weeds growing in the patio, how often and for how long do you do it to see a difference?”
Group members in the comments section claimed that results will show up quickly when using boiling water on weeds.
Helen Brooks wrote: “I have found it depends on the weed – most of my patio weeds reacted pretty quickly. I use boiling water on my driveway.”
Rachelle Breakspear said: “Poured hot water on the weeds and next day they were burnt to a crisp, then I pulled them out and not seen any since.”
Sandra Lovett commented: “As soon as you notice the weeds put boiling water on it. I go round every week with the kettle my drives weed-free.”
Annie Searle said: “I check on mine once a week. Each time they regrow the weeds seem to be weaker and take longer to come back.”
John Gardner instructed: “When you see green shoots. Do a weekly ‘patrol’ during the growing season. They’ll die the same day and shrivelled to nothing in a couple more days if you use this. It’s an amazing water method.”
Jazz Bah replied: “I saw a notable difference the next day. I did mine about a month ago and have not done it since. Dog friendly and I’m not averse to weeds as such, just not on my path.”
However, just as boiling water kills weeds, it can also kill valuable plants if not used properly.
It is recommended to use a tea kettle with a spout and a heatproof handle when using this method to kill weeds.
The spout allows you to direct the flow of water right on the weeds, while the kettle retains most of the heat. Pour slowly, especially if there is grass nearby or ornamental plants that might be damaged.
For a more effective method, gardeners can prune off most of the foliage and treat the roots with boiling water in the garden.
