Grow Your Own Magazine

Can you please recommend me a weedkiller suitable for patios and driveways (the patio is brick paved and the driveway is loose stones). I reckon it needs to be glyphosate based, but I read somewhere that if you water/spray the area with this it will not only kill the weeds but keep the area clear for a few months. I saw concentrated Roundup in B&Q today, but thought I'd check it out with the grapes before buying. Also, someone on here posted in the last day or so saying that 'any weeds which come up will be glyphosated' or something like that.
So which one do I get?

As a slight aside, all the weedkilling products have warnings on them saying they're toxic to aquatic life; our patio is next to our pond, if I carefully water - rather than spray - the area nearest the pond, do you think my fish will be safe?

I use Pathclear: keeps weeds from reappearing for up to 6 months. Expensive but worth it.

Is that one you spray on to existing weeds and it kills them and suppresses further weeds, or do you have to clear the area of weeds first?

How about the flame thrower type. Just a thought, never used it myself but often looked at them. They seem to be advertised being used on paths and drives. I sent my hubby out with a hooked knife to go between the paving slabs. I tell him it's therapeutic

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I got a weed flame gun for my birthday last year (I did request it!) but I've been quite disappointed with it. Also, what I really want is something which will stop the weeds from materialising for a while. This is all in preparation for having our wedding reception in our garden in August - aswell as the veg, I'm sowing various flower seeds and buying plants etc. to make the garden look suitably attired for a marquee wedding reception. I tell you, it's hard work!!

I have also been out today and bought (ok so I probably could've made one or used a screwdriver or whatever) a weeding tool for between slabs etc. I've given it a bit of a go for half an hour this afternoon, and it seems mostly to do the trick. But if I could then water the area with something to prevent the weeds for a few months, I could clear it and weedkill it a couple of months ahead of the wedding and use my time to do one of another couple of hundred jobs!! (Don't know if you can tell by my 'tone of voice' but I'm getting slightly twitchy about the whole thing now!)

Roundup is OK and what you do is hold a peice of board along side the posd to make sure it doesn't go in

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Boiling water is an eco-friendlier option. Or salt / salty boiling water

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I got rid of brambles and all sorts from my garde by a strong application of Jeyes fluid. Stunk the place out for a week or two (in winter) but am bramble free for first time in years and made a lovely base for greenhouse membrane

But it's not going to keep the weeds at bay is it? Hadn't thought of it though and may use it on areas of weeds where I want to plant stuff.

Also, whilst it's not pumping stuff out in to the atmosphere directly, I'd need to boil the kettle an awful lot to get enough to cover the area I need to.

I filed off the point of a knife and I get 'em with that. It's a kind of meditation if you take it steady.

Hello Waffler, I find salt works well in cracks in paths , driveways and areas where you dont want to grow anything. I've used road salt, no need for boiling water, as soon as it gets wet it will disolve and poison the area with sodium. Get the level high enough and nothing will grow there.
Best wishes for your marquee wedding. Obviously you want the place looking really good, but remeber your guests are coming to celebrate with you, not to scour the place looking for weeds. People see the big things - not the odd weed in the corner.

Other than salt, Pathclear should work for you. I find it expensive and not entirely effective. You can spray it on topgrowth which it will kill. You then have to scrape out the dead brown stuff. I find it just as easy to scrape out the green stuff. And it stains the slabs. I've never noticed it stopping new weeds germinating.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Roofers Torch and a 15Kg tank of propane. You can even get a tripple burner one now for gardening.

Don't use salt, it will wash wherever the rain and then groundwater takes it.

Sodium Chlorate is an old and persistent weedkiller if it is still available.

As for the pond, what do you think plastic sheeting was invented for , it only needs to be covered while you spray.

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