Weeds on the driveway: 3 ways to get rid of them
Walkways, driveways and paths in the garden, and other paved areas: these are all areas of the garden that we like to see kept pristine and, especially, weed-free.
There are times of the year when many weeds are dormant and required weed-control efforts are minimal. But when weather conditions improve, weeds will "bloom" again and we need to act - but how? Read on to find out more:
Remove weeds yes, but be aware of the repercussions
There are botanists who teach us that not all weeds are necessarily "bad". But what does this mean? Well, weed growth is natural and "fighting" nature can have unexpected, unintended consequences.
For example, if you use herbicides or aggressive chemicals to kill weeds, you can end up poisoning a lot more of the surrounding soil than you intended. So, what alternative, eco-friendly methods can you use?
Say goodbye to weeds: methods that do not compromise the surrounding soil
There is no "magic bullet" to eliminate weeds, but there are three eco-friendly methods you can use to deal with this problem:
- Manually remove weeds: weeding by hand is the best method if there are not too many weeds to deal with. Make sure to remove the full root of a weed and it won't return for months. However, if the area to be treated is large, use another method;
- Boiling water: be careful using boiling water as it is dangerous. That said, pouring boiling water on weeds is very effective and totally eco-friendly. This remedy works, but you will probably need to use a lot of boiling hot water. This remedy is particularly effective against young weeds. In short, the thermal shock kills the weeds, and once done, they can be removed easily a day or two after having been "boiled". You can also use the water you've used for cooking (but not when it has been salted as this could alter the pH values of the soil);
- Blow-torching weeds: when you have to work on fairly large areas, blow-torching weeds is the fastest method. Again, it's the thermal shock that kills the weeds. Shortly after treatment (from half an hour to a maximum of two-three days), you can remove the burnt weeds easily.
Other remedies, such as using vinegar or substances that are less aggressive than chemical herbicides - but still potentially harmful - are advisable only for use in areas that are well away from trees and flowerbeds, to prevent soil contamination.
Prevention, as they say, is better than cure, so keeping areas in your garden weed-free with regular maintenance will pay off in the long run!