I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are growing through.
Would I need to remove the existing gravel before putting the sheet down or could I put a sheet over the existing gravel and then put gravel on top of that?
I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are growing through.
Would I need to remove the existing gravel before putting the sheet down or could I put a sheet over the existing gravel and then put gravel on top of that?
antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds
Spray them off.
They don't *stop* them, but they *do* slow them down and stop them from making tap roots, so they are easy to remove.
The matting really needs to be on soil *under* the gravel so, for best results, you need to lift and relay the gravel. If possible, wash it while it's up.
Remove gravel. Flamegun soil. Paraquat. Concrete. Gravel.
Repeat paraquat every few years.
Owain
You could do either, but will probably find that new weeds will germinate from wind blown/ bird dropped seeds in the dirt that eventually builds up in the new gravel.
Mike
Gravel alone does that.
easiest to spray path clear on and in three weeks hose it down and if necessary, add more gravel.
Gravel does not prevent weeds from making tap roots, and does not prevent invasion by creeping roots.
I won't use poisons near the house, so am waiting until I can afford to strip and re-lay the gravel beds. In the meantime it's a never ending battle with (in my case) deep rooted thistles which have got a hold.
Nick
Pulling 'em will get 'em. We get a few thistles here I normally let them grow and flower but not set seed then push a fork in full deepth all round giving it a waggle then pull the thistle out. It helps if the ground is moist after a good bit of rain, under those conditions I've got 3' of tap root out before now. That is with a big thistle, say 3'+ high and 18"+ diameter. Even if you don't get all the root if you get the top foot or so they don't seem to come back. If it snaps off at or just below ground level it probably will.
Very few thistles here now (I've not spotted one this year, yet) and much less ragwort just by simply pulling. I only really started on thistle control a couple of years ago, was concentrating on the ragwort before.
In message , Nick Leverton writes
You could try a double layer of plastic mulch. As the NP says, weed roots will penetrate. I wonder if horticultural (professional supplies rather than garden centre outlets) would do a better job.
regards
deepth
A good dose of Roundup or similar Glyphoste product twice or three times a year will do it. I use a version called 'Clinic Ace' from my local agricultural supplier. We have an area of gravel approaching an acre to keep weed free and igt works for us.
AWEM
Don't like using chemicals and glyphosate will kill the surrounding plants as well. To much faff keeping it off them and going round a few times a year compared to a single round of pulling.
Gravel just needs to be raked over every so often to keep clear of weeds. If you have gravel and want it to be weed free you have to put the labour in. If I had a large expanse of gravel think I'd get a wheeled, paraffin fired, burner. It'll do for anything growing and any seeds lying about as well, not to mention being fun. B-)
Bullshit. I spray my gravel edges where grass has crept in with Pathclear, and the surrounding grass is as good as ever.
Use a driping watering can, not a bloody pressure washer!
Glyphosate is even more specific. Kills by foliar absorption. It it doesn't touch the leaves, it won't kill the plant.
Round here that's how they keep (public) footpaths across fields going. Spray a meter wide strip of crop just after germination. Its razor sharp edged.
Dave, I suspect that you not used either gyphyosate or a wheeled burner from your comments.
Glyphosate: I concur with the comments from 'The Natural Philosopher' - please read them Weed Burner: Hideously dangerous - if you get things hot enough to do the job the gravel explodes and shatters all over the place. It also melts into the soles of your shoes. AMHIK!!!!!
I've used both methods, and also individual pulling and from experience I know which method I will continue with.
BTW have you ever tried raking an acre of gravel? Even wearing gloves you end up with blisters and by the time you've finished the weeds have regrown!!!!
AWEM
Har, har, har. Yeah. Right.
yeah, right.
4" of gravel over 4" of proper sub base is well drained, car proof and only wind blown seeds will start in it.If its 1" of gravel its merely a scattering of mulch and is useless for almost anything.
I have but only on Ground Elder. I'd rather not use it at all.
Sounds like *you* haven't used a burner properly. You don't need to incinerate the plants just waft the flame over them. The blast of heat ruptures the cell walls and they die back within a few days. Not noticed how the leaves on bushes too near but not within flame range of a decent bonfire all turn brown a few days later?
"I've told you a million times not to exaggerate!"
point of a weed burner is to sterilise the soil of buried seeds as well.
But your car will get stuck in 4" of gravel.
Mike
Thanks for the replies.
I'm not keen on using weed killer - partly because the path is so close to where children play and so on. Also I don't want weed killer seeping in to a small garden where lettuce plants are grown.
That said I fear that the weeds are so bad that I'm going to have to use some sort of chemical. It's not just the thistles which I guess I could get rid of with a bit of hard work but also weeds which grow close to the ground and which can't really be pulled up.
I was very naive about gravel and just assumed that weeds would not be able to grow on gravel! I see that weeds even manage to grow on tarmac and occasionally even stone paths where there is even a small crack in the stone.
Fwiw, this "feature" is even advertised - Patch Magic (grass seed) claims on the packet that it will even grow on concrete!
MY car didnt. its got 4WD.
Actually that was where it was 8". cars can handle 4" OK.
Its all nearly bedded down after years, now.
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