Path weed prevention

[Terry Pinnell]

I'm fighting an ongoing battle against weeds growing through the sand-gaps in out brick paths and patio. I spent the weekend clearing them, this time with a high pressure hose, and refilling with fine sand. So now I want to do whatever I can to PREVENT their reappearance. Or at least postpone it for a long time.

But I could find nothing that appeared suitable on the Homebase shelves this morning. Products like PathClear seem to require the weeds to be present and growing! So I am hoping someone here can recommend a product that I can soak into the sand that will STOP the weeds actually growing. Surely there must be something potent enough to do this please?

[The Natural Philosopher]

You could try sodium chlorate. I sssume the gaps are too small to rake out and use a weak sand/cement mix? Ive mortared my stones in for just the reasons you quote.

If you use chlorate be aware that its a long term soil poison. And it stays poisonous as it washes away. What seems to happen in practice is that weeds near the surface die fairly quickly - days - and as the rain comes it penetrates deeper and kills longer term perennials with deeper roots. Ultimately it kills everything, but usually - unless subject to surface water run off carrying it into beds and lawns - it is too weak to do much harm.

The other technique that used to be used as lot, but seems less popular now but should be highly effective on brick, is to use a flame gun. This essentually sterilises the soil locally and completely kills un germinated seeds. You could for example takee a blowlamp to the cracks and do each one by hand. If a flame gun is not available.

[tony sayer]

In article , Terry Pinnell writes

Sodium clorate seem to stop most everything for quite some time...

[T i m]

I was looking for summat similar the other day and came to the conclusion you are what you drink .. ie, there is a good chance that anything strong enough to kill the soil could leech into the water tabe and do the same to you (and the rest of us)? ;-(

I think one of the current solutions is to fit a membrane under the paving (no use to you (or me) now I know) and that pretty well prevents the problem (rather than looking for a cure).

Is there any way you could pressure wash all the sand out between the blocks (again) and replace with a very weak, dry sand / cement mix and let it go off on it's own (or gently water it in). Not sure if blocks have to be 'live' or not ..?

I'm told diesel works pretty well .. if you can stand the smell and keeping in mind all the above ...

All the best ..

T i m

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Doesn't stop the weeds, though. ;-)

[google]

Doesn't work.

Weed/grass seeds will happily germinate in the sand between blocks which is *above the membrane.

Andrew

[T N Nurse]

No. PathClear not only kills existing weeds, but prevents new weeds growing on the treated area for up to 6 months. The trick is the timing of application - early spring before the weeds get going, and maybe again mid-summer just to make sure. If you've already removed most, put Pathclear down now and it should stop reappearance.

[Ian Stirling]

And is fairly nice to other stuff in the environment - doesn't kill fish easily for example.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - but are easy to remove. Since they can't root so deep. The awkward ones like dandelions won't even try.

[David Lang]

Hi Tim

I'm going to face the same problem soon when I install my gravel drive. A quick Google found

which suggests a 'residual' weed killer. Didn't mention any brand names though.

Dave

[usenet]

I think the only really effective solution for a gravel area is a membrance. We have a large gravel drive and neither sodium chlorate nor pathclear keeps it clear of weeds for any reasonable length of time. It must have had lots and lots of sodium chlorate on it over the years and we're in a low rainfall part of the country but the weeds are stall as rampant as always this year.

[Chris Bacon]

Brush in a little sodium chlorate weedkiller.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Actually it doesn't.

It makes it worse.

You get wind blown seeds, rain, and mud dust blown into the cracks.

Fitting a membrane will hold the water in and encourage them to germinate.

It does discurage deep rooted stuff, but thats eldom an issue with block paving.

yes, it does, but its probably nastier than chlorate in terms of poisoning.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Actually it does. The cement fills in the micro cracks where seeds and dirt collect.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Actually the answer is to make the gravel deep. 2-4". That takes time to become clogged with mud. When it does, you scrape it out and lay another

2-4". The depth is enough to wash seeds etc down to the base where they don't get enugh light to germinate.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Thinks. Wonder if he can see my patio and thinks I'm lying?

[Terry Pinnell]

Just realised I should have posted this in uk.rec.gardening! But if anyone here has any ideas please...

[T i m]

Indeed .. but nothing that wouldn't come out easily? When clearing my mates back garden recently I nearly had to take some thistles down with a chainsaw (my 32cc 'Bushwacker' just grazed them) ;-(

I've not used / tried such yet but I thought the *point* of these 'membranes' is that they are permeable?

All the best ..

T i m

[T i m]

Seems straightworward to me ... 'killing (rather than cultivating) plants *yourself* .. ' ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

[The Natural Philosopher]

Only time Ive seen them work is on top of the soil: Once the dirt collects the grass starts a-growin.