Weed-proofing a gravel path

[Roger Mills]

I have a patio area/path consisting of a couple of inches of pea gravel on top of some weed matting.

When I first created this 20-odd years ago, I gave the soil a liberal dose of sodium chlorate before laying the weed matting. This kept it weed-free for quite a few years, but the matting has now deteriorated - allowing a lot of weeds to take root.

I have removed the gravel and the weeds, and am about to take up the matting and renew it before covering it with new gravel. I need to be able to neutralise the soil in order to prevent any roots or seeds left in from growing. I don't think you can buy sodium chlorate any more. Most of the weedkillers available seem to be of the systemic type - which kill existing weeds but don't affect the soil. But that's not what I want!

Any bright ideas?

[newshound]

Salt?

[newshound]

Which I would probably apply as the largest available granules, maybe lightly forked/raked in, rather than by "watering". To provide a sort of slow release.

[Andrew]

My neighbour, a retired garage owner, still does occasinal body repairs for people and emptied out his spraycan full of gunwash thinners onto his front lawn a few years ago. (To annoy his wife I think).

A dead patch duly appeared about 9 inches in diameter and nothing has ever grown there, not even weeds.

[NY]

Beware also of soil getting into the gravel, above the still-intact weed membrane, allowing weeds to grow *above* the membrane.

Our house has a *lot* of fairly deep 1/2" gravel for the drive, and it is covered in weeds. We've tried hoeing them off, and when I've pulled up weeds, they have had very shallow roots embedded in the gravel but not going through the membrane to the soil underneath. The gravel is a confounded nuisance, because it makes it *very* difficult to wheel the garden-waste bin to the garden where it is needed, and likewise for the lawn mower. Both start to dig into the gravel almost as soon as they go from paving stones/tarmac onto the gravel, and quickly end up buried up to their axles in gravel.

[John Rumm]

I tend to find that over time enough organic matter accumulates (fallen leaves etc) in the gravel to support weed growth anyway.

I was under the impression that if you cover a patch with something totally light proof for a few months it will kill off pretty much anything. Perhaps a layer of old carpet.

[harry]

Salt. Almost as good as sodium chlorate. Obtainable cheaply for de-icing driveways. Or even free for the dishonest.

You must dissolve it (strong solution) and water the ground, don't throw it down dry. Ineffective if you don't.

[harry]

Gravel is a pain in the bum. I have blocks, only slightly better due to the weed problem. And ants. Plus they fade & look like sh14 afer a while The only benefit is they can be taken up and put back.

Go for tarmac or printed concrete.

[Chris Hogg]

The original version of 'Pathclear' was quite effective at suppressing weed germination for quite a while, a season or perhaps longer. But it contained simazine, and was banned by the EU about 10 years ago, IIRC. The replacement version they claim is effective for three months, and opinions that I've read suggest it's not nearly as good as the original.

But I'm not convinced that annual weeds will come up through a weed-proof membrane, but deep-rooted perennial weeds may well do.

But it's inevitable that over time, however well you've sterilised the soil under the matting, soil from airborne dust will gradually accumulate in the gravel; airborne weeds seeds will then germinate in that soil. Regular application of the latest version of Pathlear will help suppress them, but it needs to be repeated regularly through the year which is APITB.

I don't think there is a perfect solution.

[Brian Gaff]

Bleach? To be honest all the people I know with gravel are taking it up and paving, as many have small children and falling on gravel can cut quite badly too. Also if its raining a lot it tends to all end up downhill, and indeed if a driveway it ends up on the footway causing a hazard and losing it all. I don't think its used much these days due to the weed aspect alone. Brian

[newshound]

Apart from conrete?

[Peter]

On 21 Jun 2019, newshound wrote (in article [e-mail]>):

You could try the application of a Flame Gun. Works OK for me on the gravel patch in my front garden. Available from eBay for about £8 plus £4 for the gas cartridges.

Peter

[The Natural Philosopher]

Matting is pointless . Weeds do not grow up from underneath after the initial laying. They get carried in along with soil in the wind and rain., And on the cars if its a drive

you can make sodium chlorate by boiling sodium hypochlorite aka bleach

I agree is is the best 'desert storm' type 'kill everything forever' weedkiller

But I think the answer is to regard gravel as not that permanent - I am redoing mine after about 16 yeas - its very bad where cars have dropped mud, OK in places where it was deep and cars haven't been.

And thats the point. What caused the weeds is nothing to do with membranes. It is soil etc carried onto the gravel where it forms a great place for windblown weedseeds to get their feet down. That soil wont be chlorated so it wont stope the weeds. Alll that works is removing the weeds and the soil with them and regular 'path clear' or chorate

I am going to try sieving the soil out & removing the weeds washing and and reusing it. Gravel is expensive. And so are minidiggers

My drive is in total about 30 tonnes worth

[The Natural Philosopher]

diesel will do that for about 5 years DAMHIKT

[The Natural Philosopher]

Hire a whacker for a day

My gravel was like that until 15 years of cars....

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh it will work but it looks shit and the weeds will spring up as soon as you remove it

[The Natural Philosopher]

They dont need to. The sit on top of it. Annual weeds seed themselves like crazy

Perennial weeds you just round up or pull up

Bite te bullet and weed te thing by hand three times a year and use pathclear three times a ytear

Ot dig it all out replace it and itlats anbouta year befire wthe firs tweeds arrive

[Marland]

Those little things only tickle things as my Dad used to say, Go for the Sheen paraffin version . Still available to the same design it has used since the 1950?s.

Older ones often on EBay sold by people who have scared themselves using them,especially their propensity to fire 6ft jets of flame on start up.

Get the knack though and it makes weed killing fun.

GH

[Dave Liquorice]

Well the very edge of grass verges go brown towards the end of winter but very soon green back up. Wouldn't with sodium chlorate...

[Dave Liquorice]

Damn forgot I have one of those, having spent the best part of a day weeding the slate chippings.

That's all you need to do, you don't incenerate the weeds in place. The blast of heat damages the plant cells and they wither within days.

Be better for a larger area than a small handheld gas jobbie.

Yes, remember that happening when Dad was lighting a paraffin blowlamp. I think it happens when you try to turn on the paraffin before everything has got hot enough from the meths to vapourise it. Still got that blowlamp must try it some time. Also a petrol one, IIRC that needs a preheat but self pressurises, not sure I have the courage to try out, Dad didn't like it either.

A gas torch-on-felt burner would be a suitable alternative but no where near as much fun. B-)