What can I spray after I have pulled all the weeds out?

[Lily2811]

Apologies as I think this has probably been done to death but I can't find any threads about it.

My front garden is concrete and stones (yeah pretty grim but I rent so can't change it) and the weeds are crazy. Obviously I pull them all out and then they just grow back. So what can I do to stop them growing back? Can anyone recommend a product I can spray all over after I've weeded?

Thanks!

Weedol Pathclear is probably your best bet, it claims to keep paving clear of weeds for 3 months
I bought some earlier this year to use where my front garden wall joins the pavement, which is infested with horsetail, and other weeds, but haven't got round to using it yet, so I can't say how effective it is.

No doubt, others will come along and tell you not to use weedkiller, but sometimes it's the only way.

We've got a stone path with no pointing, so it's really a network of weed growing lines. On the occasions when the dandelions are getting too enthusiastic I boil up a kettle and murderise the bastards by pouring it over them.

And that's it! Does an amazing job, seems to kill the roots nicely.

Once you've done the boiling water you can rub in seeds of something nice to grow in the cracks instead. If you slosh poison over then you won't.

Yes like Dusty says, boiling water works or a fire stick (be careful on a dry day though.). It's a real shame to use weedkiller because it kills all the Good insects and birds (if they eat the insects etc) not JUST the weeds.

They are only plants you don't want. Where do you think all our 'garden plants came from ? I have learned to like my weeds and my garden has loads of butterflies etc. now , which it didn't have when we moved here. You could plant sage or other hardy plants which keep the unwanted weeds down ,look pretty and smell interesting!

Also you can make tea from sage and mint!

I use industrial vinegar that I buy from amazon, it makes path smell like salad dressing for a few hours but doesn't harm me or anything else apart from the weeds.

Oh and the weeds return anyway. Leave the bees alone. There's too much spraying of toxic substances going on .

Table salt, really cheap at Morrison’s. it works on our gravel unless you have really heavy rain like we had this year.

@ppeatfruit I don't think it's unreasonable of me to be rid of my weeds. My front garden looks a completely untidy mess!

The other thing I cannot find in the USA but I saw in the UK was a weed burner. A little like a chefs torch but for burning weeds, another reasonably green option.

Are all the adjoining gardens concrete because you could pour neat salt along the lines between the pavings which will “poison” the ground/soil to an extent. Run off can damage lawns so be careful of others property - although people use a lot of salt in winter without a problem. It is also very safe for pets and children. Buy the massive bags from the supermarket and snip the corner and pour. It doesn’t last forever but I found it works well and it is super cheap.

Spray the weeds...don't pull them out first! The weedkiller then is absorbed into the roots and kills the whole plant. They will keep coming back with your present method.
Use something like Pathclear and follow instructions. It does work but you just need to be patient to begin with. It'll be a week or two before the weeds die but then there shouldn't be any more for months.

Boiling water works well.
Lidl has those weed burners in the other week- they work pretty well to kill off re-growth after you have pulled out big weeds.

There is no real long term way to never have weeds, unless you concrete everything or use gallons of industrial strength poison, which kills everything- not just dandelions.

This sort of thing on amazon- not expensive and pretty effective on your situation

Well I was going to post a picture but can't so:
www.amazon.co.uk/Range-WEED-BURNER-Cannisters-Butane/dp/B008CIT3MS

does the boiling water trick work on horse tail as well? thanks

The usual advice for horse/mare's tail is to move

Boiling water will do nothing for it as it has a complex root network which spreads like mad. You can try digging it out but you'll never get all of it if it's established.
More effective is to bruise it by hitting the tops and then spraying with glysophate. Weedkiller is your only real hope and keep repeating this till it is properly weakened.

It took me about 20 years to declare campion towers mare's tail-free(!). It was a nightmare but I became expert at spotting even the slightest pinhead of the stuff.
You have my sympathies fwiw - it's awful stuff. But it can be conquered!!

Hasn't glysophate been banned now?

Glyphosate (correcting myself) isn't banned here. I know it's a controversial area but it is one of the few effective treatments for really pernicious weeds.

thanks campion - I know the usual weedkillers only slow it rather than eradicate and so far we are working the long game by removing as soon as it pops up, which also fits with our attempt to remove/reduce chemicals. I might dunk it with boiling water abit and see if it helps but I suspect the buggers will just be slowed down rather than killed... x

Grow something you DO want there - I’d throw a lot of seeds for alpine or rock plants around in the spring. Get some pots with plants you like over the bigger cracks

Lily Nature isn't tidy, hedgehogs need cover, all wild life need 'weeds'; if everyone thought like you and campion do, there'd be nothing left. The world is going down the pan anyway.

Humans are so arrogant we expect all our problems to be solved by sprays etc etc. not a bit of hard work. Girlwhowears Has the right idea put some big pots out for interest and colour. pour boiling water on the the 'weeds twice a year and it'll be fine.

If you saw my garden, ppeatfruit you might be surprised. There's a wildlife pond, a visiting hedgehog, trees, bushes, ground cover aplenty,a wild area at the bottom totally untended and frequented by foxes; bird feeders and baths (regularly cleaned and topped up) which attract a wide range...I think I'm responsible for the explosion of goldfinches round here (!),and I use virtually no chemicals anywhere.

However,when we came here there was a serious problem with mare's tail and bindweed. The 'wild' area was completely choked with bindweed so that nothing else could flourish. Weedkiller followed by vigilance means that there's a more natural balance now.. Mare's tail isn't going to disappear with boiling water and is worse than bindweed even. It took years as I said.

I agree with you that chemicals shouldn't be used liberally but sometimes they are necessary in the grand plan.Even then I hardly ever use them! I think we're on the same(ish) page really but I was answering a specific question about problematic weeds.

Well that's good to know but you could have put down old carpet for 3 or 4 years. I have an admiration for mare's tail it was around when the dinosaurs were.

Weed killers and their ilk are not only bad for weeds and wildlife , they're bad for humans .

@ppeatfruit I really don't think I'm being unreasonable for wanting a tidy front garden.

I found boiling water with vinegar and a little splash of bleach was enough to kill the weeds coming throw my driveway bricks. They take a few days to die off and do come back eventually, but less lustrous. And it's cheap and effective and fairly quick to do. I wouldn't touch weedkiller personally, god knows how harmful that is to wildlife and pets, never mind humans.

Verystressed Why would you risk your health, worrying about what the neighbours think ,and using those weedkiller sprays? You might as well put down effing plastic grass.