Salt for Roads

rachel_green

Hello

Can anyone advise where I could buy some bags of salt / grit cheaply.

I'm looking for the stuff that was in the supermarkets etc over the winter but which thankfully we didn't need to buy.

In case anyone thinks I know something about November/December 2012 i don't

I have a large patch in the garden which is decorative stones but the weeds keep coming through. Was looking to put a load of salt on (slightly under) the stones to kill the weeds and then put down netting to stop future weeds securing roots and from time to time scattering some salt to prevent weeds growing between the stones.

thinking the salt would be a cheaper option to weed killer but happy to stand corrected if anyone can advise.

many thanks

Witless

Depends on your location - Capper Trading (just off Junction 14 on the M1) have 25kg bags at £5 each.

rachel_green

sorry should have said co. down or Belfast areas

A.L.D.A

I would be concerned that the salt will dissolve and wash into another part of the garden.

You will still get weed growth as plants seed in and grow in the joints between the stones. Good ground cover plants may be a better solution once you have killed the weeds and their roots with glyphosphate. Buy the concentrate rather than a brand name and dilute it down.

Nothing will grow without light. I have seen people use black polythene laid over and area to kill off grass. It works BUT you still have all the seeds already in the soil which germinate when you lift the polythene.

RTNI

As above - when I put decking in last year, we sprayed it with a chemical my dad has called "clinic" and layed black polythene over the top. Kills grass and weeds. Black polythene stops any light getting to the area so no more growth.

redped

As has been said, polythene sheeting sounds like the best idea for you. I've done this in two gardens (ours and my Mum's) - it's time consuming clearing the area, cutting the polythene to shape, fitting the polythene in place and then re=laying the stones, but it's definitely worth the effort. Do it once and it will last for years (I did them 4/5 years ago, with no weeds since); putting salt down will work for a while, but you'll have to re-do it time and again.

Any hardware store should have polythene in stock - if you're ever in Newtownabbey, then Andy's Stores in Monkstown is the place to go. Don't go for the "weed control" sheeting you get in the likes of B&Q - yes it controls the weeds, but they will eventually grow through the small holes in it.

A.L.D.A

If you are relaying the stones lay on a geo-tec mesh or membrane, It is more flexible than black polythene and I believe water can permeate through it. Both can be bought in builders merchants.

If the stones are large that can be heavy work and they may have aged into their current location.

If you use a weed killer that kills roots and plant the likes of London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium) in the gaps (it spreads) in time they will form a dense cover and it will be hard for weeds to either seed in or compete. If you go down this route you add some flowers and foliage, bees and other insects will thank you and birds will have something to eat. It just takes a few minutes from time to time, and selective weed killing as the new plants establish. In the end it will probably look a lot better and more natural.

http://www.english-country-garden.com/flowers/london-pride.htm

Vincas are another that spring to mind.

Google ground cover for rockeries, and then chose if it is in sun or shade. There are probably hundreds of plants to chose from. If you have friend who garden you could probably get a few free as the likes of Londons Pride and Vinca spread.

rachel_green

Sorry I seem to have been misleading.

the area is quite large and is gravel (coloured stones) not something like tobermore paving.

I am not a gardener, so there will be no planting in this area. plus thinking it might be where we move the bins to.

I thought Salt would be a cheaper option than Roundup and weedall. We currently use these to control weed growth through the stones (gravel).

A.L.D.A

rachel_green wrote: »

Sorry I seem to have been misleading.

the area is quite large and is gravel (coloured stones) not something like tobermore paving.

I thought it was an old rockery.

The problem with salt is risks of run off if you are applying a lot of it.

This may be of use.
http://www.ehow.com/how_7897679_use-vinegar-salt-weed-killer.html