How to kill off grass and persistent weeds between slabs? (Merged Thread)

Uniscots97

Hi, trying to be more OS. Getting back into gardening again but I have a large slabbed area that has sprouted a lot of grass and persistent weeds. Normally I use the water the potatoes have cooked in to shift the weeds but its not shifting this lot. Pulling them up by hand is difficult as they seems deep rooted. I used to have a tool for removing such things from between slabs but it seems it went walkies same time as my lodger and can't afford a new one.

Can anyone suggest anything that would kill off the grass and weeds? Was thinking hot vinegar but don't want anything that will damage the slabs.

Can anyone help?

jcr16

we have a similar prob. so we have decied once we have pulled up all the weeds. and then we are gonna re-concrete in betweem the crack's. so then they should come back through. out patio area is huge so it gonna be a labour of love , but worth it in the end.

Uniscots97

Unfortunately I don't have that option. Have no strength to pull up the grass or the weeds (thank you lodger for removing item from my garage I bought to pull these darn things up) thanks to a medical problem. Does anyone know how to make a home made weed killer?

livinginhope

Hi there,don't know how true this is,but I was told by my gran,many years ago,that pouring a hot biological washing powder solution onto weeds,kills them,I haven't done this,so can't say if it will work or not,but give it a try and let me know how you get on,my DH insists on using Roundup as it's quick and not too expensive.

elona

I have a feeling there was a reply ages ago that suggested bleach and boiling water.

siaoeh

have you tried just using boiling water straight off the kettle? I do that to the stray bit of grass and weed growing up thru my slabs and decking and it seems to kill them off fine. aim for the base to hit the roots. ouch. poor plants.

Penelope_Penguin

Hi, I'd use glyphosate, myself.

Alternatively, ordinary table salt is pretty good. It'll take a while, and may need several applications.

If you have a blow torch, that will do, too.

You might like to get yourself over to the Greenfingered board - more experts there to help you.

Penny. x

Robothell

I agree with Penelope Penguin on this one - the best stuff is glyphosate for killing any plant or weed like this. It'll kill anything that's green though so be careful to direct the spray only at weeds. It's not very OS or money saving (although you can get it pre-mixed in a spray gun for £2 - £3) but works very well.

Table salt also works but by the time you fiddle about with repeated applications you'd probably have spent the cost of the glyphosate in the first place.

Only warning though - I don't know the nature of your medical problem but if it's related to your breathing you might want to get someone else to do it as the fumes from this stuff might set it off - it certainly aggravates my Mum's chest.

Uniscots97

Thanks think I'll try Siaoeh's suggestion first and then work my way through the rest depending how I get on. I don't like using a lot of chemicals as it has to run to somewhere right?

Penelope_Penguin

unixgirluk wrote: »

Thanks think I'll try Siaoeh's suggestion first and then work my way through the rest depending how I get on. I don't like using a lot of chemicals as it has to run to somewhere right?

Wrong :beer: Glyphosate is inactivated on contact with soil!!

Take a look at this article from Wikipedia.

Penny. x

lil_me

Have always used roundup stuff with success but after reading this thread may try that thanks for the info