DIY (ie. cheap!!) alternative to weedkiller

penguingirl

Our garden is still a work in progress. So far we've ripped out all the old ivy/ ridiculous lleylandi and dead/ ugly plants. So now we have bare flowerbeds that we are looking to plant up some and grass over the rest, but they need levelling first. All of this takes ages and is very weather dependent, plus we are both very busy with work. Result is that my bare flowerbeds keep getting weed explosions!! Weedkiller helps, but it is expensive.

Anyone know of any homemade concoctions that will do the job? We will want stuff to grow in the flowerbeds at some point so can't be anything too toxic/ long lasting.

I've posted this in the 'Old style' forum too as they always seem to have homemade solutions to chemical products

wellused

If you hoe the weeds in they provide food for the soil, I don't know how big your boarders are but I guess that hoeing on a regular basis won't take much longer than spreading weedkiller.

penguingirl

wellused- I did hoe them last year, but it is difficult as our soil is very clay-ey so it isn't a quick job at all and my rubbish back hates it (plus our garden is constantly very wet at the moment which makes it even heavier to do anything with!!)

Linda32

I hate to say it but everybody has to hoe weeds every year, year in year out. Month in month out in fact. They are the one plant which grows without fail.

I would say leave be until your soil is more manageable. Some of the weeds will only root again anyway unless you actually remove as you go.

As for DIY well you have answered your own question, its the hoe I'm afraid

As for Old Style OH's Mother pours boiling hot water from the kettle on docks which appear between cracks in the slabs. No idea whether it actually works or whether she just keeps doing it to the same spot. Worth a go I guess.

penguingirl

Thanks guys. I guess I was pushing my luck thinking there was an easy answer... just wish I could find the time combined with decent weather to get this garden in a vaguely manageable state!

I_have_spoken

Don't buy "brand name" weedkiller in tiny sachets - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosate-Very-Strong-Glyphosate-Weedkiller/dp/B007NG6SSC/

wellused

Hoeing weeds is a job to be done regularly the more that you do it the easier it becomes the less that you do it the harder it becomes, quick hoe once a week.

SailorSam

What i've used, and it seems to work if you do a couple of applications, is salt.
1kg of everyday value salt is less than 50p at Tesco, i put about a third of it in the watering can and top up with boiling water.
I read it was an eco-friendly way to get rid of weeds in the lawn, sprinkle the salt straight from the bag carefully on the dandelions or whatever, try not to get it any on your grass.

Pinzy

It would mean you couldn't plant anything till autumn, but old school would be covering the whole area with bin bags to block out the light. Put it down now, take it up in autumn.

I remember mum doing this with our whole bag garden in preparation for planting!