We all know these weeds that grow between the slabs and which are almost impossible to pull out. Here’s the best expert advice for eliminating them.
A popular gardener on TikTok shared its most reliable technique for removing pesky weeds from your patio in seconds – and it’s cheap.
According to the expert, the solution is to pour boiling water directly on the weeds.
Action in seconds
Boiling water instantly shocks the plant’s roots and helps it break loose in seconds, meaning it can then be pulled out of the ground with minimal effort.
Simply boil your kettle or bring water to a boil in a saucepan, then pour it into the spaces between the tiles of your outdoor patio. This ingenious trick can also be used if you have paving stones elsewhere, for example in your driveway.
Kills weeds instantly
Many avid gardeners who reveal their weed-killing tips on Reddit have endorsed using boiling water to kill weeds and hailed this little-known tip as one of the most effective.
“Don’t use toxic substances to kill your weeds, just use boiling water. It works best and kills weeds instantly.” wrote one user on the forum.
Using hot water is especially helpful when weeds are spread over a large area, according to gardening experts at Iowa State University.
“Boiling water will act as a contact ‘herbicide’ and will only kill the part of the plant with which it comes into contact,” explains the educational organization, which adds: “It is most effective on young weeds. recently appeared herbs.”
Two additional tips
Even if the plant cannot be pulled out, it will begin to wilt within a day or two of being scalded, whether on a garden path or driveway. If the weeds are still too small to pull out of the ground, applying baking soda will kill them at the root and prevent further growth.
Alternatively, filling the holes in the coating with a sealant will create a physical barrier that weeds cannot penetrate, but after some weathering the seal will be improved again.