Killing pavement weeds - best method?

Dominic · September 2023

I always found the best way with weeds is to tell them you'll get your big brother onto them .....

Jay100 · September 2023

I play guitar to them - makes them disappear straight away!

SpoonMan · September 2023

The other thing about weedkiller is you just end up with yellow weeds rather than green ones

Bellycaster · September 2023

SpoonMan said:

It's best to spray when the weeds are growing strongly. If it's been very hot and sunny they won't be. Plus the water will evaporate before the weedkiller is absorbed. Don't cut or damage the weeds before spraying. It's absorbed through the leafs so if there aren't any it won't work.
The bigger, stronger, faster they are growing the more they will absorb and the more effective the weedkiller will be basically.

For Glyphosate anyway.

It's effective at killing weeds but doesn't stop new ones growing.

Trouble is, we are told to spray on a day with no rain, which means, to be sure, that we normally do it a sunny day.

I prefered the old stuff, you could see the weeds were dead 24 hours later and they'd just shrivel up and the wind would blow them away. Now, if it does take a couple of weeks to kill them, like you say, the weeds still don't shrivel up. So, I just have discoloured, upright, supposedly dead weeds. I'd have to go and remove them physically, which I might as well have done in the first place.

I think I'll end up getting some Glyphosate.

CHRISB50 · September 2023

I could come round round and tend to them daily for you.

I guarantee they will be dead within a week. Like any other plant I try to look after.

Bellycaster · September 2023

CHRISB50 said:

I could come round round and tend to them daily for you.

I guarantee they will be dead within a week. Like any other plant I try to look after.

You're hired

m_c · September 2023

Glyphosate is one of the most effective general purpose weedkillers available, however the stuff sold to the general public is pretty diluted.
The main reasons it's so popular, is it is very effective, and in terms of immediate health risks, it's not going to do you much harm. A similar quantity of common table salt will do you more immediate harm than glyphosate.
Things like Paraquat/Gramoxone were far more effective, but the health risks far more severe.

My big gripe with use of Glyphosate, is the overuse of it in farming. There was a period where it was seen as a miracle chemical, where it was not only used in place of far worse chemicals, but in totally new applications to improve yields/productivity.
However within Europe there has been a shift away, due to a mix of environmental and cost concerns, but as always, pop over the big pond and it's use is still as popular as ever. Just do a search for RoundUp Ready crops if you want to get lost down a rabbit hole of yields trumping pretty much any other concern, just like hormone fed livestock.

Tannin · September 2023

Glyphosate is the main go-to for no-till cropping too (but of course needs to be used alongside something else to avoid resistance). Vast amounts of it get poured onto broad acres every year - I'm talking thousands upon thousands of square kilometres with everything killed stone dead.

It sounds like an environmental horror story, and it is (though not for the reasons the ill-informed chemicalphobia people advance). But the only alternative is arguably even worse. Until no-till cropping came along, soil was prepared for crops like wheat and canola or sunflowers by ploughing. You take a whopping big tractor and drag it all over the property, destroying your soil structure, and burning untold thousands of gallons of fossil fuel, releasing all sorts of nasty particulates alongside all that CO2. And you have to do it several times per crop.

No-till uses heaps of glyphosate (bad) but is much better for the soil structure and uses far less diesel (good). Neither method is, all things considered, a good method.

Humans are supposed to be smart. Can't we think of a better way to feed ourselves?

m_c · September 2023

No-till vs conventional ploughing is a different argument.
The main reasons for no-till is lack of water and/or lack of soil depth.
Turning over 12 inch of soil leads to soil drying out more, which in dry areas can lead to fields turning to dust. And if you don't have deep soil, building up a good quality few inches is beneficial.

Deep cultivation gives better overall soil structure in suitable ground conditions, which is why it's still largely the preferred option in the UK.

My brothers farming mate spent a couple years working around the world and he found it interesting how different techniques worked, and even tried no-till when he returned home, but it didn't work well in most fields. The only two fields he persevered with it in, were two fields that were mostly clay, as it allowed them to build up a usable couple inches on top. All other fields it resulted in reduced yields.
He's now a farm manager for a key research institute, and they plough nearly everything as it's what works best in the UK. A key factor is yields in the UK are typically far higher than anywhere with huge plains, due to our typically good ground conditions and suitable weather.

Rob1742 · September 2023

TheMarlin said:

Hasn’t week killer been linked to cancer. I seem to remember Roundup lost a court case in the USA

Edit: Looked it up. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53174513

I use roundup, does the job really well, but I am a little nervous using it based on what you hear and warnings on the back.

I use sparingly and don’t get it anywhere near my hands.

But within a few days all weeds gone, great for driveways

guitartango · September 2023

No one has mentioned Vinegar, seems to kill them for a while and doesnt harm your chips either (using the White Vinegar)

hollywoodrox · September 2023

guitartango said:

No one has mentioned Vinegar, seems to kill them for a while and doesnt harm your chips either (using the White Vinegar)

Vinegar. Is good ,a friend uses it to great effect on his drive

guitartango · September 2023

hollywoodrox said:

guitartango said:

No one has mentioned Vinegar, seems to kill them for a while and doesnt harm your chips either (using the White Vinegar)

Vinegar. Is good ,a friend uses it to great effect on his drive

And Pet Friendly I think

Kittyfrisk · September 2023

It isn't vinegar as it has never been near a grape, it is non brewed condiment & yes it will work as a reasonable plant desiccant.
If you don't make your own ( as I do from fairly dangerous 100% Glacial Acetic (Ethanoic) acid) then try the Polish white pickling variety, as it's about twice the UK strength of 3% white 'vinegar'.
Pet friendly in that it won't harm them & that they hate the smell & will avoid the area where it is applied.

Petepassion · September 2023

I use a hammer, it’s bloody useless but so therapeutic after a day of dealing with customers

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Killing pavement weeds - best method?

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