How to stop the growth of weeds between the blocks of paving tiles?
Weeds are an integral part of nature, creating many problems for gardeners. Popping up where you don’t want them, interfering with the growth of other plants, or taking nutrients from the soil, are just a few of the nuisances weeds can create in your yard.
Weeds can come in many different forms – even your lawn is technically classified as a weed – but often the most undesirable are those that end up sprouting between your patio slabs. They’re unsightly and can even lead to structural damage if left too long. So, what’s the best way to stop weeds from growing where you don’t want them?
There’s no stopping the weeds
I wish I had better news. But frankly, weeds will continually grow wherever there is a chance and will always find a way out sooner or later. So, we’re going to explain the best methods we’ve found for slowing down the spread and keeping weeds from growing. You just need to know that there is no magic way.
There are many products that are great for weed control. From chemicals to tools to putty. And those are the ones we’ll focus on here. Paving tile grout mixes (sealers) are a resin-based material that is brushed into the gaps between your tiles, which then cures within 24 hours. It provides a strong bond between your sidewalk tiles that is much more effective at controlling weeds than the cement-based option.
Traditional methods to help remove and stop weeds
A hoe and a thinner, smaller cleaver, where needed, are ideal for removing weeds between your patio slabs. Moisten the entire area with water to soften everything as well as the soil underneath. Put on your gardening gloves and remove any weeds that come your way. Any that are left that you can reach by hand, use your cleaver to scrape them off. Add some clean sand to the seams before you apply the putty. This should protect your patio from weeds for years to come!
Chemicals
Herbicides can be purchased at any garden center. This is an effective and easy remedy for removing large amounts of weeds from your patio.
Many suburban property owners use a variety of chemicals to control weeds between tiles, which give a quick effect and get rid of the ubiquitous weed for a long time.
The most popular of these are:
- Herbicides. To prepare a solution to kill weeds, take 1 part of sulfur, 6 parts of lime, and 60 parts of water. All components are thoroughly mixed. The resulting mixture is poured into all the cracks between the tiles. Such treatment will get rid of weeds for one season.
- Roundup. This is a unique means, which was created specifically for the destruction of any vegetation. It is very popular among dacha owners and gardeners because one process is enough for the whole season. Work with this drug should be especially careful because it can destroy not only weeds but also all the surrounding vegetation. If there are beds near garden paths, it is better to refuse to use this agent.
- Burra. Allows not only to destroy weeds but also to fight ants. For 10 liters of water, you need to add 400 grams of borax. The mixture is poured into the cracks between the tiles. Repeat this procedure is required after 5 days.
- Ammonium nitrate. It is necessary to dilute 1 kg of this substance in 10 liters of water. Nitrate is used on the same principle as borax.
However, it is important to remember two things:
- These chemicals often do not differentiate between weeds and the plants you want to use in your garden, so be careful when spraying;
- It will not prevent the soil from becoming fertile enough for weeds to grow, so ideally you should physically remove the weeds after the chemical treatment.
Natural Ways
If you don’t like the idea of using herbicides in your garden, you should consider some natural alternatives that will probably help. There are methods all over the Internet demonstrating the use of various solutions of vinegar, salt, or baking soda to kill weeds, and they are all quite effective.
Boiling water
If all of the above doesn’t work for you, then simply pour boiling water between the stoves – it may be enough to kill weeds if you do it at regular intervals. Just make sure that you immediately remove any weeds that you manage to kill with this method.
Using Sand
The easiest and most affordable option today is to use sand. It is poured into the gaps between the tiles, and then carefully distributed with the help of a brush. Once the sand dries completely, the weeds will simply die because of the lack of moisture. If you need to get rid of grass on garden paths for good, then for this purpose you can prepare a special mixture of cement and sand (proportion 1 to 6). The resulting solution should be filled with all the joints between the tiles.
Use Salt
The use of salt in the fight against grass is the simplest, cheapest, and most affordable method. To do this, it is poured into the gaps between the tiles and poured with water. This method is considered the most environmentally friendly but gives an effect for a short time.
Causes of weed growth between tiles
Let’s analyze the causes of weeds germinating on the surface, laid with paving tiles. It’s simple: the gaps between the tiles are usually saturated with sand, and during operation, the wind carries dust, soil, and weed seeds into the joints between the tiles. Precipitation has a stimulating effect on seed growth – nature does its work – and grass won’t keep you waiting for its triumphant appearance.
How do you prevent grass from sprouting between your paving tiles?
Here are the techniques that will partially or completely (depending on your wishes) prevent weeds from appearing in the sidewalk tiles.
The first option is the use of geotextile. Laying paving tiles with the use of geotextile will not only protect the pavement from grass between the tiles but also many times increases the load-bearing capacity of the soil.
What will it give you?
Long years of coverage, protection of elements of paths and paving areas from increasing gaps and cracks in the tiles, appearing when grass grows out of the ground, preserving the appearance of the tiles and the evenness of the surface.
This method will prevent grass and roots that may have remained under the geotextile from sprouting, but will not save the seeds spread by the wind and sprouting from the sand fillers between the tiles.
The most long-lasting materials can also be used, including roofing felt, roofing felt, and old linoleum. The laying technology and functionality of the materials are the same as in the first option.
To extend the life of the pavement of paths, you can consider the option of laying paving tiles on concrete. Such a laying is appropriate in areas with boggy soil and is applicable to areas under the car. Since the construction is practically monolithic – no weeds will pose a threat to your tiles.
Paving tiles on the sand-cement mixture will certainly help solve the problem with weeds, but not 100%. When all the work on the laying of paving tiles is completed, you need to pour water over the surface, and after drying you get a monolithic structure, which, as with the technology of laying tiles on concrete, perfectly protects the tiles from grass and displacement. It is necessary to take into account that when laying colored paving tiles, a mixture based on cement should be used with caution – getting even a small amount of cement on the front surface of colored products can ruin the appearance of the coating.
In conclusion – choose the method that’s right for you
Not all of the above methods are suitable for everyone, so make sure you choose one that you can use in the long run. Simply put, you will never stop weeds from growing completely – they are the most resistant of plants, growing where they are not needed. So be prepared to repeat these treatments regularly.
