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What non chemical can I use to kill weeds

16 years ago

I have brickwork in the ground next to my veggie beds However, even thought the *weed blocker* cloth was laid, a concrete bed was not underneath. If I recall, there was sand laid underneath the brick.

Is there anything I can pour over the brick to kill the weeds/moss that is in between the brickwork ? Preferably something not chemically as whatever is poured will leech into the ground and I don't want it to affect the vegetable beds.

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Comments (9)

skoot_cat
16 years ago
Regular household Vinegar works great. Its a non-selective herbicide so be careful when spraying around plants you want to keep.

Household Vinegar is 5%. You can also purchase 10 or 20% vinegar at some garden centers, but be very careful when handling, It can burn your skin/eyes.
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Kimmsr
16 years ago
Vinegar, Acetic Acid, will kill the top growth of anything it contacts, but it does require repeated, and in my experience frequent, applications unless you can find some 40 Baum Acetic Acid. The percent you see on vinegar is the amount of Acetic Acid in that bottle of water.
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naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
16 years ago
Maybe try boiling water. I've used it with success on weeds in the cracks in my driveway. Just don't get carried away and get still hot runoff into the garden.

It's cheap and readily available, too :)
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Beeone
16 years ago
Roundup will work well on your paths. It is broken down very quickly when it hits the ground and won't affect your beds any more than vinegar will.

If you don't want to use a chemical control, other options include thermal (boiling water), mechanical (hoeing), starvation (denial of light, water, or nutrients).
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Kimmsr
16 years ago
It is a now proven fact, many studies from many places, that the glyphosates are not as harmless as once thought. They are known to have a half life of at least 2-1/2 years, the use of them has been banned in Denmark because large quantities have been found in their ground water and the USEPA has found glyphosate in the ground water in this country. The glyphosate products are not as innoquous as the manufacturers would have you believe.
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Ina Plassa_travis
16 years ago
this is a place where a flame-weeder is perfect for...

there's nothing stopping weed seeds from germinating ON TOP of the weed-blocker cloth (which is on my list of least favorite garden objects ever) and sending roots right through it...

but 'wilting' the plants (you don't burn them up, you just cook them a bit) is an all-around low impact weeding method, especially for lawns and walks.

I got mine at Lee Valley tools, they're not something you often see at garden centers - but it's really nothing more than a propane torch with a really long snout, so you can stand up while doing it (if people see you sitting there with a torch in the lawn, they may call the men with the white coats on you - but a flaming cane seems to cause no problem?)
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JAYK
16 years ago
Re: glyphosate "known to have a half life of at least 2-1/2 years, the use of them has been banned in Denmark because large quantities have been found in their ground water and the USEPA has found glyphosate in the ground water in this country".

This is a repetition of completely discredited disinformation that continues to circulate on the web. Glyphosate in temperate soils has a half life of around a month, does not bioaccumulate, and breaks down completely into natural constituents eventually by microbial action. It can only persist for longer periods of time in soils that are frozen. As the CPDR summarizes "In general, glyphosate is moderately persistent in soil. Soil studies have determined glyphosate half-lives ranging from 3 to 130 days (U.S. EPA, 1990; USDA, 1984). The soil field dissipation half-life averaged 44-60 days (Kollman and Segawa, 1995; WSSA, 1989). In the soil environment, glyphosate is resistant to chemical degradation, is stable to sunlight, is relatively nonleachable, and has a low tendency to runoff (except as adsorbed to colloidal matter). It is relatively immobile in most soil environments as a result of its strong adsorption to soil particles."

Use of glyphosate has not been banned in Denmark, in fact after examining the science their government stated that they believe that no unacceptable risk of pollution of groundwater is associated with their use of glyphosate. Glyphosate is not a herbicide that has presented groundwater contamination issues unlike atrazine and others.

There is much misinformation constantly repeated on the web about glyphosate. For those interested, a decent introduction into the properties of glyphosate is Williams, Kroes, Munro (2000). "Safety evaluation and risk assessment of the herbicide Roundup and its active ingredient, glyphosate, for humans". Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology 31-N2: 117-165.â

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10854122
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junem
16 years ago
stirrup hoe can be used in areas where the plants like vegetables are grown in a line. It has a hoop in the shape of a square or circle. The hoe cuts the seedlings and can also uproot them. This helps in ensuring that the weeds do not emerge again. But in places where the weeds are growing quite close to the main plants, you need to remove them by hand as there is a chance of damage by the hoe.

Mulch is also effective in reducing weed growth. It works by preventing the sunlight from reaching the soil thus inhibiting any growth of weeds. Clippings of grass, branches, hay and other degradable substances like leaves and barks can be used.

Here is a link that might be useful: Organic Weed Control
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soitgoes
16 years ago
Hmmm. Junem, you seem to repeat that exact same post in many threads.

With respect, I don't think hoeing or mulching are the best solution to killing weeds between patio or path bricks. Call me crazy, but most people don't mulch their walkways. LOL
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