Stone and brick patios make gorgeous additions to any home. That is, until they become infested with unsightly weeds. Unsightly sprouts of green poking out from an otherwise meticulous space can be frustrating to say the least, especially when gardeners think they’ve finally gotten rid of them for good and they suddenly poke their ugly tethers back out from between the stones. Whilst gardeners can dig up weeds, this can be very time-consuming and hard work. Instead, gardeners can use a 27p kitchen staple to “work quickly” at removing weed with no effort.
Gardening experts at GoodGrow explained that not only does salt work, but it “works quickly” and is “highly effective”.
They said: “When used properly, salt can and will kill your weeds.
“Salt is highly effective against small weeds.
“Because you need a large amount of salt its best used on a small scale. In the cracks of paving or in localised areas.
“Any salt will do, even regular old table salt.”
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So how does salt work to kill weeds on patios?
The gardened pros explained: “Salt is easily dissolved in water. When applied to a weed, it is quickly absorbed where it makes the plant retain more water causing it to wilt and die.
“It will take up to 10 days to be fully absorbed by the plant.
“Depending on weather conditions and the size of the weed.”
To use salt as a natural weed killer, the experts recommend gardeners use the ratio of two parts salt to one part water.
The stronger it is made the better it will work – this is the minimum dose for effective use.
The gardening gurus advised gardeners to just “sprinkle it on”.
They explained: “No need to dilute, you can just pour it right from the container onto your weeds and the rain will do the rest.
“This method is best for hard surfaces like paving and driveways.
“Cover the weeds in salt, when it rains the salt will soak into the weeds and ground preventing regrowth.”
Salt is pretty safe as far as herbicides are concerned.
There is no need to use safety gear when using it on its own.
However it can be harmful to the soil’s health. Apply too much salt and nothing will grow in that area for a while.
For those looking for a “more effective” result for killing weeds, gardeners can create a solution of salt, water and a small drop of washing up liquid.
The experts said: “The soap is a surfactant which will make the uptake of the salt by the plant both quicker and more efficient.”
https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/garden/1604115/how-to-get-rid-of-patio-garden-weeds-salt-gardening-tips-hacks
