5 Handy Tips For Getting Rid of Pesky Paving Weeds

Picture the scene. You've just had a glorious new section of block paving installed outside your home. The workmen did a great job, your garden looks spectacular, and you've been told barely an ounce of effort is required to maintain this lovely new bit of paving. Then mother-nature pays you a visit. The shoots of a fresh batch of paving weeds sprout through your perfectly aligned paving stones, and like waking up to a massive zit on your forehead, you wonder where the hell this came from, and how you’re going to deal with it. But getting rid of block paving weeds doesn't have to be as dramatic as we've made it sound. In fact, these five solutions to keeping sprigs and sprouts of foliage out of your block paving are probably all you’ll ever need.

1. Brush Regularly

No we haven’t just pilfered advice from our local dentist. Brushing your block paving on regular occasions disturbs newly emerging weeds before they get chance to take root. By strangling them at birth you prevent large weed colonies establishing themselves within and beneath your paving blocks.

2. Use Strong Weedkillers

Obviously prevention is better than the cure, but if weeds have grown in already then hindsight isn’t particularly helpful. If your weeds aren’t particularly substantial then a contact weedkiller should be enough. Should your weeds be a little tougher to remove then you’ll want a systemic weedkiller. Although the results won’t be as rapid, these killers work over a few days by penetrating the entire plant, and not merely roots and stems.

3. Elbow Grease

If you prefer not to use any form of weedkiller in and around your home then why not try a manual approach. Handheld patio weeders are a time-saving tool which makes light work of most weeds. Available in most garden centres, patio weeders delve deep beneath the surface to rip out weeds from the root. Obviously this method isn’t recommended if you have back problems, but if you’re fit and healthy it’s a great way to get a bit of exercise and keep your driveway organically weed free.

4. Remove Moss

Moss on your driveway is a sure sign that organic material has been allowed to build up between them. Moss can first be removed using garden centre moss killers, although make sure you test a patch first, as some can stain your paving a shade of bright orange not seen since Dale Winton. Try to find ones which don’t rely on ferrous sulphate to do the job, such as Armillotox, and use in conjunction with a typical weedkiller and brushing to remove all detritus from your paving.

5. Use No Weed Paving Sand

There are several brands of paving sand which contain minerals capable of preventing weed growth. Once you’ve cleaned your block paving of any organic material, brush the sand into your driveway’s grooves and joints. Many of these no-weed sands create a desert-like situation for weeds, and prevent weed build-up even in the presence of rain. Now, when we said there were only five methods you’d ever need to remove block paving weeds we may have been telling porkies. There is a sixth way, and provided you keep yourself safe and lock the cat indoors, it’s by far the most fun method of removing weeds from your paving stones.