Trying to prevent weeds can seem like a never-ending battle. You may pull up one weed, only to discover two more that have taken its place. To make the problem worse, weeds can emerge just about anywhere.
In addition to lawns and flowerbeds, weeds can also appear in small cracks in the driveway or sidewalk. So, what’s the best way to prevent weeds from appearing in these cracks?
Homemade Vinegar Herbicide
If you have weeds growing in your driveway, you should first eliminate them. Assuming they are growing in small cracks, however, you probably won’t be able to pull them up entirely – not without breaking them in half, at least. Therefore, it’s recommended that you use an herbicide to kill them.
You can make your own weed-killing herbicide by mixing white vinegar, salt and dish soap together. After combining the three ingredients, pour it into a spray bottle and apply generously to the weeds while using caution not to get any on your “good” plants.
Boiling Water
An alternative solution to eliminating weeds from your driveway is to pour boiling water on them. Boiling water is a natural, Eco-friendly alternative to chemical-based herbicide. The scalding-hot temperatures will instantly kill weeds upon contact. Best of all, it’s completely free and takes only a couple of minutes to make.
The only downside to using boiling water is that it may cause serious burns if you accidentally spill it on yourself. So, if you plan on using boiling water, carefully pour it over the crack to minimize the risk of injury. You may even want to wear gloves when handling a pot of boiling water for this very reason.
Seal the Cracks
After the weeds have died, you should seal the cracks in your driveway to prevent them from coming back. Even if you eliminate the weeds currently taking refuge in your driveway, there’s a good chance of them returning in the future – unless, of course, you seal the crack.
To seal cracks and crevices in your driveway, pick up some cement filler at your local home improvement store. Most major home improvement stores sell this filler for about $7 to $10 per tube, which is a small price to pay for protecting your driveway from weeds. After the cement filler has hardened, it will form a solid barrier to protect your driveway from the intrusion of weeds.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
I find you can’t beat Round-up or another herbicide in just spot treating weeds. However, if you do want to be more “green” then I do agree the vinegar solution is your best bet.