Getting rid of weeds seems like a never-ending task we’re all presented with each year, but some simple ingredients in your kitchen cupboard could spell the solution
The secret to eradicating weeds from your patio might just be sitting in your kitchen cupboards.
As we gear up to give our gardens a makeover for the sunny season, one task on our list is to banish those pesky weeds that have sprung up during the damp winter months. Weeds are an eyesore anywhere in the garden, but they’re especially troublesome when they invade the spaces between patio slabs. Even worse, they can siphon nutrients from other plants.
Fortunately, there’s a straightforward solution for tackling patio weeds with a DIY weed killer concocted from three everyday household items you’re likely to have on hand.
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This nifty trick was revealed on the Mrs Hinch Gardening Tips Facebook page, following a plea for help: “I have numerous weeds coming through my block paving. I’m fed up of weeding them all to be just as bad the next week. Any ideas please?”.
Fellow green-fingered enthusiasts were quick to offer their two pence, with several suggesting a concoction of white vinegar, washing-up liquid, and salt to obliterate the weeds and prevent their return. One individual commented: “I use white vinegar, washing-up liquid and salt. It works fab; I swear by it.”, reports the Mirror.
Another chimed in: “Salt, vinegar, water and washing-up liquid mixed and sprayed on the area.”
A third reader provided a handy tip for preventing weeds from resurfacing. They said: “One of the reasons weeds grow through block paving is because the silicone sand needs replacing. I only use distilled white vinegar, table salt and washing-up liquid mixed water to eradicate these problem weeds naturally.
They added: “But once they are gone, brush in silicone sand right up to the level of the block paving; this stops wind-born weed seeds from entering to soil level through the blocks. You can get silicone sand from a good builders merchant.”
The same concoction was previously endorsed by a gardening guru. Wendy Graham, founder of the environmentally-conscious blog Moral Fibres, recommended filling an empty spray bottle with a similar vinegar mixture.
She recommended mixing one litre of white vinegar, three large tablespoons of salt and three teaspoons of washing-up liquid, which can then be sprayed on the weeds to kill them and prevent their return.
Value-hunting shoppers can find table salt from as low as 65p via Sainsbury’s. Tesco stands out for its bargain white vinegar at just 35p.
Additionally, Asda sells washing up liquid for a mere 55p and Tesco matches the price at 69p, putting the entire weed-killing kit together for a budget-friendly £1.55.