Salt for weeds

[Smartaleck]

I built a patio with paving slabs and my pathways around the lawns are also paving slabs. I am forever weeding between the slabs but I just read somewhere that if you put salt between the cracks it will inhibit weed growth. Has anyone actually done this and can say that it works? I have a bag of salt at the ready.

 

[littleAudrey]

It would be great if this did work. I may try it and see. I read that pouring boiling water on weeds kills them but it would take a lot of water and much electricity to treat all of my weeds!

 

[Mr.McGinty]

Yes, I've used both methods but be warned that the boiling water will kill the weeds plus the roots of any plants nearby. Funnily enough the other day this came up in conversation and someone recommended using hot sauce such as tabasco!

 

[pollyannasmum]

Someone told me to use bleach! It was when I discovered that rogue trees were growing in a part of my garden that I didn't want them. The woman next door told me to cut the tree off near the base and pour bleach on it. I suppose this would also work for weeds.

 

[TedBeal]

Eek! I'd go along with the salt and the boiling water but I think I'd draw the line at using bleach. That can't be very good for the environment !

 

[Rose]

I use Salt in between my patio stones and it works quite well. The only thing I would caution, is alot of salt in the groundwater can serious damage the environment. Here in Ontario Canada they use salt on the roads all the time in the winter. It certainly helps a great deal for driving. But they used to dump the snow they removed from the sides of the roads into Lake Ontario. That was causing major problems with the water and the beaches. So now they don't. Although it seems to me, the snow, wherever it is deposited will eventually melt and the salt will run into the ground water.

 

[pollyannasmum]

Well I have done it. I bought a large bag of cooking salt and sprinkled it along the edges of the paving slabs in my path. It looks funny but I'm sure it will soon rain and wash it away. All my neighbours that saw me are doing it too so I really hope it works!

 

[kelly5]

I've done this next to my patio and it works great. But it must be rock salt and make sure boil it in water before adding to the cracks

 

[pollyannasmum]

Oh no, nobody said what kind of salt so I have just used cheap cooking salt. With the amount I have to use, if I had to buy rock salt the cost would be prohibitive. Can you explain why rock salt and why you have to boil it first. Surely it will dissolve?

 

[Flossie]

My understanding is that the salt in water trick is for longer term weed death. Table salt will probably just take a little longer to work, so i'm sure it's not a wasted effort. Oh and be careful not to salt anyone else's property, it's illegal!