We tested out 3 natural methods to remove patio weeds — 2 worked in under 24 hours (Image: Angela Patrone)
Weeds are the biggest hurdles gardeners face in achieving a great-looking patio or driveway. If you’ve had your paving professionally installed by a reputable landscaper, then weeds shouldn’t pose too much of a threat. But even paving that has been expertly installed isn’t completely immune to these garden pests. It is still possible for dirt and seeds to slip in between the tiny cracks and trigger weed growth.
Intrigued by the natural methods that gardening enthusiasts have raved about over the years, Express.co.uk has tested three natural solutions to see if they would kill the weeds and keep them away. These include Salt, white vinegar, and lemon juice—two of which held up victoriously.
Angela put rock salt to the test on her garden patio weeds (Image: Angela Patrone)
Angela Patrone
Natural method tested: Salt
After seeing many gardening experts rave about the fantastic abilities salt has on killing patio weeds, I decided to test it out on my block paving. Experts have claimed that rock salt is the best type to use. Rock salt dehydrates the weed, making it simply shrivel up and die. This method is said to be more effective when there is less threat of moisture within the ground dissolving the salt, so I decided to do this when the weather was hot and no rain was forecasted.
The “easiest, fastest and best way” to use salt as a weed killer is to “sprinkle it on” before pouring on boiling water, according to gardening expert Chelsey at Good Grow. Boiling water allows the salt to dissolve more quickly, plus it has the added benefit of scalding the weeds.
Stepping out into my garden, I was greeted by a vast array of pesky broadleaf and crabgrass weeds invading my patio. While they are not terribly large weeds, they do disrupt the look of my garden and make it look untidy.
I started by putting the kettle on the boil. In the meantime, I added salt to the patio weeds I was aiming to kill, making sure to concentrate it in that area. Once the water had boiled, I poured it onto the weeds covered in salt, making sure to pour as closely as possible to avoid splashing. The kettle’s spout helped with this, as it allowed me to direct the flow of water right on the weeds while the kettle retained most of the heat.
After an hour, I noticed that the weeds’ leaves and stems started to wilt and turn brown. This is because salt is a contact herbicide that kills all tissues it touches. However, as I added the salt and water to the gaps of the paving, I was hopeful that this method would kill the roots, and in turn, kill the whole plant.
Nine hours later, the weeds were completely dead, so I was easily able to dig them out. I didn’t use a fancy tool for this; a regular screwdriver sufficed.
Curious as to whether the weeds would reappear, I checked back in on the area over the next two weeks, and no weeds seemed to have grown back.
Angela saw her patio weeds start to wilt and turn brown after an hour of application (Image: Angela Patrone)
Nine hours later, the weeds were completely dead (Image: Angela Patrone)
Phoebe put white vinegar to the test on her stubborn paving weeds (Image: Phoebe Cornish)
Phoebe Cornish
Natural method tested: White vinegar
No chemical-free gardening hack would be complete without white vinegar, so I tested it according to Martha Stewart’s recommendation. The lifestyle mogul recommends the ingredient as a weed killer, which acts as a contact herbicide when sprayed onto broadleaf weeds.
The naturally acidic condiment is best used when weeds are actively growing and not stressed by drought. After a rainy spell the day prior, I ventured out to my driveway on a dry, humid day to tackle the mass of weeds that populate small cracks in the concrete.
I had the vinegar concoction in tow, for which I used just shy of 500ml of distilled white vinegar, plus one quarter of a teaspoon of dish soap (Fairy Liquid). Martha’s instruction is to use one gallon of vinegar with one tablespoon of dish soap, but that seemed excessive given that the spray bottle I had only holds 500ml of liquid.
I measured the vinegar into a jug and then stirred in the dish soap. Once combined, I poured the soapy water into an empty spray bottle. The acetic acid in the vinegar is what kills weeds, but it should be noted that it only affects the parts of the plant it directly contacts. This means that it may kill nearby plants it comes into contact with, though I didn’t have this issue on my driveway. Craig Elworthy, founder of Lawnbright, instructs: “Allow the vinegar weed killer to sit on the weeds for several hours or overnight. You should notice a big difference by the next day.” But did it work?
To my surprise, the weeds looked colourless and shrivelled within a few hours of soaking them in the vinegar solution. And when I checked back the following morning, I was truly impressed with the effectiveness of this gardening hack. It’s a great way to flatten and weaken weeds before pulling them out of the ground, but it doesn’t replace the need to dig out the roots to prevent them from growing back.
It was also easier to lift the treated weeds at the root in one swift motion compared to those I hadn’t treated. All in all, it’s a worthwhile method given that it takes just a few minutes to make and apply. The results really do speak for themselves.
The weeds looked colourless and shrivelled after a few hours of soaking them in the vinegar solution (Image: Phoebe Cornish)
White vinegar was very effective at killing large paving weeds (Image: Phoebe Cornish)
Ketsuda Phoutinane
Natural method tested: Lemon juice
As with vinegar, it’s said that lemon juice’s acidity is an effective natural weed killer. It smells quite a lot nicer, so it’d be an ideal way to kill weeds and leave gardens smelling lemony fresh to deter cats as well — the furry creatures hate citrus scents.
Heading into the garden with the juice of three lemons (totalling 100ml, if you’re wondering), I was sceptical but hopeful about this garden experiment. I didn’t have a spray bottle on hand, so I did my best to cover the weeds’ leaves and roots.
Unfortunately, it didn’t work. If anything, the weeds seemed to have grown 24 hours later. To be fair, it may have been the much-needed rain that doused Scotland this weekend that washed away the lemon juice, so I wouldn’t rule out this method completely.
Ketsuda put lemon juice to the test on weeds growing between paving slabs (Image: Ketsuda Phoutinane)
The lemon juice failed to impress Ketsuda (Image: Ketsuda Phoutinane)
Sophie doused the gravel weeds with boiling water (Image: Sophie Law)
Sophie Law
Natural method tested: Boiling water
Boiling water is often touted as a simple, chemical-free weed killer, so I was curious to see if it could tackle a dandelion growing in the gravel in my garden. Armed with a freshly boiled kettle, I poured it straight onto where the leaves of the weed entered the ground. This intense heat supposedly damages the plant’s cell structure, preventing photosynthesis and causing it to die
I instantly saw the dandelion leaves and flower wilt dramatically, which was quite satisfying, actually. However, 24 hours later, the dandelion remained. It seems established weeds have deeper roots that boiling water alone struggles to completely destroy. I’m planning to try this several times over the course of a week to see if boiling water can, in fact, destroy an established plant.
In the meantime, if you’re wanting a quick fix, the boiling water method is probably best suited for small, newly sprouted weeds rather than mature ones, unless you’re happy repeating the process several times to fully banish the invaders.
On the plus side, boiling water is completely safe, environmentally friendly, and requires no special ingredients — just a quick trip to your kitchen. Unlike chemical weed killers, it won’t harm surrounding plants or leave harmful residues in your soil, making it ideal for vegetable gardens or around pets and children.