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Killing weeds on terrace


woolybanana

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How do you get rid of your weeds between slabs on terraces, on paths etc? I am reluctant to spray with poison for environmental reasons but am finding that the manual method is getting my back.

Anyone tried a flame/ heat method; If so, which do you use, gas, electricity of agent orange? Any good?

Thanks in advance.
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[quote user="woolybanana"]Anyone tried a flame/ heat method; If so, which do you use, gas, electricity of agent orange? Any good?[/quote]I use an ordinary blowlamp  -  the sort where you buy a separate nozzle

and control, and recharge it with 450 g camping type gas canisters.

I find it wonderfully satisfactory and quick, and use nothing else for weeds between paving stones and cobbles.  And I find that it is sufficiently accurate that one can relatively easily avoid any plants that are on the approved list. 
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YccmB wrote : Still fine on myipad

Still fine on my android tablet .. I only hope that I am not going to regret saying that ☺

As to weeding .. I am of the kneel-down-manual- extraction of the beggars .. kills the back but the satisfaction factor is high and the cost financially and ecologically is zero.
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If you're talking those gas weed wand things then I wouldn't bother. For some reason we ended up owning 2 so took one to France, kept one in the UK. The replacement canisters cost an absolute fortune, each lasting long enough to burn about 3 metres of path weeds. The wand has to be held so the flame is touching the actual weed and unless you are very short in stature, that too will do your back in. Once done the weeds are obviously scorched and appear dead but in our experience it doesn't kill the root and they are all back within a few weeks. On a positive note, the flame didn't scorch our block paving, slabs or gravel. We now use our gas wands to light the BBQ and they are brilliant for that.
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Never thought of using bleach. I buy 20 litre bidons of 9.6% eaux de javel from brico sheds at 13€ a go, for sanitising the pool. It's five times stronger than than the domestic bleach from the supermarkets. Great thing about bleach from an eco point of view is it breaks down and therefore doesn't do long term damage like salt/vinegar mixes do.
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Since they stopped using glyphosate, our local council has two men, one pushing a trolley carrying a large gas bottle, and the other wielding a long gas torch, who periodically attack the weeds growing in and around the pavements.

It's the pinnacle of make-work jobs to employ two men, leaves black soot marks on the pavements and any adjacent walls, and gets rid of the weeds for up to two weeks.

It must be the inspiration of our very large chef cantonnier, who travels the streets in his dumper, stopping occasionally to sweep up a few leaves which catch his eye, and to stand duty at the road crosssing by the collège between lessons. He also uses the dumper as his personal transport to and from his venues for lunchtime and casse-croute.

Our kitchen window overlooks our Park Municipal entrance, which allows us a daily view of the happenings around this busy centre of activity.

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Kong wrote

Great thing about bleach from an eco point of view is it breaks down and therefore doesn't do long term damage like salt/vinegar mixes do.

Don't kid yourself

Erm. Bleach breaks down to sodium chloride - aka salt.

I no longer give a feck about by fecking privacy. Just stop the IT equivalent of the water drop torture :PLEASE.
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  • 3 weeks later...
Kong wrote

Great thing about bleach from an eco point of view is it breaks down and therefore doesn't do long term damage like salt/vinegar mixes do.

Not convinced can you show evidence for this idea its eco friendly the weeds will not agree salt and vinegar are natural products, bleach aint

Wonder what the snails worms etc think as they burn to death
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  • 1 month later...
[quote user="pomme"]
I've not seen them advertised in France yet, but Lidl UK

have
mains-powered electric weedkiller wands for sale next week

(£19.99); described as perfect for removing weeds, igniting charcoal or removing paint and varnish . Possibly more sensible than the gas-powered weed killers?
[/quote]

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