Wild herbs and flowers have a bad habit of spreading quickly and extensively. And especially in the joints of paved paths: in the driveway, in the garden or on the terrace. If wild growth is a thorn in your side, you have no choice but to remove the weeds regularly. In this article you will find out how this works best, which methods are particularly effective and why you are not allowed to use poison to combat wild herbs in Germany.
According to the Plant Protection Act (PflSchG), the use of weed killers containing glyphosate is prohibited on sealed surfaces such as paved walkways and sidewalks, terraces and driveways. If the poison – also known as herbicide – is used anyway, you could face a fine of up to 50,000 euros. But why exactly? In fact, the toxic chemicals would get into the groundwater through rain and completely unfiltered. However, its use is permitted on areas used for agriculture, forestry and horticulture, as the ingredients first flow through several layers of earth in which the active ingredients are broken down before they reach the groundwater. Important to know: Organic preparations and homemade weed killers as well as home remedies (e.g. vinegar or salt) must not be used around paving stones.
A simple tool that you can use to easily remove unwanted wild herbs and flowers from the cracks is the joint scraper. The pointed tool goes deep into the soil to get as many roots as possible. To make the work easier on your back, you can extend the joint scraper with a telescopic handle. Alternatively, a special wire joint brush is suitable for superficial treatments, while a so-called weed cutter is suitable for wider gaps between the pavement slabs. However, keep in mind that the tools mentioned do not completely remove the weeds (there are always a few seeds or roots stuck in the soil), so they are unfortunately only short-term temporary solutions.
If you want to remove weeds from joints, you can also use an electric joint scraper, which – ideally – is even height-adjustable (and therefore easier on your back). The device should also contain different brushes that are suitable for different applications: A metal brush is used if you want to remove uncontrolled growth from insensitive surfaces, such as paving joints or sidewalks. However, for sensitive floors that can be easily scratched (e.g. wooden floors on the terrace), a plastic joint brush is recommended. The application is the same in both cases: push the tool over the ground so that the bristles reach into the joints and loosen the weeds quickly and efficiently.
In contrast to the electric weed killer, the weed burner does not fight wild growth with electrically generated heat, but rather fire. Burning out the joints not only destroys the weeds, but also any seeds that are still in the soil. This effectively prevents unwanted wild herbs and flowers from growing back quickly. It almost sounds too good to be true – because this method also has a catch: When using gas-powered weed burners, a lot of carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted, which pollutes our climate. For this reason, this tool is unfortunately not an environmentally friendly product.
To clear weeds from the joints of sealed surfaces, you can also use technical aids, such as an electric weed killer. This works with heat, which – depending on the model and manufacturer – reaches up to 1000 degrees. However, according to experts, the device should reach at least 600 degrees in order to effectively combat weeds. What all models have in common is that they do not require the use of chemicals or carbon dioxide. To remove the wild herbs, switch on the weed killer and run it over the overgrown joints.
Another method for removing weeds, albeit by far the most expensive, is the high-pressure cleaner. Apart from the water consumption, which you can control yourself, this is also an environmentally friendly way to free your joints from uncontrolled growth. Many models come with a brush for paved surfaces, but this can also be purchased separately. The water pressure generated literally blows out moss and weeds, including seedlings and seeds, from the joints – but also the soil. For this reason, you must then fill the cleaned joints again with sand (preferably a special joint sand for prevention, which is described in the next section). You can see how to use a high-pressure cleaner correctly here.
After the joints have been cleared of weeds, you can take preventative measures to avoid new overgrowth. This works best with Dansand for joints, as it has weed-inhibiting properties: its low pH value makes the growth of wild herbs and flowers more difficult. In addition, the special sand compacts the joints, but still remains permeable to water, which means that the roots of weeds cannot find hold. It is therefore important that you fill the cracks between the paving stones – in the truest sense of the word – to the brim and compact them well. Here you can use an earth tamper to help.
Source: My Beautiful Garden
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.
