Weeds are a common problem in gardens and driveways, but there’s a simple and cheap way to get rid of them for good using a common household appliance – and it’s not a weedkiller
Typical weed-killing products can be costly and harmful to animals(Image: Alex Evans)
It’s that time of year when gardeners battle it out with weeds as they pop up all over the place due to the hot weather. As well as lawns, weeds also pop up all over patios, driveways and even in the cracks along the foundations of your house.
A trip to any garden centre or DIY store will reveal all sorts of flashy and brightly coloured (and expensive) solutions to deal with weeds, with everything from root control to 24-hour killers to non-glysophate, the lattermost of which is supposed to be safer for bees.
Garden experts are constantly sharing special ways to get rid of weeds with homemade solutions: white vinegar and salt solutions being the most common. But even white vinegar costs money and it’s not great for the environment – it will kill any bee that comes in contact with it.
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A kettle is the only thing you need to destroy some weeds varieties(Image: Herzstaub via Getty Images)How to kill weeds without weedkiller or chemicals
At a time when insect numbers are down by as much as 80 per cent, it’s worth opting for less damaging solutions – and one is totally free and only needs one common household appliance.
One way to kill weeds is to pour boiling water over them. Simply boil a kettle of water – which costs a few pence at most – and pour the water over every weed in your driveway, reports the Express.
As Unique Paving Materials says: “Another way to kill weeds is by merely pouring boiling water over them. This is a simple solution and is perfect to try out if you don’t have any materials on hand. Since boiling water can reach the taproot, you’re able to get rid of weeds permanently, and with it being a nontoxic method, there won’t be any long-term negative effects on the surrounding vegetation.”
So it’s affordable, straightforward, and won’t damage anything apart from the unwanted plant, whilst offering a lasting solution to eliminate weeds – time to put the kettle on.
Some types of weeds are more harmful than others(Image: Lucy Lambriex via Getty Images)
While weeds may seem harmless, nothing can ruin your garden faster than a weed infestation. Horsetail weed is particularly devastating. It’s been around for at least 350 million years, which means it’s had time to adapt to a massive array of climates, weather conditions and soil types.
Horsetail weed is also not particularly responsive to the typical methods of weed removal: such as digging or using a chemical weed killer. Helena Jones, head of commercial at Hedges Direct Limited told Ideal Homes: “Horsetail weed has got an incredibly deep root system, we’re talking 6 to 7 feet [1.8 to 2.1 metres] deep and spread out over a massive area, really extensive, which makes digging it out really difficult.”
To get rid of horsetail, Ideal Homes recommends focussing on the new shoots as these will be easier to yank out. Equally, you can also use a weed burner, which will help control their growth.
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