I simply pour boiling water on top of the weeds at my stone and pebbles area to cook them. Works instantly and no harmful chemicals. I do have to make a few trips, so better for smaller area.
RM-43 is the only thing that has ever worked, I had a HORRIBLE time getting rid of weeds in my stone garden bed. If you spray correctly you won’t have ANY growth for about a year, keeping in mind that means no ground planting in the area, but you will have zero weeds left
Looks like quack grass (also called couch grass). I’ve been in your exact same position and I know how frustrating it is to have the weed come through all your hard work. I see some people here mentioning acetic acid: that will work, but only temporarily. It will kill the leaves, but not the roots. In theory, if you are diligent, many repeated killings should eventually kill the plant. However, in my experience, the best solution is glyphosate or roundup. It kills the plants from the roots. I know there are lots of warnings about glyphosate, so my plan is to apply it in the first year, fight the weeds hard, then move to acetic acid for maintenance in subsequent years.
Also consider that landscape fabric will not stop weed seeds from falling into the stone and gravel from the wind, and it germinating right on top of the weed fabric. They will grow their fine roots right down into the fabric, making it that much harder to pull them up. You probably want to use something that keeps the seeds from germinating and that will help a lot. I had the same thing happen so I feel the disappointment. But it looks good with the rocks and stones.
Try using Preen or something similar. It is a pre-emergent and prevents weed seeds from germinating. They can germinate and happily grow in rocks and will definitely grow in sand.
Mid a gallon of vinegar, cup of dawn dish soup, and some salt in a spayer and spray all your gravel areas. Weeds will die. Careful will kill everything else too. Plants grass. Only spray where you want no weeds.
Our landscaper had us use river rock years ago around the house. It looked beautiful for about a year. After that, it was a constant battle. We ultimately had it all taken out and hauled away and replaced with chocolate covered mulch. Annually we rake it up to break it up and then add new mulch for a fresh look. Much easier and cheaper.
Buy the vinegar from Lowe’s or HD to use as a weed killer. Follow the directions and it will help keep the weeds at bay. We have about 1/4 of our backyard covered in river bed rocks and spraying them every few months helps.
I did the vinegar, dawn and salt solution a couple years ago and I mean I reeeeally did it. I made so much and I reapplied 2-3 more times. It really did nothing. I didn't want to use Roundup, because even though it's a herbacide and it clearly works, it persist in the soil for awhile. Some want that, but a lot of us want a herbacide that doesn't sit in our soil and potentially kill every plant good or bad around it. I found Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer on Amazon last spring and it's wonderful. Never spray a herbacide on a windy day or right after or before a rain storm. Make sure it's going to be sunny for a couple days. I bought two one gallon bottles with a sprayer and paid under $25. I haven't even used the second gallon it was that effective. I had a lot of crabgrass and all the other random weeds in Oklahoma growing through my pathways and gardens. I usually hand pull weeds in the garden, but I have also used this on several weeds and it never killed any of my surrounding perennials and annuals. You saturate the weed and within a few hours it's turned brown and dying. It lasts for weeks too.
Landscape material won’t work. Pulling weeds through it will only rip the material. First, weeds are just native plants. Second, bugs are natural creatures that live in your environment. They are part of your eco system. If you kill them, it damages the environment, because all bugs provide food for birds and other wildlife or keep other bugs in check. Humans have to accept these facts or we will make the earth uninhabitable for our own species. If you want to reduce disliked ‘weeds’, go into the wild areas near your home and identify native plants you like that aren’t going to spread crazy. Plant those near the house. If you have a pest bug, discover its natural predators. Encourage those instead. For instance, I don’t like millipedes in my house. They don’t like light. And they do like the scents of meat. So I don’t leave meat scraps in my house and I put my H.E.P.A. machine with its blue microbes near the basement door. Problem solved. Or if you hate bugs in your yard get yourself a couple laying hens. I assure you, you’ll see very few bugs within a season. In fact, you’ll need to keep them out of your neighbors yards, because they like to dig at grass. You have to work with nature, not against it if you want to lived comfortably with it. The idea of hot water on weeds, is likely the best solution if you are absolutely determined that nothing grows in your rock garden
Oh, Sweetheart!!💔 I know the feeling! There is nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do to stop those dang weeds forever! I should've known, too🥴.
So, Ive changed my point of view and think of slowing them down instead of deleting them. Layers of cardboard-1 works for a bit, but 2 is better-keep them from getting sun while letting the soil get nutrients. Then, when the inevitable happens, a gentle tug is all that is usually needed if I catch them early. A neighbor poisons the heck out of them and uses weed clear even before starting, but in my pebble paths, I can handle without poison. The boiling water thing works, but only handles the tops, not the weeds. Salt damages the soil for future use, and with water runoff, winds up where you don't want it. Vinegar is more easily kept on plant only, but has same issues as salting. So, I prefer poison when things get that far gone. Most get into the roits, and are weirdly usually less harmful to soil and future planting. Bottom line-we do the best we can, and at our best can delay the inevitable. Or, plant things that are tougher than the weeds, so they are crowded out. It is honestly a never ending battle. Mulch and letting other plants take their nutrients has been my go-to . In rock areas, if you are careful, you can torch them. With all plans, be careful.
Weed fabric is a joke and a waste of money. I use construction thick black plastic and I usually double it. I did ny huge flower beds 8yrs ago and just now have got a few lil grasses grown threw but its where I cut to plant a plant. So weed killer comes out.
The problem looks like weeds are just growing on top in between the rocks. You can't prevent all seeds from getting in there, but make sure you don't let the mower blow your grass clippings in, that's a sure way to get lots more fast!
Vinegar is your friend when you lay stone. Spray white vinegar with a good squeeze of dish soap mixed in on the weeds and wait. For best results do it on a hot day. Kills bugs too…kills lice, fleas and caterpillars on contact. Don't ask me how I know this. 😢 I'm just telling you it works and it works fast. 24 hours later those weeds will be crispy.
Sweetheart roaches live and reproduce walls in the dark spaces between the outside and the inside and can and will eat drywall, wood, caulk, untreated insulation and wood glue….
Looks great! I’d spray a good weed killer and then keep on top of leaf blowing anything off it so no more seeds take root! But I’ve also had good luck with boiling water on plants I didn’t want in my yard
The sand on top of the fabric? Did I understand that? That might be where you went wrong. You'll find that many homes in the southwest of the US use rock gardens and xeriscaping. But we do NOT use any sand. Where I am in California, 1) we dig out about 2 inches deep, 2) where I am. we have moles, so we lay down gopher wire (aka hardwire mesh), 3) lay down landscaping fabric (this doesnt PREVENT weeds, it slows them down making it easier to pick out the weeds) 4) fill with a layer of rock about 2 inches deep.
For stepping stones, instead of sand, maybe try a paver base.
Don't lose hope. Pick out those weeds growing now, you should find that they are very easy to remove at this early stage since the roots shouldn't have time to establish. Weeds will ALWAYS be something to deal with, but you can limit them if you stay on top of these young ones. As the season goes, you should see less and less. Definitely use the vinegar trick that many mention in this comment section. It does work. Get one of those bug sprayer/pump sprayer. You should be good!
I layed 5/8 inch Styrofoam 4×8 foot sheets, 2 layers and put rocks, stepping stones and faux grass on top of that. Lasts forever with no weeds or crayfish breaking through.
45 Comments
I simply pour boiling water on top of the weeds at my stone and pebbles area to cook them. Works instantly and no harmful chemicals. I do have to make a few trips, so better for smaller area.
RM-43 is the only thing that has ever worked, I had a HORRIBLE time getting rid of weeds in my stone garden bed. If you spray correctly you won’t have ANY growth for about a year, keeping in mind that means no ground planting in the area, but you will have zero weeds left
Would putting glue on the rocks surrounding the house be an option?
Looks like quack grass (also called couch grass). I’ve been in your exact same position and I know how frustrating it is to have the weed come through all your hard work. I see some people here mentioning acetic acid: that will work, but only temporarily. It will kill the leaves, but not the roots. In theory, if you are diligent, many repeated killings should eventually kill the plant. However, in my experience, the best solution is glyphosate or roundup. It kills the plants from the roots. I know there are lots of warnings about glyphosate, so my plan is to apply it in the first year, fight the weeds hard, then move to acetic acid for maintenance in subsequent years.
Also consider that landscape fabric will not stop weed seeds from falling into the stone and gravel from the wind, and it germinating right on top of the weed fabric. They will grow their fine roots right down into the fabric, making it that much harder to pull them up. You probably want to use something that keeps the seeds from germinating and that will help a lot. I had the same thing happen so I feel the disappointment. But it looks good with the rocks and stones.
glue the weed fibers to a foundation
vinegar for the weeds and diatomaceous earth for the bugs.
Try using Preen or something similar. It is a pre-emergent and prevents weed seeds from germinating. They can germinate and happily grow in rocks and will definitely grow in sand.
Thick cardboard and I would have put down some type of chemical that says weeds can never grow back again
Those r not weeds it’s snt Augustine, hard to kill
Whatever you do DO NOT use Round Up
You need to use actual weed and grass killer! Do it every 6-8 weeks and bam. No more weeds.
Mid a gallon of vinegar, cup of dawn dish soup, and some salt in a spayer and spray all your gravel areas. Weeds will die. Careful will kill everything else too. Plants grass. Only spray where you want no weeds.
Our landscaper had us use river rock years ago around the house. It looked beautiful for about a year. After that, it was a constant battle. We ultimately had it all taken out and hauled away and replaced with chocolate covered mulch. Annually we rake it up to break it up and then add new mulch for a fresh look. Much easier and cheaper.
Buy the vinegar from Lowe’s or HD to use as a weed killer. Follow the directions and it will help keep the weeds at bay. We have about 1/4 of our backyard covered in river bed rocks and spraying them every few months helps.
Everyday pull a couple weeds.
Salt the ground
Spray Vinegar.
What about that outdoor glue that keeps the small rocks in place??? Hopefully weeds can grow thru glue lol
It's because you put sand on top of the fabric that's why you're growing weeds and used by gallon buckets to do your landscaping it's a lot easier
Use a sand underneath the felt
I’m in Florida too my husband won’t let me lay rocks he says the house will get too hot and there will be higher utility expenses
I did the vinegar, dawn and salt solution a couple years ago and I mean I reeeeally did it. I made so much and I reapplied 2-3 more times. It really did nothing. I didn't want to use Roundup, because even though it's a herbacide and it clearly works, it persist in the soil for awhile. Some want that, but a lot of us want a herbacide that doesn't sit in our soil and potentially kill every plant good or bad around it. I found Spectracide Weed & Grass Killer on Amazon last spring and it's wonderful. Never spray a herbacide on a windy day or right after or before a rain storm. Make sure it's going to be sunny for a couple days. I bought two one gallon bottles with a sprayer and paid under $25. I haven't even used the second gallon it was that effective. I had a lot of crabgrass and all the other random weeds in Oklahoma growing through my pathways and gardens. I usually hand pull weeds in the garden, but I have also used this on several weeds and it never killed any of my surrounding perennials and annuals. You saturate the weed and within a few hours it's turned brown and dying. It lasts for weeks too.
Rocks and sand alone will not stop weeds and bugs you need herbicides and pesticides
I just pluck stuff from my rocks every week or two it's so easy to pluck them out.
Lmao card board first in make it part of your weekend work to pick weeds lol we all have to do it even when you mulch
The weed spray you goats stay on top of all spring and they die back for summer. Do this annually every spring and it will gradually get better
Landscape material won’t work. Pulling weeds through it will only rip the material. First, weeds are just native plants. Second, bugs are natural creatures that live in your environment. They are part of your eco system. If you kill them, it damages the environment, because all bugs provide food for birds and other wildlife or keep other bugs in check. Humans have to accept these facts or we will make the earth uninhabitable for our own species. If you want to reduce disliked ‘weeds’, go into the wild areas near your home and identify native plants you like that aren’t going to spread crazy. Plant those near the house. If you have a pest bug, discover its natural predators. Encourage those instead. For instance, I don’t like millipedes in my house. They don’t like light. And they do like the scents of meat. So I don’t leave meat scraps in my house and I put my H.E.P.A. machine with its blue microbes near the basement door. Problem solved. Or if you hate bugs in your yard get yourself a couple laying hens. I assure you, you’ll see very few bugs within a season. In fact, you’ll need to keep them out of your neighbors yards, because they like to dig at grass. You have to work with nature, not against it if you want to lived comfortably with it. The idea of hot water on weeds, is likely the best solution if you are absolutely determined that nothing grows in your rock garden
Oh, Sweetheart!!💔 I know the feeling! There is nothing, absolutely nothing, we can do to stop those dang weeds forever! I should've known, too🥴.
So, Ive changed my point of view and think of slowing them down instead of deleting them. Layers of cardboard-1 works for a bit, but 2 is better-keep them from getting sun while letting the soil get nutrients. Then, when the inevitable happens, a gentle tug is all that is usually needed if I catch them early. A neighbor poisons the heck out of them and uses weed clear even before starting, but in my pebble paths, I can handle without poison. The boiling water thing works, but only handles the tops, not the weeds. Salt damages the soil for future use, and with water runoff, winds up where you don't want it. Vinegar is more easily kept on plant only, but has same issues as salting. So, I prefer poison when things get that far gone. Most get into the roits, and are weirdly usually less harmful to soil and future planting. Bottom line-we do the best we can, and at our best can delay the inevitable. Or, plant things that are tougher than the weeds, so they are crowded out. It is honestly a never ending battle. Mulch and letting other plants take their nutrients has been my go-to . In rock areas, if you are careful, you can torch them. With all plans, be careful.
Weed fabric is a joke and a waste of money. I use construction thick black plastic and I usually double it. I did ny huge flower beds 8yrs ago and just now have got a few lil grasses grown threw but its where I cut to plant a plant. So weed killer comes out.
The problem looks like weeds are just growing on top in between the rocks. You can't prevent all seeds from getting in there, but make sure you don't let the mower blow your grass clippings in, that's a sure way to get lots more fast!
Put cardboard under the weed fabric! Works like a charm for me.
Vinegar is your friend when you lay stone.
Spray white vinegar with a good squeeze of dish soap mixed in on the weeds and wait. For best results do it on a hot day. Kills bugs too…kills lice, fleas and caterpillars on contact.
Don't ask me how I know this. 😢
I'm just telling you it works and it works fast. 24 hours later those weeds will be crispy.
Sweetheart roaches live and reproduce walls in the dark spaces between the outside and the inside and can and will eat drywall, wood, caulk, untreated insulation and wood glue….
Weed killer, those come from seeds blown into the rocks. Just spay the rocks every spring and boom weed free area.
The strongest weed killer you can buy.
Looks great! I’d spray a good weed killer and then keep on top of leaf blowing anything off it so no more seeds take root! But I’ve also had good luck with boiling water on plants I didn’t want in my yard
VINEGAR! SOAK THE AREA….NOTHING WILLL SURVIVE 😅
Saturate with industrial Vinegar
The sand on top of the fabric? Did I understand that? That might be where you went wrong. You'll find that many homes in the southwest of the US use rock gardens and xeriscaping. But we do NOT use any sand. Where I am in California, 1) we dig out about 2 inches deep, 2) where I am. we have moles, so we lay down gopher wire (aka hardwire mesh), 3) lay down landscaping fabric (this doesnt PREVENT weeds, it slows them down making it easier to pick out the weeds) 4) fill with a layer of rock about 2 inches deep.
For stepping stones, instead of sand, maybe try a paver base.
Don't lose hope. Pick out those weeds growing now, you should find that they are very easy to remove at this early stage since the roots shouldn't have time to establish. Weeds will ALWAYS be something to deal with, but you can limit them if you stay on top of these young ones. As the season goes, you should see less and less. Definitely use the vinegar trick that many mention in this comment section. It does work. Get one of those bug sprayer/pump sprayer. You should be good!
Cleaning vinegar it’s more acidic use a spray bottle
Weeds probably blew seeds on top and have laid small roots in the rocks. They should pull out easily
Mixture of salt,vinegar and a little dish soap will kill the ground so nothing will grow.
Hi, Gabby! Salt. Salt kills every freaking thing. Boiling hot water works, too.
I layed 5/8 inch Styrofoam 4×8 foot sheets, 2 layers and put rocks, stepping stones and faux grass on top of that. Lasts forever with no weeds or crayfish breaking through.