How to Kill Weeds between Pavers

Is your paved patio or driveway looking dreadful barely a year after installation? Newly paved patios and driveways are usually a beauty to look at. However- if left for long without any maintenance, you’ll begin noticing weed plants growing between your patio stones leaving you with a rather unsightly patio.

In this guideline on how to remove weeds growing between your stone pavers; we delve deeper into a variety of methods including using a vinegar, bleach heat, removal by hand and by use of baking soda.

How to Kill Weeds between Pavers

There exist various methods for eliminating weeds that are creeping into cracks and spaces between pavers or patio stones. We take a deeper look at some of them below:

1. Using herbicides

You can get rid of weeds that are growing on your patio/driveway using commercially available weed killer herbicides. Some of these herbicides are meant to be applied before the emergence of weeds, while some- after. When spraying chemical herbicides on your lawn it’s important to use the right protective gear to avoid personal harm.

2. Removal by hand

If you have time to spare and are looking for the safest possible way to get rid of the weeds growing between your paver stones, try removing the unwanted plants manually.

To do this efficiently, you first have to wet the spaces in between the patio stones to dampen the soil. This will make the weeds easier to uproot.

Alternatively, you can uproot immediately after it rains and the soil is still soaked. It’s advisable to use a sharp tool like a knife to get to the roots of the weeds in between the narrow paver spaces; as simply pulling from the top will detach the plant from the root; allowing the weeds to grow back after a few days.

Manually uprooting weeds is- therefore- a great weed control method as it dislodges their entire root systems, thus minimizing chances of them creeping back up on patio lawn again.

3. Sprinkling baking soda

Baking soda is also a proven weed killer- but requires repeated application for the best results. Fist off, sprinkle ample amounts of baking soda all over your paver stones, then work the powder into the spaces between the stones with a broom.

Finally, spray some water onto your patio. This entire process should be repeated every month until you no longer see new weed plants growing between your patio pavers.

4. Using heat

This is arguably the fastest way of getting rid of weed plants growing between the narrow crevices between your patio pavers. To do this effectively, you can use a blowtorch, which produces a consistent flame.

However since fire is extremely dangerous, you should take all the necessary precautions when using this method including avoiding use of the blowtorch close to storage areas.

5. Bleach

Undiluted bleach is a deadly weed killer that can be used to exterminate weeds between patio stones, gravel driveways and areas you don’t need any plants to grow. Killing weeds with bleach requires high level of caution. Bleach kills most plants that it comes into contact with. It is also harmful to aquatic lives and other insects.

When using bleach as a weed killer, protect yourself by wearing a gas mask and hand protective gloves. Use away from pets and children. Do not use near your other important vegetation and edibles such as fruits and vegatable.

6. Ground cover plants

Finally, a more natural way of controlling weeds between pavers is to grow a good ground cover plant in those spaces. These short grass or plants that will also add a greenery taste to your outdoor space have good weeds controlling abilities.

Their aggressiveness will not allow other weeds to grow in their midst. They form a dense mat which chocks other low growing plants.

7. Vinegar

A mixture of vinegar Epsom salt and dawn dish soap is known to be an effective, nonselective weed-killer that will get rid of any type of weed that it comes into contact with.

Vinegar is eco-friendly, less expensive and a natural weed killer loved by many gardeners.

What is the best time to kill weeds on your patio?

The best time to apply a weed killer is when the weather is generally dry, as rain can wash away your herbicide solution before it has the desired effect on the weed plants.

You should also choose calm, non-windy days especially if you’re planning to use a non-selective weed-killer like a vinegar-based solution. This is because wind can drift some of the chemicals onto the lawn /garden areas adjacent to your patio/driveway, potentially killing your beautiful lawn grass and desirable garden plants as well.

The other timing factor that you should take into account is how fast you need to get rid of the weeds. Say, for instance, that you’re preparing to host a cookout within a couple days and you need your paver patio to be completely spruced up by then. In such a case- it wouldn’t be wise to use weed removal methods that take several days to take effect.