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  deon bramley May 19, 2010 at 7:15pm

  chears pro gard
  i do tend to spray weeds on paths and gravel. how do you go about getting rid of the weeds when they have died.
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  Chris Auld May 19, 2010 at 8:19pm

  in some areas where weeds are well established hand weeding is not practical, i have found an effective and lees labour intensive method is to quickly go over the area and either strim the weeds down or just pull the top growth off with your hands. Then apply a mulch of bark chippings over the weeds, go back after about 2-3 weeks, at this point the weeds should have begun to regrow through the bark. Spray them with a systemic herbicide and because they are still really small at this point they should rot down in a few days and will not be visible.
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  Sarah Russell May 20, 2010 at 7:06pm

  I use a push/pull hoe (courtesy of Wolf garten tools!) with a three pronged claw on the back - the hoe chops through the roots and then I rake them off also using a hand rake. The three pronged claw is then roughed through the soil afterwards to give it a nice 'fine tilth' look. I use it on a short handle on hands and knees for weeds in amongst other plants. For larger areas of weeds I use the hand hoe on a handle the length of a spade and use that to slice through the top inch of soil cutting the roots off. Of course this only works with shallow rooted plants. Weeding in damp conditions is always better - and you cannot beat that feeling of almost hysterical satisfaction when you manage to trowel a dock out with its entire root! Or maybe that is a girl thing.....
  I have my favourite pointy trowel - it has a homing instinct. I once lost it for two years, then found it again when I emptied a compost heap in one of my gardens!! Not even rusty either.
  
  Weed kill with gravel and pathways though - no contest! If you get them small enough you dont even need to hoof them out after they have died.
  Weeds in block paving I use a special little angled wire brush on a long broom handle - I think it is produced by Farrow and Ball. It is brilliant at getting out the moss and little bits of grass that make it look so untidy, without removing all the sand like a jet washer does.
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  Paula Hale May 20, 2010 at 10:55pm

  If I have to get rid of dandelions in difficult places (where you can't get the root out, between rocks/paving etc) by using plain table salt. Check the weather, if no rain is forecast for 3-4 days, put a small mound of salt in the middle of the dandelion. In a few days it will be dead - the salt draws the moisture out of the plant. This can also be done on the odd weed in that lawn but the weather must be dry or the salt will absorb moisture from the air and then spread out onto the lawn leaving little round dead patches. Its easy once the plant has died to go along and scrape off/pull up the weed.
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  Sarah Russell May 21, 2010 at 8:01am

  Thats a good tip! Will be round my garden with the table salt this weekend!
  
  Paula Hale said:

  If I have to get rid of dandelions in difficult places (where you can't get the root out, between rocks/paving etc) by using plain table salt. Check the weather, if no rain is forecast for 3-4 days, put a small mound of salt in the middle of the dandelion. In a few days it will be dead - the salt draws the moisture out of the plant. This can also be done on the odd weed in that lawn but the weather must be dry or the salt will absorb moisture from the air and then spread out onto the lawn leaving little round dead patches. Its easy once the plant has died to go along and scrape off/pull up the weed.
• PRO

  Mike Seaton May 21, 2010 at 10:46am

  A great tip passed onto me from a college lecturer. It is called the Glove of Death! Protect your hand with a solvex or marigold glove with long cuffs. Get an old wooly glove with fingers. Get a ready to use Roundup or Tumbleweed or other glyphosate formulation that you have mixed up. Spray the solution on the glove but not to run off taking care to keep your hand down. Then get in amongst the flower border or shrubs or ground cover and literally run the weeds you want to kill through your pesticide laden glove and wipe them. Works a treat for grasses in heather and ground cover. For larget areas where you cannot spray, rub the glove over the weeds. Re apply chemical as required. Works like a Weed Stick which may be a pesticide filled wax stick. This is a bit off label but really effective.
  
  Also if you are worried about overspray or drift, use a spray pattern indicator dye sold via the Lawn Shop - see Ad. It lets you know where you have been, not been, should not have been, when the sprayer is clean and when you have contaminated yourself. It's water soluble and stays around until it rains. Use with all liquid applications.
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  Paysage Durable May 24, 2010 at 11:02am

  I like the glove of death. Once had a little gadget made up when working in Cornwall, cheesewire stretched between a small cleft hazel handle, very quick and easily manageable mini hoe.