Tony Dickerson problem solves
Q How do I control weeds on my patio in a pet-friendly way?
Margaret Morgan, Grantham, Lincolnshire
A Many weeds find their way onto drives and patios. Most are common ones of lawns and waste ground, such as annual meadow grass and dandelion, that blow in as seed. They’re not only unsightly but they can also make an area slippery in wet weather.
The most environmentally- friendly way to control weeds on patios is to use a patio hand weeder, which has a sharpened, narrow blade to get down in the cracks to prise them out. There are long-handled versions available to save bending down. On gravel drives, hoeing on a dry day is often successful. There are also blowtorch-type weeders, fuelled by a gas canister, that can be used to burn the weeds off. It’s best to use it twice, a week apart. The first scorches the leaf, while the second burns it away. There are three types of weedkiller you could also use on your patio. Contact weedkillers work by chemically scorching off the weed foliage. They’re good for annual weeds and the seedlings of perennial weeds, but not effective against deeperrooted weeds such as dandelions. They’re based on materials such as fatty acids, pelargonic acids and acetic acid. You might recognise the latter as vinegar! Arguably, they’re the most pet-friendly.
Systemic weedkillers applied to the foliage move down into the root system. This makes them ideal for controlling deep-rooted, perennial weeds. They work best when weeds are actively growing in the warmer months of the year. All are based on glyphosate. The instructions tell users to keep children and pets away from the treated area until the spray has dried. The same instructions are given for residual weedkillers. These are weedkillers based on diflufenican (combined with glyphosate) that remain active in the soil for several months.
All garden chemicals on sale in the UK are safe when used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Always read the label and follow the instructions on application rates. It’s a legal requirement to comply with the statutory conditions indicated on the label.