How can I keep weeds out of the cracks in the driveway without pesticides?

I have a long concrete driveway with a few cracks and several concrete slabs for a patio. The cracks are covered in huge weeds! Mostly Horseweed and Lamb's Quarter, both of which grow more than 4 feet tall if I let them. I swear, every day I'm out there yanking them by the roots but they never stop returning. I've tried pouring saltwater in the cracks which did not help. It's to the point where I'm worried they are breaking the concrete slabs!

The thing is, I HATE pesticides. I will not use them, full stop. Is there anything else I can do to reduce the crazy weeds? Should I fill the cracks and gaps between slabs with gravel or caulk? Should I pour even MORE salt? HELP!

  Topic Around the House/DIY/Gardening Subtopic Gardening Tags gardening weeds natural driveway
2 Years 1 Answer 1.2k views

Ellie Vande Werken

Reputation Score: 80

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Answers ( 1 )

 
  1. Amal Yeargin 1044 Community Answer

    Pouring saltwater in the cracks will sterilize the ground for years to come. While the salt can indeed kill weeds, it can also kill anything else in its path, including grass and gardens. So, you do not want to use this on a surface where the saltwater will roll down into areas you do want to thrive.

     Another way to kill weeds naturally is this Homemade natural weed killer using Vinegar, Salt, and liquid dishwashing:

    Pour 1 gallon of white vinegar into a bucket. 
    Add 1 cup of table salt. Stir the solution with a long-handled spoon until all the salt dissolves completely.
    Stir in ¼ cup of liquid dishwashing soap. This will act as a surfactant and make the vinegar and salt solution adhere to the weeds more efficiently. Blend thoroughly.
    Funnel the weed killer into a plastic spray bottle.
    Drench the weeds with the solution on a dry, sunny day. Coat all surfaces well with the spray. Any plants soaked with this solution will die within several days. 
     

    UTC 2021-06-17 05:27 PM 0 Comments

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