Biological weed control on paths and in the garden

Weeds may play some role in the ecological balance; In the garden and on paths, however, no hobby gardener wants to be confronted with it. Thanks to increased environmental awareness, no one expects a universal one-size-fits-all solution today. The chemical club is no longer desirable in the modern hobby garden. The trend is towards biological weed control. Maybe a little more time-consuming – maybe a little more laborious – but environmentally friendly and nonetheless of lasting effect in the long run. Find out below how this Solomonic compromise works in different ways for weed-free paths and a well-tended garden.

overview

Effective on ways

  • Grout brush
  • Flame retardant device
  • Infrarotgerät
  • high pressure cleaner
  • water heater

Fight in the garden

  • Weed cutter
  • Grubber
  • Rigolen
  • Mulching disc
  • Mulchvlies

Biological finished preparations

  • Finalsan AF WeedFree Plus
  • Bayer Garten 3 hours organic weed-free AF
  • Compo organic weed killer Herbistop
  • Naturen organic weed-free (from Celaflor)

Mechanical weeding on paths

The plague starts in spring. Weeds grow on the entrance to the house, the garage entrance and the garden paths, long before the longed-for splendor of flowers unfolds. Occasional weeds within a paved or gravel area are unpleasant to see. Unfortunately, they don’t stay alone for long. Those who do not act against it now have increasingly bad cards to master the approaching weed invasion. Fortunately, instead of tackling every single leaf and blade of grass on your knees, mechanical aids are available.

Joint brush
It requires minimal effort, because a joint brush is reinforced with steel bristles at the end of the handle. While putting a little pressure on the grout scraper, get moss, grass, and other weeds out of the crevices.

Flaming device
This biological weed killer uses heat against unwanted plants. At the end of a long stem there is a round outlet that is fed through a hose with gas from a small container. Although the name suggests otherwise, there are no flames at the outlet, only temperatures of up to 95 ° Celsius. The water-filled cells in the weed expand and burst.

Infrared radiation
You can give stubborn weeds an even hotter end with infrared radiation. This device develops a murderous heat of up to 1,000 ° Celsius on the ceramic parts. Not only the cells of the unwanted plants have to believe in it, but also all the flying seeds. The infrared radiation cannot harm the valuable micro-organisms in the soil. This form of biological weed control works not only on sealed surfaces, but also under trees and bushes.

High-pressure
cleaner Simply convert your high-pressure cleaner into an environmentally friendly device for weed control. The powerful jet of water is guaranteed to wash any weeds out of the joints of paved paths. A pleasant side effect is the simultaneous removal of deposits so that stones and slabs shine in a new shine, as if they were freshly laid. The high water consumption should be considered, so that the use is only profitable if you have your own well.

Kettle
Your flash kettle quickly puts an end to weeds on paved, gravel or mulched paths. In particular on smaller areas, the household appliance turns into an efficient means of biological weed control.

  • You will need: kettle, extension cord and water hose
  • Pour the boiling water immediately onto the weeds
  • Additions are not required
  • The scalded plants are only collected

The method works equally sustainably in eliminating root weeds and seed weeds. It is only necessary to repeat the procedure in exceptional cases.

Ecologically sensible weed control in the garden

While the fight against weeds is a single track – hobby gardeners against dandelions & Co. – a third party joins in the garden in the form of ornamental and useful plants. This fact has an aggravating effect on the strategy, since weeds are only declared to be by definition anyway. Good to know that resourceful hobby gardeners have accumulated a wealth of experience in order to counter this conflict in an environmentally friendly way.

Weed cutter
This tool has a handle with an ergonomic handle, a pedal and sharp stainless steel gripper arms. In an upright posture, you stick the blades deep into the ground and grasp the weeds and their roots. After gently shaking the plant, lift it out of the ground. A 15 cm long steel blade on the work handle is ideal for removing weeds quickly – if you are already bent over in the bed. You can use it to pierce the soil next to the weeds and make it stand out.

Cultivator
As a mechanical further development of the historical sow tooth, the three-tooth cultivator loosens the bed soil thoroughly. At the same time, the device pulls out all kinds of weeds that are collected. However, this form of biological weed control only works for a short time because all parts of the plant and seeds are never removed.

Infiltration
beds that are completely overgrown by weeds require the most sweat-inducing form of traditional weeding. You need a spade, a sieve and lots of muscle fat.

  • Mow the green vegetation as deep as possible
  • Dig a trench, 2 blades deep, across the working area
  • Throw the first excavation into the sieve and pour it on the side
  • Also sift the soil of the next furrow and fill it in the first trench

Following this scheme, continue to the last trench. In this you fill the cleaned soil of the first furrow. The weeds that are sieved out are preferably not disposed of on the compost, because there they find ideal conditions for propagation. If at all possible, it is thrown away with the household waste or is incinerated.

Cocodisk mulching disc
The mulching disc is ideal for selective weed control in an environmentally friendly way. It encloses the root neck of plants and trees while effectively suppressing weed growth. The material consists of 100% natural fibers. The mulching disc in particular protects young plants from being overgrown by weeds while they are growing.

Mulch film
In the kitchen garden, mulch film combats weed growth in a biological way, reduces annoying weeding to a minimum and eliminates the need for any herbicide. The material is light and water permeable, while weeds have no chance to penetrate. If a bed is covered with mulch film in the year before it is planted, it even deprives root weeds of any livelihood. The cover is removed shortly before the planting work. A chew-free earth reveals itself to you, without the use of chemistry or muscle power.

Commercially available preparations for biological weed control

Since responsible hobby gardeners turned their backs on chemical herbicides while the legislature put a stop to the most environmentally harmful substances at the same time, the manufacturer market has finally started to move. There are now various effective products available that are approved for the home garden. Due to the dynamism in this area of ​​weed control, the following list offers a snapshot. If you want up-to-date information, the database for plant protection products of the Federal Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) offers a good overview.

Finalsan AF WeedFree Plus

  • Works against well-known weeds and grasses right down to the roots
  • No longer harmful to pets when dried
  • Biodegradable and not dangerous to bees
  • Ideal for the pressure sprayer
  • 1 liter costs approx. 15 Euro

The preparation works with natural pelargonic acid and a growth regulator on leaves and roots alike. The above-ground parts of the plant dry up within hours, while root growth in the soil is prevented. It is to be criticized that weeds with long root strands are not completely destroyed and sprout again from the remains.

Bayer Garten 3 hours organic weed-free AF

  • Already works in the spring within hours
  • Use on paths, paved surfaces and under trees
  • Ready mix in the spray bottle
  • 500 ml costs approx. 10 Euro

The spray only works if it is applied directly and abundantly to each individual weed plant. Then, on the other hand, the plant dies completely in a short time. Even low temperatures around 10 ° Celsius do not affect the effectiveness.

Compo organic weed killer Herbistop

  • Rapid effect within 1 to 3 hours
  • Main component nonanoic acid (another name for pelargonic acid)
  • Also combats moss and algae
  • Not dangerous to bees and biodegradable
  • 1000 ml costs approx. 12 Euro

Customers report the application that it eliminates the visible weed problem in the short term. However, the roots are spared, so that after a while it will have to be spread again. As a result, this preparation is at a loss against groundwater and field horsetail.

Naturen organic weed-free (from Celaflor)

  • Acts on the basis of acetic acid
  • Effect is limited to green annual weeds
  • Treated plants die after 1-2 days
  • 1 liter of spray solution costs around 10 euros

The product is aimed against annual seeds, which can often not be removed by simply chopping them. The product does not make any further claims. But it does what it promises. The weeds die and cannot be seen for many weeks.

All products presented are only approved for use in the garden. Weedkillers must not be used on sealed surfaces such as paths, parking lots or terraces. The legislature has ordered this, in view of the threat of contamination of the groundwater if the remnants of the funds end up in the sewer system.

Salt and vinegar are not home remedies for weeds

Even in previous years we used vinegar and salt to defend ourselves against weeds on paths and surfaces. As a result, this combination of active ingredients is still mistakenly considered a home remedy. As part of the revision of the Plant Protection Act of 2012, the use of salt and vinegar as weed killers was banned. Any violation will result in fines of up to 50,000 euros. The reason is that this pungent mix kills all soil organisms. The weeds can be seen again after a while, so that a renewed application would be necessary. The consequences for the ecological balance of nature would be incalculable.

Efficient prevention
In the run-up to the creation of a garden or new paths, you can already effectively influence the extent of the later weed growth.

Weed control fabric
The ultra-modern material is air and water permeable and virtually rot. Spread out between the ground and the potting soil, it prevents dandelions, ground elder, field horsetail & Co. for years.

Polymer joint sand
The special dry mix keeps the joints weed-free on paved paths and terraces. This joint sand can even be swept in later, as a powerful weapon in biological weed control.

Mulching
Persistently spreading mulch material among plants that can tolerate it, naturally keeping weeds at bay. Bark mulch, gravel, chippings or wood chips are well suited for this purpose. Ideally, spread a mulch fleece underneath to double the effectiveness.

Conclusion
A whole arsenal of effective approaches is available for biological weed control on paths and in the garden. Coordinated with the gardener’s individual attitude to this topic, weeds can be attacked with a lot of energy, clever ideas or effective organic preparations. Since this area of ​​hobby gardening is determined by dynamic development, you should keep yourself updated on a regular basis. In particular, it is advisable to question traditional remedies such as salt and vinegar.

Kira Bellingham

I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.

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