I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are
growing through.

Would I need to remove the existing gravel before putting the sheet down or
could I put a sheet over the existing gravel and then put gravel on top of
that?

Gareth wrote:
I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are
growing through.


antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds

Spray them off.

Roger Mills wrote:
On 10/06/2011 18:52, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Gareth wrote:
I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are
growing through.


antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds

Spray them off.


They don't *stop* them, but they *do* slow them down and stop them from
making tap roots, so they are easy to remove.

Gravel alone does that.

The matting really needs to be on soil *under* the gravel so, for best
results, you need to lift and relay the gravel. If possible, wash it
while it's up.

easiest to spray path clear on and in three weeks hose it down and if
necessary, add more gravel.

In article ,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
On 10/06/2011 18:52, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds

Spray them off.


They don't *stop* them, but they *do* slow them down and stop them from
making tap roots, so they are easy to remove.

Gravel alone does that.

Gravel does not prevent weeds from making tap roots, and does not prevent
invasion by creeping roots.

I won't use poisons near the house, so am waiting until I can afford to
strip and re-lay the gravel beds. In the meantime it's a never ending
battle with (in my case) deep rooted thistles which have got a hold.

Nick
--
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On Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:49:04 +0000 (UTC), Nick Leverton wrote:

In the meantime it's a never ending battle with (in my case) deep rooted
thistles which have got a hold.

Pulling 'em will get 'em. We get a few thistles here I normally let
them grow and flower but not set seed then push a fork in full deepth
all round giving it a waggle then pull the thistle out. It helps if
the ground is moist after a good bit of rain, under those conditions
I've got 3' of tap root out before now. That is with a big thistle,
say 3'+ high and 18"+ diameter. Even if you don't get all the root if
you get the top foot or so they don't seem to come back. If it snaps
off at or just below ground level it probably will.

Very few thistles here now (I've not spotted one this year, yet) and
much less ragwort just by simply pulling. I only really started on
thistle control a couple of years ago, was concentrating on the
ragwort before.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message , Nick Leverton
writes
In article ,
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
On 10/06/2011 18:52, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds

Spray them off.


They don't *stop* them, but they *do* slow them down and stop them from
making tap roots, so they are easy to remove.

Gravel alone does that.

Gravel does not prevent weeds from making tap roots, and does not prevent
invasion by creeping roots.

I won't use poisons near the house, so am waiting until I can afford to
strip and re-lay the gravel beds. In the meantime it's a never ending
battle with (in my case) deep rooted thistles which have got a hold.

You could try a double layer of plastic mulch. As the NP says, weed
roots will penetrate. I wonder if horticultural (professional supplies
rather than garden centre outlets) would do a better job.

regards
--
Tim Lamb

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:49:04 +0000 (UTC), Nick Leverton wrote:

In the meantime it's a never ending battle with (in my case) deep
rooted
thistles which have got a hold.

Pulling 'em will get 'em. We get a few thistles here I normally let
them grow and flower but not set seed then push a fork in full
deepth
all round giving it a waggle then pull the thistle out. It helps if
the ground is moist after a good bit of rain, under those conditions
I've got 3' of tap root out before now. That is with a big thistle,
say 3'+ high and 18"+ diameter. Even if you don't get all the root
if
you get the top foot or so they don't seem to come back. If it snaps
off at or just below ground level it probably will.

Very few thistles here now (I've not spotted one this year, yet) and
much less ragwort just by simply pulling. I only really started on
thistle control a couple of years ago, was concentrating on the
ragwort before.

--
Cheers
Dave.




A good dose of Roundup or similar Glyphoste product twice or three
times a year will do it. I use a version called 'Clinic Ace' from my
local agricultural supplier. We have an area of gravel approaching an
acre to keep weed free and igt works for us.

AWEM

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:38:51 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

A good dose of Roundup or similar Glyphoste product twice or three
times a year will do it.

Don't like using chemicals and glyphosate will kill the surrounding
plants as well. To much faff keeping it off them and going round a
few times a year compared to a single round of pulling.

Gravel just needs to be raked over every so often to keep clear of
weeds. If you have gravel and want it to be weed free you have to put
the labour in. If I had a large expanse of gravel think I'd get a
wheeled, paraffin fired, burner. It'll do for anything growing and
any seeds lying about as well, not to mention being fun. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:38:51 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

A good dose of Roundup or similar Glyphoste product twice or three
times a year will do it.

Don't like using chemicals and glyphosate will kill the surrounding
plants as well.

Bull****. I spray my gravel edges where grass has crept in with
Pathclear, and the surrounding grass is as good as ever.

Use a driping watering can, not a bloody pressure washer!

Glyphosate is even more specific. Kills by foliar absorption. It it
doesn't touch the leaves, it won't kill the plant.


Round here that's how they keep (public) footpaths across fields going.
Spray a meter wide strip of crop just after germination. Its razor sharp
edged.

"Dave Liquorice" wrote in message
ll.co.uk...
On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:38:51 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

A good dose of Roundup or similar Glyphoste product twice or three
times a year will do it.

Don't like using chemicals and glyphosate will kill the surrounding
plants as well. To much faff keeping it off them and going round a
few times a year compared to a single round of pulling.

Gravel just needs to be raked over every so often to keep clear of
weeds. If you have gravel and want it to be weed free you have to
put
the labour in. If I had a large expanse of gravel think I'd get a
wheeled, paraffin fired, burner. It'll do for anything growing and
any seeds lying about as well, not to mention being fun. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.




Dave, I suspect that you not used either gyphyosate or a wheeled
burner from your comments.

Glyphosate: I concur with the comments from 'The Natural
Philosopher' - please read them
Weed Burner: Hideously dangerous - if you get things hot enough to do
the job the gravel explodes and shatters all over the place. It also
melts into the soles of your shoes. AMHIK!!!!!

I've used both methods, and also individual pulling and from
experience I know which method I will continue with.

BTW have you ever tried raking an acre of gravel? Even wearing gloves
you end up with blisters and by the time you've finished the weeds
have regrown!!!!

AWEM

Huge wrote:
On 2011-06-10, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
On 10/06/2011 18:52, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Gareth wrote:
I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are
growing through.

antiweed ground sheets don't stop weeds

Spray them off.


They don't *stop* them, but they *do* slow them down and stop them from
making tap roots, so they are easy to remove.

Gravel alone does that.

Har, har, har. Yeah. Right.


yeah, right.

4" of gravel over 4" of proper sub base is well drained, car proof and
only wind blown seeds will start in it.

If its 1" of gravel its merely a scattering of mulch and is useless for
almost anything.

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:28:05 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Dave, I suspect that you not used either gyphyosate ...

I have but only on Ground Elder. I'd rather not use it at all.

Weed Burner: Hideously dangerous - if you get things hot enough to do
the job the gravel explodes and shatters all over the place.

Sounds like *you* haven't used a burner properly. You don't need to
incinerate the plants just waft the flame over them. The blast of
heat ruptures the cell walls and they die back within a few days. Not
noticed how the leaves on bushes too near but not within flame range
of a decent bonfire all turn brown a few days later?

BTW have you ever tried raking an acre of gravel? Even wearing gloves
you end up with blisters and by the time you've finished the weeds
have regrown!!!!

"I've told you a million times not to exaggerate!"

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:28:05 +0100, Andrew Mawson wrote:

Dave, I suspect that you not used either gyphyosate ...

I have but only on Ground Elder. I'd rather not use it at all.

Weed Burner: Hideously dangerous - if you get things hot enough to do
the job the gravel explodes and shatters all over the place.

Sounds like *you* haven't used a burner properly. You don't need to
incinerate the plants just waft the flame over them. The blast of
heat ruptures the cell walls and they die back within a few days. Not
noticed how the leaves on bushes too near but not within flame range
of a decent bonfire all turn brown a few days later?


point of a weed burner is to sterilise the soil of buried seeds as well.

"Gareth" wrote in message ...

I need to place an anti weed ground sheet on a gravel path. Weeds are
growing through.

Would I need to remove the existing gravel before putting the sheet down or
could I put a sheet over the existing gravel and then put gravel on top of
that?

Thanks for the replies.

I'm not keen on using weed killer - partly because the path is so close to
where children play and so on. Also I don't want weed killer seeping in to a
small garden where lettuce plants are grown.

That said I fear that the weeds are so bad that I'm going to have to use
some sort of chemical. It's not just the thistles which I guess I could get
rid of with a bit of hard work but also weeds which grow close to the ground
and which can't really be pulled up.

I was very naive about gravel and just assumed that weeds would not be able
to grow on gravel! I see that weeds even manage to grow on tarmac and
occasionally even stone paths where there is even a small crack in the
stone.

Fwiw, this "feature" is even advertised - Patch Magic (grass seed) claims on
the packet that it will even grow on concrete!



--
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* Windows Live Mail just can't quote! Luckily, I have found this:
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In message , Gareth
wrote

I was very naive about gravel and just assumed that weeds would not be
able to grow on gravel!

http://snowdropsgarden.co.uk/beth_00/beth03.htm
http://www.greenspaceplanting.co.uk/...0Garden%20-%20
gravel%20garden%20L.jpg

I see that weeds even manage to grow on tarmac and occasionally even
stone paths where there is even a small crack in the stone.

http://www.environetuk.com/japanese-...roperty-buildi
ng-damage.aspx

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk