Weed in driveway crack

How To Remove Weeds From The Cracks In Your Driveway To Prevent Their Return

Finding weeds growing in your yard is a common incident among homeowners, albeit an unpleasant one. But have you ever peeked into the cracks of your driveway? 

Besides overtly grassy areas, there are several reasons why weeds leave you with the impossible task of removing them from your gravel driveway: 

The temperature is warm, the turf is thin, and the space is just small enough to host a family of these unfavorable plants. Thankfully, there are a few surefire ways to kill weeds and prevent them from returning. 

All you need to start are a few items commonly found around the house: vinegar, baking soda, and some boiling water.

Before diving into some of the least harmful ways to kill weeds, it's important to know why you're getting rid of them in the first place. 

In agricultural settings, weeds compete with beneficial crops to receive sunlight, nutrition, soil, and other essential ingredients. In our driveway, weeds can fill up the cracks and make our driveway look unappealing to passersby -- and once they land somewhere, they spread far and wide until we've lost track. 

By removing weeds from your driveway and other areas around the house, you're making room for your environmentally friendly plants and increasing the curb appeal of your home. Let's dive into exactly how to remove weeds from your driveway and prevent them from returning.

Use Vinegar And Baking Soda

White vinegar can be an effective weed repellent, and it might already be in your pantry. 

Start by creating a mixture of vinegar, dish soap, and a cup of salt, then pour the solution into a spray bottle. 

Spray around and on top of the targeted weeds in your driveway crack. While you may need to do this several times, routinely using the spray can help keep weeds away for good. 

Additionally, note that vinegar will kill any plant it comes in contact with. If you happen to have plants growing near your driveway, be careful not to spray them with the solution. 

Similarly, baking soda is another natural ingredient that won't harm your soil but will effectively kill off weeds. 

In the unlikely chance that vinegar doesn't work for you, the high salt content of baking soda should dry out the weeds until they die. Start by wetting the weeds with some water before sprinkling baking soda on top. 

Do this consistently and watch as your weeds wither away from dehydration caused by an overload of sodium.

Pour Boiling Water Into The Cracks

If you don't have any of the above solutions at hand, boiling water is one of the easiest ways to get rid of weeds, especially if they've started to spread. 

Tap roots, or the root from which plants sprout, can be reached directly by boiling water since it seeps within the dirt to permanently remove weeds. 

Just like vinegar, however, boiling water will destroy any plants it touches, so tread with caution if there are any desirable organisms close to the affected area. 

If it's a particularly windy day, you may consider using a funnel to direct the water and avoid any spills. As you do this, consider wearing mittens or gloves to avoid burning yourself.

While you should be following through with the method routinely, give boiling water a few days to do its job. You may want to consider returning after a week or so before repeating these steps to ensure all the targeted weeds are killed off.