I had loads of weeds popping up between my patio slabs – a free hack killed them instantly & they haven’t grown back
A GARDENING fan has revealed a super savvy hack to help get rid of the weeds that keep popping up between her patio slabs.
American reality star Lo Bosworth constantly had weeds growing through her slabs on her balcony in New York city.
But a gardening fan suggested to her about a free trick and it has been a game changer.
The 37-year-old, who appeared on MTVs reality show The Hills, said that the weed looked like “sidewalk weed,” which was “hard to get out” by hand.
And taking to her Instagram page, which has 855,000 followers, the reality star showed the difficulty she was having with them.
Talking about how nature works, Lo said: “It just always amazes me how prolific nature is though.
“If we get blasted off the earth today or tomorrow. In a week, the weeds would be back.”
Luckily, a gardening fan suggested that pouring boiling water will do just the trick.
Her videos have over over 1,200 likes with many rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.
Many have suggested using vinegar to also help kill the weeds.
A gardening fan wrote: “Try a vintage weed killer: Fill a container with one gallon of white vinegar.
Bring to boil
“Add one tablespoon of dish soap to the vinegar.
“Optional: Pour in one cup of salt.
“Mix the solution thoroughly until the ingredients are well combined.
“Pour your desired amount into a garden sprayer.”
Another suggested: “Ok so I tried boiling water, vinegar and weed killer but when the rains came again they all came back with vengeance.”
A third gardening enthusiast said: “Vinegar, dish soap and salt. Will kill them instantly.
“We live in Connecticut and use this for our huge yard. Cheap, non toxic and effective.”
But it seems that the boiling water trick hasn’t been so successful when it comes to permanently banishing the weeds.
“This didn’t work for me. It killed it sure but the weed was back within two months,” a gardening fan wrote.
However, someone else suggested: “I added salt, and dish soap.”
What is a weed? And why are they important?
Simply put, a weed is a plant that grows in an area or space you don't want it to.
Rebecca Miller, Fabulous’ Associate Editor, and keen gardener, explains why gardeners need to become friends with weeds.
“From nettles, buttercups, docks and dandelions – there are so many wonderful plants that are called weeds. And yet, as soon as the weather warms up, and we spend more time in outside, we want to pluck, pull and kill as many of them as possible, to make our gardens look perfect and pristine.
“Weeds are essential to our ecosystem – many are pollinators, providing food to bees, bats, beetles, butterflies, moths and wasps. And without weeds, these animals wouldn’t survive past early Spring.
“Weeds also give back to nature – when they die and decay, their roots break down, feed microorganisms and insects, and make pathways and tunnels for worms. Bountiful life below means plentiful life above.
“Weeds are also brilliant indicators of soil health – which is important if you want to grow anything in your outdoor space. When microorganisms and insects break down weeds, they release essential nutrients into the soil that plants soak up. They also store nitrogen and carbon dioxide in the ground, creating cleaner air and removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, mitigating the climate crisis.
“So before you pull out every weed in your garden, why not give a few of them a chance to grow and bloom, and see what enters your garden to enjoy the flowers…”