Killing weeds with boiling water is actually a fairly effective way to get rid of weeds, especially ones that are wedged into cracks where pulling them is almost impossible.
If you're one of these "I love everything that grows" types you probably think a field of dandelions is beautiful. You're some kindda hippie, aren't you?
They might be nice to look at and even eat, but when a dandelion gets in your crack it's pretty hard to get rid of without some sort of dangerous, deadly, dastardly poison. You know. The kind of stuff that makes birds start to grow beaks out of their bellybuttons.
So when you're looking to eliminate a weed in a hard to reach place, look to boiling water. It's a bit of a pain because of course, you have to boil a lot of water to get rid of a lot of weeds. But it works.
This is a perfect technique for dealing with weeds in sidewalks or pavers.
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Boiling Water.
Yup. Just pour boiling water on them. I know. I didn't think it would work either. But it does. One caveat to using boiling water is you'll have to repeat the treatment until the tap root eventually decides it can't take it anymore.
It make take 3 or 4 treatments to get rid of the weed for good. Each time it grows back, treat it again. It will grow back less and less vigorously as time goes on until it doesn't grow back at all.
The weed before boiling water treament
Pouring on Boiling Water.
1 hour later.
2 days later.
One half of the longgggggggg area I had to treat with boiling water.
The entire brick wall had hundreds of weeds sprouting out of where it met the sidewalk.
How does this work?
Boiling water kills the leaves instantly. The weed leaves are how they gather energy to grow, so if you get rid of those you're on your way to killing the entire weed.
It's more effective than simply removing the leaves because the boiling water also damages the top of the taproot.
As soon as you see them return, repeat the process on the young leaves before they have time to gather more energy for the taproot. Do this a few times and the root will die having lost its energy source.
After 1 treatment 90% of the weeds were dead. At least on the outside. But like I say, I think with a couple of more treatments they'll be gone for good. Dead to me. The larger weeds took 2 treatments of boiling water each to kill them.
Obviously you don't want to use this particular method if you have weeds in your grass. It'll kill the grass too.
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Most entertaining post & comment section I've ever read (and I read a lot online!)....
Thank you for making me smile today, and for all this useful info!
Luv U Karen!
Thanks Dianna! Welcome to my site. Sometimes I swear. Fair warning. :) ~ karen!
Since plants can feel pain: http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-09/new-research-plant-intelligence-may-forever-change-how-you-think-about-plants This is horrific! You're boiling them alive! A quick death by Roundup would be more humane. ;-)
GEEESSSEEE there is always someone like this... VIETNAM VETS used AGENT ORANGE.. The same company MONSANTO that makes ROUND UP.. And you worry about the plant feeling pain?? Gimmee a break!! Use 5% acid WHITE VINEGAR.. Same thing as Round up.. Unless you think the plant might think it is too sour for it.. GGEEEEEESSSSSEEEEE!!
I boiled hot water in my tea kettle and poured the boiling water on the weeds in the cracks. Then I put my garden gloves on and pulled on the weeds and they came out right away. I'm glad I googled to find out because I wouldn't have thought of doing this. I'm glad I don't have to use chemicals.
Haven't tried this since we're having a big windy storm right now, but I just read sprinkling a little baking soda will change the pH of the soil enough to prevent weeds. Or at least the same type of weeds. You could find out what kinds of weeds grow in a very alkaline soil. You may like them better. I tried the vinegar-on-a-hot day which worked great for me, but killed everything within 6-8" of the application, including nearby lawn. I did love the result on my stone patio cracks, though.
I use a pump sprayer filled with Vinegar and just a litle (3 gal sprayer) 1T of Lemon Joy and spray the weeds on the patio, if its a hot day that does it alone, if not...I go back with the boiling water that way one treatment does it...LOL
They sell special blowtorches for weeds at Home Depot - they work like a charm. We just burn the weeds in the patio areas early in the season and were done. Really easy!
I think what you did was not only kill the weeds but you sanitized the soil. Nothing else will grow their until next season :)
Stan. - Good. I don't want anything growing there. :) And the truth is, you have to keep soil at the temperature of boiling water for about 20 minutes to sterilize it completely, which the weed treatment doesn't even come close to. ~ k!
Depending on the foot traffic ie: kids and pets, plain old bleach straight from the bottle, works wonders!
Oh this is wonderful. Thanks for the tip, Karen. You're the best.
*fades into background, and resolves to henceforth be as quiet as a mouse, until our economy is resuscitated*
We use gas stoves, for the most part, and since gas prices (and the cost of the alternative... electricity)are at an all time high, I will not be attempting this. There are, however, some 'economically viable' solutions sprinkled in among the rather entertaining comments. :D
Don't you just love being the catalyst for quality entertainment? The 'powers that be' should raise your salary....
Ruth - That would be you. The powers that be are you. Raise please. ~ karen
My neighbor, a landscaper, told me about boiling water, said it works great. I've yet to try it; I'm still out there scraping, digging, swearing at the weeds between the pavers. Pesticides illegal? Who knew? Of course, I live in Oregon, so wouldn't think of using the stuff...I'd be escorted to the border, I'm sure. (I think people do use it, but only after dark on a moonless night). Regarding the vinegar, neighbor also said to boil it like you would the water (mixed wih water?), but the thought of asphixiating myself trying to get to the stove definitely put me off.
What an awesome easy idea - thanks!!!!
i guess i fall in the dirty hippie category, hell i'm even wearing deodorant that i made myself.. so our gardens are definitely 100% organic. but the douchebag that lives next door - thats another story. oh how i wish i could take a picture of what the idiot's yard currently looks like.
i woke up saturday morning to see that his newest adventure in chemicals was spraying his entire edge on both sides of the sidewalk and the walk going up to his house - the curb - around a telephone pole - around a tree stump - yes ALL yellow and dead. the point? maybe he wanted a striped yard? i don't know. but hes an idiot. my mister said, "it's called an EDGER, dumbass"
people just aren't as smart as us karen, plain and simple.
Agreed. Dirty hippie. ~ karen
Karen, thanks for this great tip. We've tried the vinegar and baking soda solution but the weeds tend to return. Can't wait to try boiling water on them. I'm guessing that pouring hot water on the weeds after the weeds have been baking out in the hot sun for a day or two, will encourage their demise.
Too weird... I just tidied up my crack this morning! Really! Mix half a gallon distilled vinegar, juice of 1 lemon and 1 Tablespoon dishwashing liquid. Spray away! You'll see results in just a few mins.
Please be careful with salt. It does kill weeds, but it also makes it so nothing else will grow there either. Remember when the Greeks salted the ground on the ruins of Troy so nothing would grow there again? Yeah. (If I've got the Greeks and the Trojans mixed up with someone else, remember I'm a computer major.)
Frankly, it's a waste of dandelions. Who else greets you with a bright sunny yellow face first thing in spring, offering leaves as greens, roots as coffee substitute and the possibility of wine from blossoms then floats away on the breeze like fairies? Try getting that from Kentucky
Blue or Burmuda grass. Dandelions aren't really weeds, they are just plants growing in the wrong place.
Thanks for the tip. I am putting the kettle on right now.
What kinda water would a woman wield if a woman would wield water? Would wielding water waste her weeds wherever and whenever they were? Would a woman wield water to waste her weeds when weeding wasn't working?
OK. I've officially crossed over to the dark side. ~;0)
You cooked them!