On Fri, 15 Jun 2012 16:51:19 +0100, "Pete C"
wrote:


"keithwood57" wrote in message
...

Hi
Forgive me if I am covering old ground.
I am not skilled in web use and find it very difficult to navigate.
I am a retired man living in the West Midlands.
I recently changed churches and I was asked if I would take on the
church garden. This was no big problem as it had been quite well
maintained.
However, I realised that part of the job involved keeping the patio area
weeded.
Now, this is a HUGE area of paving stones and, as the church is about
fifty years old, weeds have very seriously established themselves
between them.
I have already weeded the patio twice this year. It takes (me anyway) a
full day and it is very hard work.
I have never had this problem before so I wonder if anyone would like to
make a suggestion - bearing in mind that if a weed-killer is suggested
it needs to be cost-effective. A friendly council worker who passed by
while I was weeding suggested Roundup. Now, I don't know how good this
is - but it is hugely expensive for a pensioner (and, yes, I would like
to bear the cost myself as part of my church giving).
Thank you
Keith

I admire what you're doing. 'cost effective'.....depends what you can
afford. Yes, Roundup or similar might be the answer. Perhaps parisherers
might like to donate some?
Pete C

One thing to watch for is that in supermarkets you will often find
sprayer bottles of ready-diluted weedkillers. If you buy these they
are very expensive and you're paying for a lot of water. If you can
get to a garden centre or a DIY place look for concentrate packs. And
get a cheap plastic watering can. This will work out a lot cheaper if
you have a large area to treat. Maybe the PCC/Elders will pay for
these materials for you or there may be a gardener who can spare a
sachet of concentrate and already has a watering can used for
weedkilling (it's not a good idea to use a can for both weedkilling
and normal watering).

Weedkillers are usually applied using a sprinkler bar that slows down
the flow of liquid from the watering can but these bars also spread
the liquid over almost 2 feet wide strips and you only need to treat
the cracks between the pavers. So stick with an ordinary rose on the
can to minimise waste and pour gently.

It may take a few days before the weeds start to die but this is good
- you want the weedkiller to get right down to the roots and kill them
from the bottom up. Don't be tempted to pull any weeds up until
they're really dead.

Cheers, Jake
=======================================
Urgling from Swansea Bay. Dave's at that end; I'm at this end.
Bill G's in the middle. Come to think of it, where is Bill G these days?