How To Keep Weeds Out Of Cracks Using A Pantry Staple You Already Own

Patios and walkways made with pavers or bricks add attractive texture to mundane spaces. The patterns they create, complex or simplistic, can take a plain path or patio to perfection. The one downside they have is that the cracks between the pieces, the same detail that provides their distinctive design and texture, will often start growing weeds. If the bricks or pavers are properly seated on a bed of gravel, it is likely that the weeds have sprouted in dirt that have accumulated in the cracks, rather than having started in the soil below the gravel. But that does not mean that the weeds will not put down a robust root system and strongly establish themselves. Weeds are tough and tenacious; they have to be. 

So, how do you get rid of weeds once they are growing? Two words: baking soda. Yes, weed control is one way you never thought of using baking soda. Sodium bicarbonate, aka, baking soda is an effective and environmentally-friendly chemical that will kill weeds on contact. It is a chemical base, and its alkaline nature will desiccate plants, removing the water they need to survive from their cells — keeping your cracks clear of weeds.

Baking soda can be applied to weeds in a couple of ways. The most basic is simply dusting the plant with the powder, about a teaspoon per weed. Wet the weeds first and then apply the baking soda. The powder will stick better to a wet weed than a dry one. Although it's super easy to apply this way, the powder can blow away in strong winds. Plus, it will take several days for the baking soda to kill the plants. Another way to apply baking soda is to mix it in water and then spray the weeds. Mix 10 tablespoons of baking soda into a gallon of water, put the water into a spray bottle, and spray the mixture onto the offending plants. Once you have killed the weeds invading the cracks between your bricks and pavers, keep the area clean. Blowing seeds and dirt out of the cracks with a leaf blower or a power washer will help prevent weed growth.

One ingredient you do not want to add to your baking soda and water mixture is vinegar. You'll find websites and YouTube channels telling you to mix the two ingredients. There is a problem with this idea. Baking soda kills weeds because it is alkaline, a base on the pH scale. Vinegar kills weeds because it contains acetic acid. If you mix equal parts base and acid together you get a nifty fizzy chemical reaction, at the end of which you'll have a liquid with a neutral pH. It won't kill weeds.