We are currently still living in our rental apartment, and since we planted the balcony for the first time, we have been having trouble with weeds. They grow out of the joints between the tiles.
It seems to us that the individual tiles were not laid very carefully, and the gaps between the tiles, especially along the outer edges and near the railing, are quite large.
Today, when I was setting up the umbrella and moving two larger plant pots apart, I was almost shocked. There’s what looks like half a wild meadow growing there! These strange weed creatures, see photo, have extremely thick stems and roots.
And quite unpleasant: many small gray creatures live there, strange woodlice that quickly ran back into the joints.
My quick attempt with my joint cleaner was unsuccessful; I can’t reach the roots at all.
In general, it’s a futile effort: I pull weeds about twice a week, but dandelions and chives (yes, really!) keep growing between the joints. Especially the chives, I can’t get rid of them with the joint cleaner.
Last year I already went to a garden center looking for a weed killer, but somehow they didn’t want to sell me anything suitable. It might be tricky on a balcony with children around, etc. I think I will go to a proper hardware store early tomorrow to get some kind of chemical treatment. Do you have any tips? Also happy to hear about special tools or materials that can be applied into the joints.
It seems to us that the individual tiles were not laid very carefully, and the gaps between the tiles, especially along the outer edges and near the railing, are quite large.
Today, when I was setting up the umbrella and moving two larger plant pots apart, I was almost shocked. There’s what looks like half a wild meadow growing there! These strange weed creatures, see photo, have extremely thick stems and roots.
And quite unpleasant: many small gray creatures live there, strange woodlice that quickly ran back into the joints.
My quick attempt with my joint cleaner was unsuccessful; I can’t reach the roots at all.
In general, it’s a futile effort: I pull weeds about twice a week, but dandelions and chives (yes, really!) keep growing between the joints. Especially the chives, I can’t get rid of them with the joint cleaner.
Last year I already went to a garden center looking for a weed killer, but somehow they didn’t want to sell me anything suitable. It might be tricky on a balcony with children around, etc. I think I will go to a proper hardware store early tomorrow to get some kind of chemical treatment. Do you have any tips? Also happy to hear about special tools or materials that can be applied into the joints.
Stefan G. schrieb:
That's true, but the stuff still grows and spreads. Larger holes appear in the lawn wherever it does, hence the tough method...That's nature, and honestly, it will just come back anyway! So why not occasionally pinch off the shoots when they reach this size? They look quite robust to me.
Best regards in brief
Hello, originally this was about a balcony, I believe. Last summer, our balcony had to be renovated because the walls in the room behind it were damp. We live on the top floor, the second floor. The apartment on the first floor has a room directly underneath our balcony, and it was completely dry there. They removed everything from our balcony and rebuilt it layer by layer (we had granite slabs on top). The only difference was that the building management’s architect insisted that the new slabs be laid with gaps between them. We couldn’t convince him otherwise.
Now, with spring approaching, the problem is becoming apparent. Green growth is already showing up densely in all the cracks. Even a maple seedling sprouted there. I managed to remove the seedling, but not the thousands of tiny green sprouts. I don’t think boiling water is a good idea for the membrane under the layer of granulate on which the slabs are laid.
So, I will try the tip with formic acid. But basically, I want to ask: why were the slabs laid with gaps in the first place? Best regards, daggi1410
Now, with spring approaching, the problem is becoming apparent. Green growth is already showing up densely in all the cracks. Even a maple seedling sprouted there. I managed to remove the seedling, but not the thousands of tiny green sprouts. I don’t think boiling water is a good idea for the membrane under the layer of granulate on which the slabs are laid.
So, I will try the tip with formic acid. But basically, I want to ask: why were the slabs laid with gaps in the first place? Best regards, daggi1410
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