Weed problem

[nellyleelephant]

We've got a house in Normandy that has a severe problem with weeds. This time of year, the changeable weather between rain and heat sends them mental, and as we're not there all the time, it's impossible to keep on top of them.

They grow in an area around the house, probably 40-50 sqm at a guess. The area is covered in loose stone and borders the lawn, so industrial weed killers are out I guess.

Short of concreting the whole area, what other options do we have?

Cheers

[Simpo Two]

Jardiniere!

[nellyleelephant]

We pay one of them already to cut the grass, and that costs enough!

[Shaolin]

Why not weedkillers? Specific path weedkillers can last for 6-12 months and stay where they are pretty much rather than going sideways. They persist in the soil, so a fairly early spring application should do the job until mid-late summer at least.

[Plotloss]

Take the stones up, lay a membrane, put stones back.

[HiRich]

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/documents/Weedkillers...
gives a good explanation of the types, methods, chemicals and (UK) brands of weedkiller available to the amateur. Probably better to buy concentrate and a 5 or 10 litre sprayer (e.g. Hozelock).

An alternative would be duPont weed barrier membrane (looks a bit like fibreglass mat). Lift the stones, lay membrane on the earth and replace stones. Works well, and provided you are not walking/driving on the stones regularly it should last rather well. Also potentially handy should you need to lift and wash the stones.

[netherfield]

Make sure to kill the weeds before laying a membrane