Weeds such as dandelions like to get stuck in the joints between terrace and paving slabs and can only be removed with difficulty. The annoying weeding by hand or flaming weeds is no longer necessary if you fill the cracks with stone dust. In this article you will find out why this works so well and how you have to proceed.

Rock flour works well on weeds in joints

What is rock flour?

Many hobby gardeners know rock dust as a valuable fertilizer that supplies the soil with mineral trace elements and as a natural aid in the fight against vermin and fungi. Starting product for rock powder can be:

  • basalt
  • lava
  • quartz
  • zeolite
  • diabase
  • Granite.

Sometimes clay powders are also ground into primary rock powder.

The ingredients of the product depend on the source rock. However, they always contain high levels of trace minerals.

Why does crushed stone in the joints have a weed-inhibiting effect?

With rock flour (14.13€) you can permanently get weeds out of the paving stone joints. It works because:

  • The minerals lower the pH of the soil, allowing weed seeds to find sub-optimal conditions.
  • The fine granulation penetrates even the smallest cracks and completely fills cavities.
  • The subsoil is so compacted that the weed roots can hardly spread.

Nevertheless, the joints remain water-permeable. Rainwater runs off well and no puddles form, provided the surface is level.

How is rock dust applied correctly?

Use the joint scraper to remove all weeds and deposited substrate about three centimeters deep. Then proceed as follows:

  • Allow the joints to dry completely before filling them with rock flour.
  • Sprinkle the material directly into the cracks.
  • Sweep back and forth across the surface to incorporate and compact the rock dust well.
  • You can rent surface vibrators in many hardware stores. Especially in large areas such as the driveway, these make work noticeably easier.

Carefully sweep up any excess rock flour. If the joints are completely compacted after a few weeks due to rain and loads, you can fill small depressions with the material that has been kept dry.

tips

Prehistoric rock powder is available in different tones. The color palette ranges from light sandy beige to an almost black anthracite. This means that the filling can be matched to the color of your paving stones and you can create attractive contrasts.

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Herbs