Weeds are a constant chore gardeners have to keep on top of, but it can be frustrating dealing with them on patio, paving and gravelled areas around the home. 

These pesky plants are more likely to spread in stones or gravel as there is less competition than in other places in the garden for them to thrive. 

Many people wish to turn to more environmentally friendly methods to get rid of weeds, however, gardening expert and founder of Good Grow UK Chelsey has warned against using vinegar despite how often it is recommended online. 

She explained: “So you've heard vinegar is a great weed killer! You read on the internet that it is safer than other weed killers, it works and you're going to use vinegar to kill all the weeds on your drive.

“Good luck with that. Vinegar may well kill some small weeds but if the goal is to get rid of them forever then vinegar is not the answer.

“Vinegar simply burns away the visible part of the weed, it may look dead, it may act dead but the roots are still intact - it will regrow.”

To permanently kill weeds you need to target the root of the plant, and vinegar is unable to penetrate the foilage to kill the roots off for good. 

There are some ways around this, as washing up liquid can break down the outer layer of the weed’s leaves so you can mix both vinegar and dish soap as one alternative to get rid of leaves.

However, there is a much easier natural solution as Chelsey has suggested using rock salt, used to clear away ice, to keep weeds away from your driveway for good. 

Chelsey said: “Salt is a cheap, effective way to kill weeds and keep them gone. It's versatile too, you can simply spread the rock salt by hand or dissolve it in water and spray it onto the ground."

Not only is it affordable but it is incredibly easy to use as all you need to do is spread the rock salt into the cracks where weeds may be in your patio or gravel and the rock salt will completely dehydrate them and kill them off. 

Chelsey said: “Spread it across your drive neat or diluted and you're done. Be careful not to get it onto the ground you want to grow in.”

Make sure to try out this method on a sunny day where there is no rain predicted for the next day otherwise the water can wash away the salt. 

It is also important to be careful where you are placing the salt as it will not discriminate against a weed or a beloved garden plant. Take care if using it near your lawn or flower beds. 

Rock salt can be bought from almost all garden centres or can be ordered online, and is a simple way to keep weeds away so you can have a clean and tidy driveway or patio for the summer.