I used to use Sodium Chlorate to kill weeds on my drive, but as you can't buy it any more, what is a good (and cheap) alternative? The various weedkillers in the garden centre seem to be about £20 for 5 litres. I have a big drive with lots of weeds (and not much money).

And before you suggest it, pulling them out is not an option (drive is too big and too many weeds).

Need something quite potent as they are thistles, moss, grass and dandelions.

Thanks

Blowtorch.

Bombers!

Salty water, dries them up and kills them. Large bags of salt are cheap.

I am sure someone will say its not a good idea, but its cheap and it does work.

Salty water sounds good – I tried some neat salt on some thistles in the lawn and it killed them OK.

It's kind of friendly to the environment – the sea is full of the stuff!

Diesel. Job done.

Also, I hear, good for drawing a large penis in someones garden.

Yes you can use just salt, but salty water will get absorbed into the weeds and kill them off quite quickly.

I too have lots of weeds but on a lawn. I'm guessing salty water will kill off the grass even if I only spray the weeds?

To kill weeds in a lawn you need Verdone. Available at any garden centre.

Get my dog to piss on them. Seems to kill everything it touches in my garden!

Ah Verdone probably what I need I thnk it's Lesser Trefoil that has over taken my lawn.

Dont use salty water on the grass or close to anything that grows.

burn them

Nuke them from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

My inlaws have a paraffin burning blow torch which I often borrow – it's like setting a jet afterburner in the weeds! Can't find the link but it's pretty spectacular!

Edit – this is the one!

Death burner

Hypochlorite (or ide I think !!) used in the dairy industry for sterilising milking pipes etc. Use it neat and it will kill virtually anything !!! About £14 for 25 litres

Thanks Sillyoldhector – that looks like great stuff – probably kill me as well as the weeds!

Surf Mat – I was thinking of a burner, but £175? Cheaper to pour petrol over a set light to it.

I think salty water is the favourite so far

Antifreeze, as in motor vehicle coolant. Wonderful stuff for killing just about everything, including humans if given a high enough dosage 😯

Get to an agrochemical merchant and buy the cheapest gylphosate (used to be called RoundUp, but Monsanto's patent has expired)you need sod all to spray a big area and it's safer for people and critters than many of the ideas above.

dandelions or any deep rooted perennial weeds
eg couch grass, bind weed, creeping thistle there is only one solution
as smiffy said Glyphosate
beware it comes in different strengths and you can pay top dollar for piss,
builders merchants, agrochemical merchants etc in gallon containers, not cheap but …
and, if you want cheap … boiling water
salt water will will not be absorbed it will cause dehydration
……………..osmosis anyone?

Yes, sorry 'absorbed' was the wrong word, but it will kill them dead 🙂

Plus its harmless to pets etc.

but it will kill them dead

As opposed to killing them not dead?

Glyphosate works reasonably well but I'm still chasing hoards around my patio despite monthly dosings.

Maybe you need a weed eating critter, like a guinea pig

Vinegar mixed with salt. Get a big bag of salt from Tescos etc. 'bout 40p, and 2+ cheapest vinegar (30p). Spray on, give it half a day, and they're dead. Worked on our patio atleast! 😛

but it will kill them dead
As opposed to killing them not dead?

Glyphosate works reasonably well but I'm still chasing hoards around my patio despite monthly dosings.

I meant it in the way, that whatever you call it….it will kill them ! 🙂

Large – that's why I just borrow one 😉