My mother in law was telling me about this method earlier in the year, so I used it for the clumps of grass growing up through the cement in the walkway. It does kill the grass, that's for sure. I haven't tried it on weeds because I would need to boil about 500 gallons to conquer that task, but I'm willing to bet it works on them, too.

Yes, it works. When I was a kid my mother used boiling water to kill weeds...and also to kill the wimpy ants in Connecticut.
Three cheers for no chemicals and no residue.

My mother used this method and I have always kept my paths clear by using boiling water. Once you start doing this it becomes a frequent small garden chore and you can kill weeds and grass a little each day. I find this weed control method, using no chemicals, and at no expense, great for my garden philosophy.

However, it is very important to remember not to carry boiling water around small children or darting animals.

Can hot water kill Canadian horseweed?

I am so going to do this today on a brick area that I have! Thanks!!!

That sounds like a good idea. I think i will try it. Living in a condo, I don't have that many weeds, so it is entirely doable. I would think that in place of using a "collar" to protect nearby plants, I could also just use something like holding a trashcan lid vertically between the two to protect desirable plants. Yup, next time I see a prickly thistle growing that i don't want to touch/pull up with my hands, I will certainly use this method -- thanks!

cwhitt said:That sounds like a good idea. I think i will try it. Living in a condo, I don't have that many weeds, so it is entirely doable. I would think that in place of using a "collar" to protect nearby plants, I could also just use something like holding a trashcan lid vertically between the two to protect desirable plants. Yup, next time I see a prickly thistle growing that i don't want to touch/pull up with my hands, I will certainly use this method -- thanks!

That is what popped up ALL over my yard this year. I think, thanks to the decline of our grass, the thistle saw an opportunity and took advantage of it. I have two different types of prickly weeds popping up all over my garden...one I'm pretty sure is thistle, and the other looks vaguely like a spiny, owwie version of a dandelion.

I occasionally manage to leave my garden hose in the yard rather than rewinding it back into its reel box. Although it is not boiling it IS painfully hot so I sometimes spray the hot water on places I want to kill weeds (the edge of the lawn where it comes to the raised beds is one of my favorites lately). I have to pay attention to the temperature of the water so I can't get a big area, but it's a nice use for the built up heat and something "to do" while waiting for the water to cool down. My problem is remembering to do that instead of just aiming the nozzle into the air to let the water cool as it falls to the ground.

Boiling water works very well on anthills but I haven't yet tried it on weeds. Sounds like a wonderful idea.

Hey...next time I boil eggs I'll pour the hot water onto weeds instead of down the sink drain. Thanks for the tip!

It does work, I use this method in the spring when it's too cold for Round Up to work effectively.

I hadn't thought of water from boiled eggs Kadie! I'll use the water from boiled potatoes and pasta next time, too! Thanks!

Kadie and Bob, I love your style...using water that you're boiling anyway to conserve water and electricity or natural gas. Nice!