Spring is the best time to clean pavements and garden paths in the garden. Green growth and lichens are a major problem and must be removed in a timely manner. We explain how you can clean various garden paths and get the garden ready for spring.
Foto: Shutterstock / Virrage Images
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In a well-organized garden, the garden paths are a must. Whether made of pavement, wood or concrete, it is crucial to keep them clean. This is important not only for aesthetics but also for safety reasons. A clean garden path is much less slippery, especially in rain and humidity.
Cleaning garden paths: tips for every surface
Foto: Shutterstock / Mulevich
Depending on the material and appearance, different garden paths require different care. We have collected cleaning tips for every surface that have been tested by experts. The following applies to all materials: Avoid aggressive chemicals and instead rely on mechanical methods and mild cleaning agents. In this way, you not only protect the materials on your path, but also the environment.
Clean natural garden path
The garden has to look natural, don’t you think? Garden paths made from natural materials are a real enrichment and give structure to the natural garden. This is how you clean and care for the various materials in spring.
Natural stone paths Photo: Shutterstock / Studio Light and Shade
During the winter, algae forms a greenish layer on natural stone slabs, which is not only unsightly but also extremely slippery. For natural stone paths, you should avoid using chemical cleaning agents as these can damage the material. Instead, water, pH-neutral soap and a hard brush are suitable for cleaning. It is also possible to use a high-pressure cleaner for hard natural stones such as granite and basalt. With soft natural stones, however, it is only permitted at low pressure.
Maintaining garden paths made of mulch Photo: Shutterstock / andrekoehn
The garden path made of bark mulch does not require cleaning in spring, but only possibly renewal to keep it clean and beautiful. Every spring, apply some fresh mulch and roughen the surface. It is best to remove weeds mechanically, i.e. by hand, although you can also use this useful trick from the toolbox.
How to clean wooden garden paths? Photo: Shutterstock / Ground Picture
How do you clean the wooden garden path? Here, too, you should avoid chemicals as they can attack the material. If your wooden path has an unsightly surface, you can use water with baking soda as a cleaning solution. Stubborn stains are best scrubbed off with a brush. Soft soap also helps with green deposits on wood. It is applied undiluted and worked into the wood with a brush. Then you simply rinse the wooden floorboards with water and they look like new again.
Maintain the gravel path after winter
Photo: Shutterstock / Zania Studio
Although gravel paths are no longer as popular as they were a few years ago, they are still practical and present in many gardens. To keep them clean, regularly remove leaves and debris with a rake or leaf blower. To avoid discoloration and green growth, you should rake the stones regularly. Weeds can be removed manually or with a joint brush. Avoid using home remedies such as vinegar and salt as they can pose a real problem for the environment if they enter the body of water.
Cleaning garden paths from paving stones
If you have a classic garden path made of paving stones, then the problem with algae, moss, lichens and weeds is probably familiar to you. A high-pressure cleaner can help with many of these problems. We recommend that you first scrape the joints with a joint scraper and then use pressure to remove the remains, including lichen and green growth, from the paving stones.
Foto: Shutterstock / Alan Budman
Another effective device for cleaning paved paths is the weed burner. This destroys both the lichen spores and the weed roots, solving both problems at once. After treatment with the gas burner, the remains are simply swept and the garden path looks clean and tidy again.
Clean concrete stepping stones again
Inexpensive garden paths and concrete treads are fairly easy to clean. You can remove coarse dirt using scouring sand by sweeping the agent over the stones. If there are green deposits, warm water and a scrubber are usually sufficient to clean them. Here too, the high-pressure cleaner is a possible solution if you use low to moderate pressure.
Also interesting: Do you want to lay a new garden path and are you looking for variants? Then take a look at these weekend DIY projects and get some ideas!