How to remove weeds from scoria?

[hjt1701]

Hi,

I'm looking for advice i did a lower water/maintenance front yard years ago. Removed a grass patch and replaced with red scoria at the time i laid weed mat down and sealed everything.  After an illness and not being able to maintain it, weeds have grown between the pieces while i have poised it and they have died. The dead weeds now are just sitting stuck between the rocks. Outside of the getting on hands and knees and doing a very large space by hand can anyone suggest how to remove them? Using a leaf blower or leaf vaccum concerns me it will blow or suck the rocks up. 

Appreciate any suggestions.

[JacobZ]

Hi @hjt1701,

Thank you for your question and welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is fantastic to have you with us.

I think the idea of using a leaf blower or blower vac is a good one, but your concern about the rocks being disturbed makes perfect sense.

My first thought was to get a sheet of wire mesh with a small aperture such as this RapidMesh 600 x 900 x 0.6mm 6.5 x 6.5 Silver Wire Mesh Panel, lay it on top of the rocks and anchor the edges. You can then use a blower or blower vac to remove the dead material. Some scoria may still be disturbed because of how light it is, but this would greatly reduce the amount that is disturbed meaning you could simply brush or rake it back into place once done.

Let me tag @Dave-1, @Noyade and @DIYGnome to see if they have any creative ideas.

Let me know what you think.

Jacob

[Dave-1]

Evening @hjt1701 

All I can think of is using a Cyclone Stirrup Hoe to push through the scoria and slice of the weeds at their base. It may take a little practice to get it to ride above the underlying weedmat but it does work. I have one that I used to take out the weeds in my vegetable beds and it really works. 

Once you have slice through the dead weeds the above ground part should be able to be removed fairly easily.

Dave